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Team SA finish 15th at Gwangju world championships

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Chad le Clos (Getty Images)
Chad le Clos (Getty Images)

Cape Town - The South Africa team at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju finished in 15th place in the medals table.

In total, 193 countries took part, with 26 winning at least one medal.

South Africa had individual entrants or teams in five of the six disciplines in South Korea: Swimming, open water swimming, artistic swimming, diving and water polo.

The only discipline in which no South African took part was high diving.

South Africa won four medals in total - all in swimming.

Zane Waddell shocked the swimming world in the men's 50m backstroke to claim gold, while Tatjana Schoenmaker took silver in the women's 200m breaststroke, becoming the first South African female swimmer to win a world championship medal.

Chad le Clos, who was reported to be carrying a groin injury, picked up two bronze medals in the men's 100m and 200m butterfly.

China topped the medal table with 16 golds, 11 silvers and 3 bronzes (total 30) as they dominated the diving in particular, winning 12 golds out of the 13 on offer.

The USA won the most medals overall (36) which comprised 15 golds, 11 silvers and 10 bronzes as they once again dominated in the swimming pool (14-8-5 for a total of 27 medals).

At the last world championship in Budapest in 2017, South Africa won a gold and bronze and finished in a tie for 14th overall.

The next world championship in 2021 will take place in Fukuoka, Japan.

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