South Africa’s swimmers wrapped up the world short-course championships without a medal in Budapest on Sunday evening, the first time in 20 years they’ve missed the podium at this event.
Michael Houlie and Chris Smith were the country’s last chances, but they finished seventh and eighth in the men’s 50m breaststroke final.
Both went slower than their efforts in the semifinals on Saturday. Houlie touched in 25.73 and 18-year-old Smith, who set a 25.66 world junior record the previous day, registered 25.77.
Haiyang Qin of China won in 25.42 ahead of Turkey’s world record-holder Emre Sakci (25.56) and Kirill Prigoda of Russia, sharing silver on 25.56.
In the morning heats the women’s 4x100m medley relay team of Milla Drakopoulos, Lara van Niekerk, Rebecca Meder and Jessica Thompson set a 3min 57.68sec African record, which placed them 14th overall.