Chad le Clos' Olympic dreams come to a sad end in Paris

The London 2012 gold medallist came second in his heat at the La Defense Arena in Paris, stopping the clock at 52.24. In pain, the South African immediately grabbed his shoulder.

Le Clos then had to wait for the rest of the heats to see if his time was good enough, but unfortunately, he would slip down to 24th fastest, not enough to make the top 16 who advanced to the semifinals.

"I suffered a shoulder tear four weeks ago when a kid jumped on me when I was swimming and my shoulder popped out," he told Team SA's website before the swim.

"It will have recovered but the inflammation and damage done has affected me. Three weeks ago I was crying every day. I'll be devastated if I can't compete... it will be one of the worst moments in my career.

"I've put so much into it. I'm now 32, a ballie, a pensioner in swimming terms. My body feels like it's 40. I've bled for this sport, bled for my country. I'm a patriot."

Le Clos famously edged American superstar Michael Phelps to win his only gold in the 200m butterfly at the London Games in 2012. The Durban native went on to pick up three Olympic silver medals over his storied career.

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