Michael Houlie dominated the men’s 50m breaststroke for 195m of competition at the Commonwealth Games, but it was the last 5m that cost him the gold on Monday night.
Houlie, edged into second spot by Australian Sam Williamson, and Erin Gallagher, who worked hard from lane two to take the 100m butterfly bronze, lifted Team South Africa’s medal haul to 11.
Gallagher, who had already picked up the 50m butterfly silver and 4x100m freestyle relay bronze, touched in 57.39sec, just outside her national record.
But the 26-year-old Houlie came so close to the gold. He was the front-runner through the 50m breaststroke heats and the semifinals, and for 45m of the final across the Tollcross pool he looked to be converting that dominance.
Houlie had even sounded an early warning in the 100m breaststroke, breaking Cameron van der Burgh’s African mark from 2017 on the opening lap in the semifinals with a 26.38 that also counted as a Games record.
But he couldn’t maintain the momentum of the previous 195m and was unable to hold off fast-finishing Williamson, the Games 100m breaststroke champion, who won in 26.50.
Houlie was second in 26.77 and world record-holder Adam Ramsay-Peaty of England third in 26.94.
Tuks swimmer Chris Smith had to settle for fourth in 26.95.
Houlie went progressively slower during the gala, going 26.53 in the heats and 26.61 in the semifinals, though neither of those times would have improved his position in the final.
But this was still a breakthrough of sorts for US-based Capetonian Houlie, achieving his first individual Games medal.
He won a bronze at Gold Coast 2018 as a relay heat swimmer, and later that year took the Youth Olympic 50m breaststroke title. He also claimed the 2019 World University Games silver in the one-lap event.
After that his career flat-lined internationally, but he never gave up on his dream, continuing as a professional swimmer even after he graduated with a Masters degree, staying on at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville as an events manager and coaching himself.
Since the 50m breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke events were incorporated into the Olympic programme at Los Angeles 2028, Houlie has rediscovered his mojo, regularly punching out fast times.
From 2020 to 2024 he didn’t dip under 27 seconds, but he achieved that four times last year and no fewer than on eight occasions this year ahead of the Glasgow gala.
Defending champion Lara van Niekerk overcame a poor start to win her women’s 50m breaststroke semifinal in 30.63 to head into Tuesday’s final as the second seed.
Sienna Toohey of Australia won the other semifinal in 30.58.
Van Niekerk, who went 30.23 in the morning heats, will be joined in the final by compatriot Rebecca Meder.
Olivia Nel advanced to the final of the women’s 50m backstroke, but Jessica Thompson missed out.
Caitlin de Lange finished eighth in the women’s 100m freestyle final in 55.52, not far off her personal best, and Guy Brooks was unable to get into the men’s 100m freestyle final, finishing seventh in his semifinal in 49.29. The slowest qualifier was quicker than Brooks’ 49.04 personal best.
Kris Mihaylov ended seventh in the men’s 200m butterfly final in 1min 58.02sec and the women’s 4x200m freestyle team were sixth in 8:09.16.
In action outside the pool, Prudence Sekgodiso advanced to the women’s 800m semifinals, but she had to do it as a fastest loser after finishing fourth in her heat.
Sekgodiso took the lead on the home straight, but she seemed to be put off her stride when Kenyan Vivian Kiprotich tripped behind her and she offered little resistance as she was overtaken by three of her rivals before finishing in 2min 03.84sec.
The semifinals are scheduled for Wednesday.
Sheryl James ended eighth in the women’s 100m T38 final in 14.08 and Franco le Roux did well to end fourth in 13.53.
The men’s 3x3 wheelchair basketball team beat Malaysia 13-10 to advance to the playoffs.
Flyweight boxer Thandolwethu Mathiba was no match for England’s Ruby White, being subjected to standing two eight-counts on her way to a lopsided points defeat over three rounds.
Three judges had it 30-25 and two 30-25 for the 2024 under-19 world champion.
Weightlifter Jon-Antoheim Phillips was a DNF in the men’s 79kg division.
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