Cape Town swimmer Michael Houli won silver at the Pan-African Swimming Championships held in Irvine, California, but he is convinced that he should have won the victory. This conviction motivates his pursuit of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Houli, who was ranked second in the world rankings before the championship, finished with a time of 26.42 seconds in the final on Friday, August 14. He shared the silver medal with American Van Matias. The gold medal was won by Australian Sam Williamson, who beat him by only six-hundredths of a second, setting the championship record.
Houli noted that he was grateful for the opportunity to reach this level and win a medal. Nevertheless, he felt he deserved the gold. He added that the slight disappointment from the silver is a positive thing because it demonstrates his understanding of his level and capabilities.
This result came less than three weeks after he won silver at the Commonwealth Games in the same event, and it also helped South Africa win silver in the mixed relay and bronze in the men's relay.
The medal marks another stage in Houli's return after difficult periods in 2022 and 2023. In December 2023, he left the professional group in Tennessee and took control of his own training, focusing on speed, strength, reducing the number of sessions, and increasing recovery.
He shared that he relied on faith in God and himself to find a way out of a situation where he had nothing to lose, and he wanted to try something new. However, in July 2025, a new problem arose: acute appendicitis required emergency surgery, which excluded him from the World University Games and World Championships, and forced him to be away from the pool for two months.
Now the 2028 Olympics offer a unique chance. Men's 50-meter butterfly swimming debuts at the Los Angeles Olympics, potentially allowing Houli to become the first champion in this event.