Matt Sates and Chad le Clos Set Their Sights on FINA World Cup in Berlin

South African swimmers Matt Sates and Chad le Clos have their sights set on this year’s FINA World Cup in Berlin, Germany, later this month. The overall prize money is $1.2-million, before even factoring in for bonuses.

At just 19-year-old, Matt is last year’s FINA World Cup overall defending champion with 18 medals. Last year he said the win, which included $100,000, had “changed my life”.

This year Matt has been named as one of FINA’s “elite eight’’ who will be competing in the World Cup in Berlin in October. The others are Thomas Ceccon (ITA), Kyle Chalmers (AUS), Nic Fink (USA), Anastasia Gorbenko (ISR), Siobhan Haughey (HKG), Louise Hansson (SWE), and Kylie Masse (CAN).

Sates, who hails from KZN, has been earmarked as an immense swimming talent, bagging medals and awards throughout 2021, and has continued this trajectory well into 2022.

DON’T MISS OUT: Showmax has reduced the cost of its Showmax Pro SPORT Plan! 

Sates was in red-hot form during FINA’s 2021 World Cup series, closing-off the final leg in Kazan with four medals, a feat that would see the Pietermaritzburg star wrap-up the overall title.

During his campaign he collected 13 gold medals, four silvers and one bronze, broke three junior world records and walked away with prize money of $140,000!

Sates walked away without medals during the 2022 Commonwealth Games and World Championships, but given his age, the sky is the limit for the South African ace and he’ll have his eye on more medals come October.

After the “elite eight” was announced, FINA continued naming confirmed athletes for the event, one of them being popular South African swimmer Chad le Clos. With 146 victories between 2011 and 2021, Le Clos presently holds the record for the most gold medal wins for a man at World Cup competitions.

He bagged the most victories in the men’s division at World Cups in 2011, 2013, 2014, and 2017.

In an interview this week with Olympics.com to coincide with World Mental Health Day 2022, Chad revealed how his own mental health spun out of control. He said: “I put on a facade of being happy as I thought that talking about mental health made me look weak.” The South African swimming star also talked about the military therapy technique he has used to find ‘old Chad’ again, and says he feels more connected to Michael Phelps than ever.

FINA World Cup Series

The three three-day short course meets in Berlin will take place from 21-23 October, before heading over to North America for events in Toronto (28-30 October) and Indianapolis (3-5 November).

Additional financial incentives include a USD $10,000 world record bonus as well as a USD $10,000 bump in pay for athletes that complete a “crown” by winning the same event in all three city stops, said FINA.

DON’T MISS OUT: Showmax has reduced the cost of its Showmax Pro SPORT Plan!