Olympic swimming champion Chad le Clos said it felt incredible to beat his childhood idol Michael Phelps at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

"I have always said that Phelps was my hero. I looked up to him since I was a child. So it felt incredible when I beat him in London," Le Clos said during the "Chat with the Champions" forum at the Nanjing Youth Olympic Games on Wednesday evening.

The South African scored a dramatic last gasp victory over Phelps to take gold in the 200m butterfly in London 2012, which ended the American’s 10-year international dominance over the event.

The 22-year-old, who won four gold medals at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, attributed his London success to the experience he gained at Singapore.

"Singapore 2010 was the first time I competed in an international tournament. Everything was new to me and the experience helped me win in London. "

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