Abu Dhabi: Olympic gold medallist Chad Le Clos has added his name to the growing number of participants taking part in this month’s Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival.
The 22-year-old South African, who won gold in the 200-metres butterfly at the London Olympics in 2012, is the current Fina male swimmer of the year having stolen a march over the competition at last year’s Fina Swimming Championships.
The swimming superstar will join families, children and other Olympic athletes at Emirates Palace on Saturday, February 28, for the UAE capital’s largest community swimming event.
Taking inspiration from the great swimming events from around the world, the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival plans to grow participation and swimmer engagement, organisers say, cementing it as one of the premier open-water swimming events on the international calendar.
Le Clos, currently training for the Rio Olympics in 2016 and the Fina World Championships, will take time out of his busy schedule to visit the UAE for the event.
He is no stranger to the Emirates, having competed in Dubai on three occasions, but this will be his first time in Abu Dhabi and he admitted he was looking forward to seeing the sights of the capital.
“I’ve heard lots of great things about Abu Dhabi and I am looking forward to visiting for the first time. The Emirates Palace bay looks amazing and I can’t wait to swim there,” he said.
“I like the concept of the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival. I have seen the success of the Midmar Mile near my Durban home, which is now the world’s leading mass participation swimming event.
“It’s at a great location and attracts everyone from families and kids to elite swimmers. It’s a lot of fun and I am sure that the Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival will be the same.”
The Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival will see participants take part in a range of swimming races, including a number of Junior Splash Dashes, parent-and-child relays, and the Abu Dhabi Mile. The Abu Dhabi Swimming Festival is sponsored by National Health Insurance Company Daman’s Activelife initiative, and organised by Professional Sports Group in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Sports Council.
The event is open to swimmers of all abilities and promotes a healthy and active lifestyle.
