Van Niekerk was seventh into the turn, but she swam hard over the second 25 metres to notch up her third continental mark in this event, having gone 29.45 in the heats and 29.27 in the semifinals.
American Lilly King was third in 29.11 and Qianting Tang fourth of China fourth in a 29.22 Asian record.
The women’s 4x100m medley relay team of Milla Drakopoulos, Emily Visagie, Rebecca Meder and Caitlin de Lange clocked a 3 min 59.64 sec African record in the morning heats.
In all South Africa finished with five medals, with Matthew Sates contributing gold in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 400m IM.
Neither Sates nor Pieter Coetzé were able to advance beyond the heats of the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke on Sunday morning.
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Swimming
Chad Le Clos wins again to land butterfly double at world champs
Image: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images
Chad Le Clos gave South Africa a golden sunset on the final day of the world short-course championships in Melbourne on Sunday, with Lara van Niekerk cashing in with a silver medal of her own.
The 30-year-old led from the start to touch first in the men’s 100m butterfly in 48.59 sec and secure the third butterfly double of his career, having achieved it in 2014 and 2016.
Le Clos won the 200m butterfly earlier in the week in an African record, while his time in the four-lap race counted among the top 10 fastest times of his career.
Canadian teen Ilya Kharun was second in a 49.03 world junior record while Marius Kusch of Germany was third in 49.12.
Vintage Chad Le Clos scoops SA's second gold at world championships
Van Niekerk was seventh into the turn, but she swam hard over the second 25 metres to notch up her third continental mark in this event, having gone 29.45 in the heats and 29.27 in the semifinals.
American Lilly King was third in 29.11 and Qianting Tang fourth of China fourth in a 29.22 Asian record.
The women’s 4x100m medley relay team of Milla Drakopoulos, Emily Visagie, Rebecca Meder and Caitlin de Lange clocked a 3 min 59.64 sec African record in the morning heats.
In all South Africa finished with five medals, with Matthew Sates contributing gold in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 400m IM.
Neither Sates nor Pieter Coetzé were able to advance beyond the heats of the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke on Sunday morning.
Support independent journalism by subscribing to the Sunday Times. Just R20 for the first month.
READ MORE
Matthew Sates wins his second medal at the world championships
Pieter Coetzé breaks another African record at world championships
Matthew Sates lands South Africa’s first world title at Melbourne gala
Le Clos, Sates will lead medal charge in Melbourne
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