South African Olympic swimming champion Chad Le Clos revealed yesterday that his preparations for the Rio Games have been overshadowed by news that both his parents have cancer.
The 200 metres butterfly champion, whose father Bert became a media sensation at the London 2012 Games for his exuberant reaction to his son’s gold, said he hoped both would be accompanying him to Brazil.
“My mum Geraldine has breast cancer which has returned since her remission in 2010,” Le Clos, who beat American Michael Phelps to gold four years ago, said in a statement posted on Twitter.
“She has recently undergone a double mastectomy and is now having chemo. My dad Bert developed prostate cancer and has also undergone an operation in late June.
“It has not been an easy time but I am training hard for Rio. More than anything else I want them to win their battles,” said the 24-year-old, who is also the 100m butterfly world champion and Olympic silver medallist.
Le Clos added that he would not be doing any media interviews before Rio.
The showdown in the pool with 18-times Olympic champion Phelps is expected to be one of the highlights of the Rio swimming programme.
Le Clos has booked a spot in five different events in Brazil after securing required qualifying times at the South African swimming championship in April, but whether he will feature in all of them is unclear.
He said last year that he planned to take on Phelps in the 100m and 200m butterfly and freestyle races at the Aug. 5-21 Games but has since scrapped the 100m freestyle.
The swimmer has set his sights on becoming the most decorated African male Olympian, topping the three gold and one silver medal of Ethiopian long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele.
Phelps has qualified for Rio in the 100 and 200 butterfly and 200 individual medley.