Chad le Clos makes history at Commonwealth Games
South Africa won six swimming medals at the Commonwealth Games as Pieter Coetzé claimed backstroke gold, Chad le Clos became the event’s most decorated athlete with a record 21st medal, and the national tally reached 22 medals.
Chad le Clos has become the most decorated athlete in the history of the Commonwealth Games, earning his 21st medal as South Africa secured bronze in the men’s four-by-100-metres medley relay in Glasgow.
The women’s four-by-100-metre team also won bronze. Pieter Coetzé won gold in the men’s 100-metre backstroke in a new Games record of 51.77 seconds, while Ruard van Renen secured bronze.
Kaylene Corbett claimed silver in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke.
Paralympian Christian Sadie won gold in the men’s S7-50-metre freestyle.
In the final night of swimming action, Australia rounded off an unprecedented level of domination over the course of the meet, winning 37 of the 57 events.
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Coetzé was one of the few non-Australian swimming stars of the Games and completed his dominance of the men's backstroke with a 100m gold in a Commonwealth and African record, within 17 hundredths of a second of the world record.
Coetzé had already eased to victory in the 50m and 200m backstroke finals in Games record times.
"It was something that I was focused on and believed I could do, so to pull it off is a is a great feeling," said the 22-year-old.
"I know what my body is capable of, so I just relax and let it happen. So far it hasn't let me down."
Coetzé was also part of the South Africa team that won bronze in the medley relay, with Chad le Clos making Commonwealth history in the process.
South Africa’s medal tally stands at 22.
In the overall medal table, Australia are storming clear with more than 100 medals, 47 of them gold.
