The South African won one of his four races in the last leg of the World Cup in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, enough to secure the overall title ahead of Ukraine’s Oleg Lisogor, who skipped the event.

American Peter Marshall, who also did not compete in Brazil, came in in third place.

Neethling won 16 gold medals in the World Cup’s eight meetings, taking home $50000.

Sweden’s Therese Alshammar, who did not participate at the weekend, was the women’s overall winner ahead of compatriot Anna-Karin Kammerling, last year’s champion.

Neethling competed only in the 200m freestyle final yesterday, finishing second to Canada’s Brent Hayden.

The Canadian, who had already beaten Neethling in the 100m freestyle on Saturday, had a time of one minute and 44,85 seconds, ahead of Neethling’s 1:44,91.

Neethling, who took first place in the 100m individual medley on Saturday, did not qualify for the 50m freestyle final yesterday.

The race was won by Brazil’s Nicholas dos Santos.

In the women’s event, American Staciana Winfield won two races to finish the meeting with three gold medals.

She took first place in the 200m breaststroke in 2:26,96, ahead of Portugal’s Diana Duarte Gomes (2:28,72). In the 50m breaststroke, Staciana, who won the 100m breaststroke on Saturday, had 31:17 to beat Brazil’s Rebeca Gusmao (31:59).

Gusmao won two races in the meeting. She was first in the 100m freestyle, in 54,08, beating American Maritza Correia (55,12) and Sweden’s Johanna Sjoberg (55,38).

Gusmao had won the 50m freestyle on Saturday in 24,71. Romania’s Camelia Potec also won three gold medals: in the 400m freestyle (4:07,52), 200m freestyle (1:58,34), and 800m freestyle (8:38,37). Sapa AP