BUDAPEST, Hungary - Chad le Clos continued his winning form, racing to victory in the men’s 100m butterfly at the FINA World Cup in Budapest on Thursday evening.
Commonwealth Games silver medallist Brad Tandy also got in on the action finishing third in the 50m freestyle event on the opening night of the gala. Le Clos opened a healthy lead at the half-way mark of the race with France’s Mehdy Metella closing in on the South African.
The four-time Olympic medallist held on to his lead, hitting the wall first in a time of 49.22 seconds. Metella finished 0.49s behind Le Clos with Brazilian Nicholas Santos bagging the bronze in a time of 50.12.
Perennial challenger Laszlo Cseh of Hungary finished fifth in the race clocking 51.23. Fellow South African Ryan Coetzee had to be content with eighth place posting a time of 51.54.
Le Clos will have his work cut out for him on the second day of the meeting when he renews his rivalry with Cseh in the 200m butterfly. He can expect an all-out Hungarian onslaught with David Verraszto and Rio Olympics bronze medallist Tamás Kenderesi featuring among the challengers.
Tandy won his second medal of the World Cup series adding the 50m freestyle bronze to the silver from the Eindhoven leg last weekend. Series leader Vladimir Morozov of Russia smashed into the wall with a winning time of 20.51 breaking the World Cup record. Great Britain’s Ben Proud followed in second place clocking 20.89 with Tandy rounding off the podium finishing third in 21.06.
South Africa’s Chad le Clos was the only man to duck under 51 seconds in the morning session and was the obvious favourite in the Men’s 100m Fly. #Budapest #FINA #SWC18📺 https://t.co/bEozhdW5qV pic.twitter.com/4EO4KMD58E
— FINA (@fina1908) October 4, 2018