One of the best moments of the 2016 Rio Olympic games came Monday night, when Michael Phelps put a Darth Maul death stare on South African rival Chad le Clos.
It became an instant Internet meme, with people tweeting out their best #PhelpsFace jokes, poking fun at the look of pure concentration on Phelps’ face as Le Clos shadow boxed around him.
But, the rivalry between the two has a deep history, going all the way back to the 2012 Olympics, when Le Clos defeated Phelps for the gold in the 200m butterfly.
The two were friendly leading up the London games, and Le Clos often said Phelps was “an inspiration.” In fact, after the 2012 games, with Phelps retired, the two actually planned a trip to go shark-cage diving in South Africa.
Via the AP:
Now, with Phelps retired, the South African has to find new inspiration at the world championships, where the traditional pool events begin Sunday….when the worlds end, Phelps will be getting back in the water with Le Clos. Not to race, though. Phelps is heading down to South Africa to go shark-cage diving with Le Clos.
So how did they get from being bros to bitter rivals?
In 2014, Phelps un-retired and decided to compete in the 200m butterfly, specifically because he thought the field was slow and he had a chance to win gold. You can guess how Le Clos responded to that–by throwing serious shade at the man he once admired.
“He’s been talking a lot of smack in the media about how slow the butterfly is, so I just can’t wait until I race him,” Le Clos said at the 2015 World Championships.
After winning gold in the 100M butterfly Le Clos doubled down on his critique of Phelps.
“I just did a 100m butterfly time that Phelps hasn’t done in four years, so he can keep quiet now,” Le Clos told NBC.
Thus began the following out. In an interview with the New York Times, Phelps laughed off Le Clos’ comments, saying they just added fuel to their competitive fire.
Fast forward to Rio, where the rivalry was on full display Monday night, with Phelps and Le Clos tense and on edge as they waited their turn in the qualifying swim.
On Tuesday night, the two will have a chance to settle their beef, or add a new layer, when they race for gold in the 200m butterfly final.
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