Veteran swimmer Le Clos makes return at SA National (25m) Championships in KZN

Veteran swimmer Chad le Clos is set to make his return to national competition this week at the Bombela Concession Company SA National (25m) Championships, taking place at the GC Jolliffe Swimming Pool in Pietermaritzburg.

"My back is feeling good… feeling great. I’m going to be heading to the World Cup afterwards, probably just swimming one leg, we'll see how we go," Le Clos shared, expressing his enthusiasm for the upcoming events.

At 33 years old, Le Clos has taken an extended break to recover from a back injury. He is now gearing up to represent KwaZulu-Natal as he prepares for a meet in the World Cup series in Carmel, Indiana.

"I raced a couple of weeks ago in Cape Town, so we'll see if we can build on that and then build for a big Commonwealth next year, big trials next year. By then, we'll have a good squad up and running, and it’s going to be very exciting. I can't wait," he added.

The former Olympic champion will compete in several events during the short course championships, including the 100m freestyle and the 50m and 100m butterfly.

In an interestingtwist, he will also try his hand at backstroke, participating in the 50m event.

"I'll see how those go, and then at the World Cup, I'll just kind of see where I'm at with everything," he remarked, indicating he is looking forward to testing his limits.

Le Clos's sights are set on the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as the next major target following this week’s competition.

The national championships are scheduled to run from 25-28 September, with morning heats beginning at 8:30am and evening finals at 5pm.