Le Clos stars to claim 3rd spot in Swimming World Cup series, Sates ends 5th

South African swimmer Chad le Clos walked away with nine medals to finish third overall following the third and final leg of the FINA Swimming World Cup in Indianapolis.

Le Clos returned to winning ways after a disappointing season, which saw him clinch only one silver medal at the Commonwealth Games.

This past weekend, Le Clos added two more gold medals in the 100m and 200m butterfly, also clinching silver in the 50m butterfly in Indianapolis.

Le Clos ended the three Swimming World Cup legs with nine medals - five gold and four silver - finishing third overall on 166.3 points.

Trinidad and Tobago's Dylan Carter won the men's World Cup title on 172.6 points, with American Nic Fink narrowly missing out on the title with 172.3 points.

SA teenager Matthew Sates failed to defend his title as he finished fifth overall on 154.1 points.

Swimming World Cup 2022 Men's Rankings ?? pic.twitter.com/4sIwnAgwHu

On Saturday, Sates got his defence on track with a win in the 400m Individual Medley (IM), but it was the only medal he would walk away with in Indianapolis.

Sates ended his Swimming World Cup season with nine medals - seven gold, one silver and one bronze.

By securing the triple 400m IM crown, Sates earned himself a bonus cheque for $10 000 (R178 606).

"I gave it my all tonight. I am recovering from a bit of fatigue from the previous races," Sates told the FINA website.

"I was standing behind the blocks tonight trying to build my confidence. I'm happy with this result and I learned a lot about my body. I would like to swim the 400 at a higher level at [the] Worlds. I will be resting a bit for Melbourne."

The South African duo were using the World Cup as preparation for the FINA World Championship Short Course set to get under way in