Chad Le Clos Holds Off Tamas Kenderesi In Tight Tussle Over 200 ‘Fly In Monaco

A 200m butterfly battle between Olympic champion Chad Le Clos and Tamas Kenderesi stole the show in the opening session of finals on Mare Nostrum Tour in Monaco: 1:54.80 for the Rio defender; 1:55.11 for the Hungarian chaser.

South Africa’s Le Clos was always ahead, his opening 50m of 25.60 lobbing a gauntlet across the lane ropes either side of him, the young Hungarian on 26.53 and left with a catch-me-if-you-can challenge.

Viewed that way, Kenderesi missed his mark, Le Clos refusing to leave the race with anything but pride intact. Even so, the Hungarian can only have gained form the experience of racing beside the man who pipped Michael Phelps for London 2012 gold in the American’s signature event.

Phelps is back and heading to USA Olympic trials at the end of the month in the week in which he turns 31. Kenderesi’s teammate Laszlo Cseh – the silver medallist when “The Alien”, as the Hungarian humorously referred to Phelps at Beijing 2008 after taking three second places behind a man on a trajectory to greatest Olympian all-time – is also back for more at 30. He approaches Rio as World champion, and the oldest ever at that, too, from his win in Kazan last year.

Tamas Kenderesi, by Aniko Kovacs

Just under 1:55 won’t cut the mustard come the big one, of course, but as a controlled Mare Nostrum opener, Le Clos, coached by Graham Hill, had cause to smile …

continue reading in source www.swimvortex.com