The Leaving London Series: Who Will Be The 2016 Alpha Dog

Michael Phelps has dominated the Olympic landscape since 2004 and in 2000 through 2004 it was the era of Ian Thorpe.  However, for the first time in quite some time the swimming world is left without an Alpha Dog on top.

On the women's side the emerging alpha dog is clearly Missy Franklin.  Hopefully Franklin and Ye Shiwen can find an event to crossover and race each other in 2016, otherwise it's all academic as to how 2016 will play out.

On the men's side of the sport there's a two man rivalry primed to emerge...

In the BLUE CORNER...

- 20 years of age, will be just 24 come Rio
- 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 200FL
- 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist in the 100FL
- 2012 4th place finisher in the 400IM
- the man who felled Michael Phelps in the one event that Phelps "couldn't lose"
- the son of Bert Le Clos who the BBC made famous like Debbie Phelps and NBC

South African sensation Chad le Clos.

In the RED CORNER...

- 23 years of age, will be 27 and prime for Rio
- 2012 Olympic Gold Medalist in the 200BK
- 2012 5th place finisher in the 200FL
- 2 x World Championship Silver Medalist in the 400IM
- the man who embarrassed Ryan Lochte, blowing passed Lochte in the last 50 of the 200BK
- the kid with the swagger to call out Phelps for being a slacker

American dark horse Tyler Clary.

Come 2016 in Rio, these two men could be primed to go head-to-head in the 200FL, 200IM, 400IM and either man is talented enough that maybe they could find another event like Clary putting together a 100FL.

This is a great match up on paper with recent results...

200FL... Le Clos 1:52.96 -- Clary 1:53.64
200IM...  Le Clos 1:58.49 -- Clary 1:57.25
400IM...  Le Clos 4:12.24 -- Clary 4:09.92

It's not yet time to start taking sides, nor is either man a lock to be the Alpha Dog come 2016, but both men are immensely talented athletes primed to carry the hopes of their nations and our sport into the post-Phelps, post-Lochte era.
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TOMORROW...  Canada.. London & Beyond