South African swimmer Chad le Clos has been named Best Male Athlete in Africa by the Association of National Olympic Committee (Anoc).
The 25-year-old was honoured at a gala awards organised by Anoc in Prague, Czech Republic this week, during which sportsmen and women across the globe were handed various prizes.
Le Clos, an Olympic, World and Commonwealth Games champion, is a 50, 100, and 200-metre butterfly specialist who won gold and silver medals in the 2012 Olympics in London and silver medals in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
“I am truly humbled to win this award and a big thank you to everyone back home in South Africa who has supported me. It’s been a tough 18 months and this is a big award,” Le Clos said after the ceremony.
“I am incredibly proud to represent my country and continent at the Anoc Awards.
“After a difficult year in my personal life, I am really pleased with my results this year and was delighted to come back and win gold. Sport in Africa is going from strength to strength and I am really honoured to win the award for Best Male Athlete in Africa.” Le Clos was born in Durban, to a Mauritian father and a South African mother but now lives in Cape Town.
He won his first major titles in 2010 at the age of 18 during the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India, where he claimed 2 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 200-metre butterfly and the 400-metre individual medley, setting a new record in both events.
