Swimmer Michael Huli from Cape Town won the silver medal at the Pacific Championships, despite narrowly missing out on gold. He clocked a time of 26.42 seconds, sharing the silver with American Van Matias in the final of the men's 50-meter breaststroke event in Irvine, California, on Friday, August 14th.
The gold medal was secured by Australian Sam Williamson with a championship record of 26.36 seconds, beating Huli and Matias by only six-hundredths of a second. Huli, who held the second spot in the world in this discipline before the Pacific Championships, was acutely aware of how close he came to victory.
Huli expressed his gratitude, stating: 'I was grateful. It has been a long season. There were many things I had to overcome to get here, to have the opportunity to win a medal. But I felt I should have won gold. Being slightly disappointed with silver is actually good because it shows that I know my level. I know what I am capable of.'
Before the final, Huli had already demonstrated his form by winning the preliminary heats with a time of 26.40 seconds, and then posting 26.42 seconds in the final. This result came less than three weeks after Huli won silver in the same event at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. There, he also helped South Africa secure silver in the mixed relay and bronze in the men's medley relay.
He added that it was also great because these competitions were consecutive, and he still managed to achieve and post fast times. 'It's a huge deal.'
His father, Sam Huli, noted that the Pacific Championships final showed how little the swimmers differed. 'It was a very tense race. You really couldn't see the difference with the naked eye,' he said.
The silver became another milestone in Huli's comeback, which brought him from Olympic disappointment and a difficult period in 2022 and 2023 to the status of one of the leading breaststroke swimmers in the world over the 50-meter distance. However, his international career began with successes.
In 2018, at age 17, Huli debuted at the Commonwealth Games, finishing sixth in the 50-meter breaststroke, and later won gold at the Youth Olympic Games that same year. He then represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, where he placed fourth in the 50-meter breaststroke, and at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
Michael Huli continues to train for the 2028 Olympics, building on the success achieved at the Pacific Championships. His form declined in 2022 and 2023. After facing an issue with his training approach, which emphasized endurance, Huli decided to change his method. In December 2023, he left the professional group in Tennessee and took control of his own training, having only six months until his attempt to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
'I believed in God and myself that I could figure it out. At that moment, I had nothing to lose, and I wanted to try something new,' he shared. His new program involved fewer workouts, less mileage, more recovery, and a greater focus on speed and strength. Importantly, he started enjoying swimming again. 'I didn't like long training sessions. At that time, I felt there was a better way to achieve my goals, and sprinters shouldn't train over long distances either. The new approach also brought immediate joy. I felt better, fresher, and faster. And sprinters want to feel fast.'
Then, in July 2025, another setback threatened to derail his progress. Two days before his final University Games in Germany were scheduled, Huli developed acute appendicitis and required emergency surgery. He missed these games and the World Championships in Singapore, spending two months out of the pool.
'I could have died if my appendix had ruptured during a long flight to Singapore,' he revealed. By December, he returned to competition at the US Open. He won the 50-meter breaststroke preliminary heat with a time of 26.79 seconds, then improved his time to 26.72 to win the final. 'I actually cried after that preliminary heat. Before that competition, I didn't know what to expect, and the emotions just burst out.'
This result confirmed that his self-coached, speed-oriented approach was working. Now, an even bigger opportunity awaits him. The men's 50-meter breaststroke will debut in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic program for the first time, giving Huli a chance to compete for a medal in a discipline that was not part of the Olympic program when he represented South Africa at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. If he wins in Los Angeles, he will become the first Olympic champion in the men's 50-meter breaststroke. For Huli, this creates a wonderful ten-year arc from gold at the 50-meter breaststroke Youth Olympics in 2018 to the possibility of winning the senior Olympic title in the same event in 2028. 'I am going after gold,' Huli stated. 'I have two years to become even more refined, and that is my laser focus.'
However, preparing for this opportunity comes with difficulties. Huli essentially trains independently and finances his activities himself. He works at a pool in Tennessee to help cover living and swimming expenses, while his parents continue to support his career and make sacrifices for his goals. 'Swimming is an expensive sport. That's just reality. Among the best swimmers, those who have a job are rare. They are usually fully focused on swimming and recovery,' he noted. Sam believes that sponsorship could play a significant role in his son's preparation for Los Angeles. 'He effectively had to work to fund his swimming. What could have made a huge difference is if Michael could find someone willing to sponsor him.'
Ten years after becoming part of South Africa's first senior team as a teenager, Huli traveled the world, earned diplomas, and established himself as one of the leading breaststroke sprinters. Looking back, he sees a completely different person compared to the teenager who first joined the national team. 'Sixteen-year-old Michael was quite scattered. I am obviously much wiser, more mature, and I know what works for me. I know my body, and I have clarity,' he said.
For Huli, this comeback was also about maintaining a perspective beyond pool results. 'Faith gives you stability, and my relationships give me perspective on every victory, every defeat, success, or failure,' he said. With the 2028 Olympics approaching, Michael Huli is channeling his passion and dedication, ready to turn his silver medal success into a pursuit of gold.