Tatjana Smith

Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker; born 9 July 1997) is a South African retired swimmer who specialised in breaststroke events. She is a two-time Olympic champion and the most decorated South African Olympian in history. Smith won the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke and the silver medal in the 100-metre breaststroke at the 2020 Olympic Games, setting Olympic records in both events and the world record in the former, and the gold medal in the 100-metre breaststroke and the silver medal in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 2024 Olympic Games. She is also a World Championships gold medalist (2023) and two-time silver medalist (2019, 2023).

Smith is the former world record holder in the long course 200-metre breaststroke and is the African record holder in the long course and short course 100-metre breaststroke, as well as the short course 200-metre breaststroke.

Career 2018 Commonwealth Games Smith competed at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in women's 100-metre breaststroke (1:06.41) and the women's 200-metre breaststroke (2:22.02).

2021 Leading up to the 2021 South Africa National Swimming Championships, Smith set a new South African record in the 100-metre breaststroke with a time of 1:05.89 at a South African Time Trials competition in Stellenbosch in February.Race, Retta (24 February 2021). "Schoenmaker Hits 1:05.89 100 Breast South African Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 13 April 2023."Tatjana Schoenmaker wants the Penny Heyns to drop at Tokyo Olympics". SABC. 6 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2023. On day one of the 2021 South Africa National Swimming Championships, 7 April in Gqeberha, she won the national title in the 50-metre breaststroke with a South African record time of 30.32, which was 0.10 seconds faster than the South African record time of 30.42 she set in the preliminaries and 0.10 seconds faster than the record prior to that, which she set in December 2020.Pecoraro, Nick (7 April 2021). "T. Schoenmaker Breaks Own 50 BR National Record (30.32) at 2021 RSA Nationals". SwimSwam. Retrieved 15 April 2023. On the third day of competition, she won the 200-metre breaststroke national title with a South African record time of 2:20.17.Dornan, Ben (9 April 2021). "Schoenmaker Throws Down 2:20.17 200 Breast To Become 7th Fastest Of All Time". SwimSwam. Retrieved 15 April 2023. The fourth and final day, she won a third national title in an individual breaststroke event, this time finishing first in the final of the 100-metre breaststroke with a South African record time of 1:05.74, which was 1.66 seconds faster than silver medalist Lara van Niekerk.Ross, Andy (11 April 2021). "Tatjana Schoenmaker Adds Second Event For Tokyo With 1:05 100 Breaststroke at South African Nationals". Swimming World. Retrieved 15 April 2023. Her times in the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke, qualified her to represent South Africa at the 2020 Summer Olympics.

2020 Summer Olympics

Smith entered the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan as the number one seed and predicted winner of the 200-metre breaststroke.Forde, Pat (23 July 2021). "Who Will Take Home the Gold? Expert Medal Picks for Swimming at Tokyo Games". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 25 July 2021.Isaacson, David (25 July 2021). "WRAP | Tatjana Schoenmaker breaks Olympic record in heats". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 25 July 2021. She also entered the 100-metre breaststroke as the number four seed.

In the prelims of the 100-metre breaststroke, Smith ranked first out of all heats, advanced to the semifinals, and set a new Olympic record and a new African record in the event with her time of 1:04.82."Tatjana Schoenmaker sets new Olympic record in 100m breaststroke to ignite Team SA Olympic campaign". News24. 25 July 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2021.Nackstrand, Jonathan (25 July 2021). "South African swimmer breaks Olympic world record" . eNCA. Retrieved 25 July 2021.Pitjeng, Refilwe (25 July 2021). "Tatjana Schoenmaker sets an Olympic Record in the 100m Breaststroke". EWN. Retrieved 25 July 2021.DeGeorge, Matthew (25 July 2021). "Olympics: Tatjana Schoenmaker Sets Olympic Record in 100 Breast". Swimming World. Retrieved 25 July 2021. The Olympic record she broke was a time of 1:04.93 set at the 2016 Summer Olympics by American Lilly King. Her time of 30.21 seconds for the first 50-metre portion of the event set new African and South African records in the 50-metre breaststroke. In the semifinals, Smith swam the fastest time of 1:05.07 and ranked first heading into the final.Rieder, David (25 July 2021). "Olympics: Tatjana Schoenmaker Beats Lilly King Head-to-Head in 100 Breast Semifinals". Swimming World. Retrieved 25 July 2021. In the final, Smith won the silver medal with a time of 1:05.22, which was the first medal for a South African woman in swimming at an Olympic Games since 2000.Isaacson, David (27 July 2021). "Women power gives Team SA two medals at the Tokyo Games". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

In the prelims heats of the 200-metre breaststroke on day five of competition, Smith swam a 2:19.16, setting a new Olympic record, advancing to the semifinals ranked first overall and swimming less than a tenth of a second slower than the world record of 2:19.11 set by Rikke Pedersen.Harris, Beth (28 July 2021). "South African swimmer flirts with world mark in Tokyo heats". Associated Press. Retrieved 28 July 2021.Lohn, John (28 July 2021). "Olympics: South African Tatjana Schoenmaker Just Misses World Record in Prelims of 200 Breaststroke". Swimming World. Retrieved 28 July 2021. In the event's semifinals, Smith swam a 2:19.33 and ranked first, heading into the final."SA's Schoenmaker, Corbett set up dream Olympic final in 200m breaststroke". News24. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021. In the final, Smith set a new world record in the 200-metre breaststroke with her time of 2:18.95 and won the gold medal."Tatjana Schoenmaker sets world record to win gold in 200-meter breaststroke". ESPN. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.Brennan, Christine (29 July 2021). "US swimmers Lilly King, Annie Lazor celebrate medals, world record broken by Tatjana Schoenmaker". USA Today. Retrieved 29 July 2021."Tatjana Schoenmaker wins South Africa's first gold medal at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games". ESPN. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021. Her world record was the first individual world record set in the sport of swimming at the 2020 Olympic Games. Her gold medal was the first gold medal won by an athlete from South Africa at the 2020 Summer Olympics and the first gold medal in an individual swimming event at an Olympic Games by a female South African since Penny Heyns at the 1996 Summer Olympics.Pecoraro, Nick (30 July 2021). "Tokyo 2020, Africa Day 6: Schoenmaker 1st RSA Female Olympic Champ Since 1996". SwimSwam. Retrieved 13 April 2023. Her teammate, Kaylene Corbett, also reached the finals, making it the first time since Sydney 2000 that two South African women reached the finals of the same event.

2022 At the 2022 South Africa National Swimming Championships, Smith won the silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke, placing second less than three-tenths of a second behind Lara van Niekerk with a time of 30.87 seconds and achieving a qualifying time for the 2022 World Aquatics Championships and 2022 Commonwealth Games in the event.SwimSA TV (5 April 2022). "SA National Swimming Championships 2022". YouTube. Retrieved 6 April 2022.Race, Retta (6 April 2022). "Van Niekerk, Canny, Coetze Qualify For Budapest World Championships". SwimSwam. Retrieved 6 April 2022. She won the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke on day three with a time of 2:24.01.SwimSA TV (8 April 2022). "National Aquatics Championships 2022 Day 3". YouTube. Retrieved 8 April 2022.Butler, Lynn (9 April 2022). "Schoenmaker, Le Clos, Corbett earn Commonwealth Games spots in Gqeberha". News24. Retrieved 9 April 2022. In her third event, she swam a 1:06.06 to win the silver medal in the 100-metre breaststroke, which also marked the third event she qualified in for the World Championships and Commonwealth Games.SwimSA TV (9 April 2022). "National Aquatics Championships 2022 Day 4". YouTube. Retrieved 9 April 2022.Isaacson, David (9 April 2022). "Tatjana Schoenmaker downed by Lara van Niekerk in the 100m breaststroke". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 9 April 2022. In June, she was named as one of twelve women on the South Africa swim team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.du Plessis, Lindsay (9 June 2022). "Le Clos, Schoenmaker named in South Africa Commonwealth Games squad". ESPN. Retrieved 19 June 2022.

2022 Commonwealth Games

For the preliminaries of the 50-metre breaststroke, on day one, in swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, Smith swam a 30.76 and qualified for the semifinals ranking fourth."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 50m Breaststroke Heats Results Summary". Longines. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022. She qualified for the final the following day with a time of 30.94 seconds in the semifinals."Commonwealth Games Day 1: Van Niekerk, Schoenmaker lead SA charge, Blitzboks through to quarters". News24. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022."Van Niekerk breaks Games record as three South Africans book spot in same final". Swimming South Africa. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. In the final, she finished in 30.41 seconds and placed fourth.Botton, Wesley (30 July 2022). "Lara van Niekerk wins first gold for Team SA at Commonwealth Games". The Citizen. Retrieved 30 July 2022. The next morning, she ranked first in the preliminaries of the 200-metre breaststroke by over three full seconds with her time of 2:21.76, qualifying for the evening final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 200m Breaststroke Heats Results Summary". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022. She won the gold medal in the final, swimming 1.20 seconds slower than the Games record of 2:20.72 set by Leisel Jones of Australia in 2006 with her time of 2:21.92."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Longines. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.Botton, Wesley (31 July 2022). "Schoenmaker and Corbett lift SA medal haul with podium double". The Citizen. Retrieved 31 July 2022. It was the third gold medal for South Africa at the 2022 Commonwealth Games across all sports.Lambley, Garrin (31 July 2022). "BREAKING: Tatjana Schoenmaker wins GOLD #3 for Team SA at Commonwealth Games". The South African. Retrieved 31 July 2022. On the fourth morning, she ranked second in the preliminaries of the 100-metre breaststroke with a 1:07.10 and qualified for the semifinals.Burnard, Lloyd (1 August 2022). "Schoenmaker, Van Niekerk set for epic showdown as SA swimmers shine in Birmingham". News24. Retrieved 1 August 2022. She ranked second behind Lara van Niekerk again in the semifinals, finishing in a time of 1:06.43 to qualify for the final."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 100m Breaststroke Semi-Finals Results Summary". Longines. 1 August 2022. Retrieved 1 August 2022. In the final, she won the silver medal with a time of 1:06.68."Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games: Women's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Longines. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.Botton, Wesley (2 August 2022). "SA's golden girls shine again in the pool at Commonwealth Games". The Citizen. Retrieved 2 August 2022."Golden girl Van Niekerk makes it two from two as SA swimmers rake in more medals". Swimming South Africa. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 3 August 2022.

2023