Tatjana Smith swam into Olympic history at the Paris La Defense Arena on Thursday night when she fought heroically to take the silver medal in the 200m breaststroke. It was a silver medal worth its weight in gold.
Smith, the unassuming superstar from South Africa, who always said, “I didn’t choose to be famous”, was beaten to the wall by 0.36sec by the American Kate Douglass, who struck the front after the first 50m and never looked back.
Smith’s friend, training partner and Team SA star in her own right, Kaylene Corbett, finished seventh and she’s played an enormous role in the 27-year-old’s success.
The other Team SA swimmer on the night, Pieter Coetze, ran out of gas in the last 25m of his 200m backstroke but still produced an African record 1:55.60. He’d won his way through after a 1:56.09 placed him third fastest. In the final, 0.78 seconds seperate silver from seventh.
Athens gold medallist Ryk Neethling had commented before the race that if Coetze could improve his turns he’d win a medal. Did we mention that Coetze is still only 20 and in his second Olympics? His time will come, starting with the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
It was Smith’s second medal of the 2024 Paris Games, after taking the 100m gold and a reversal of what she produced at her first Olympics in Tokyo on that occasion, taking silver in the 100m and gold in the longer, more favoured 200m.
In elevating herself to greatest-ever South African Olympian status, she joined Chad le Clos on four medals but outweighs him by virtue of her two golds and two silvers.
While Penny Heyns, in 1996, remains the last women’s breaststroker to do the double, Smith tied with Japan’s Kosuke Katajima as the only four-time breaststroke medallists in Olympic history, both men and women.
In winning the 100m the 27-year-old had come from fourth at the turn to produce the defining touch at the wall. Years of blood, sweat and tears came down to that very moment – and she executed it to perfection.
In the 200m she had taken to the block as second fastest qualifier after Douglas had got past her in the semi-final, with their times of sub-2:20 being nearly three seconds quicker than third fastest Tes Schouten.
Smith’s own Olympic record of 2:18.95 looked like it could be threatened but surely Evgeniia Chikunova’s world mark of 2:17.55 was out of reach?
As it turned out the records weren’t threatened and they both touched in the high 2:19s, as they’d done in the semi-finals. Here though they were both quicker, the winning time being 2:19.24, half a second quicker.
Opposite to the 100m, the South African was smartly off the blocks and reached 50m first in 31.60. However, Douglass was better in her turns where she eeked out an advantage over Smith who then came back at her down each 50m. The American would then turn and kick off the wall again and go half a body length up and Smith would close towards the next wall. And so was the story of the race.
Douglass must be credited for the resolve she showed. And, in the last 15 metres she wasn’t there for the catching, keeping a great champion at bay to take her own place in the Olympic spotlight.
Smith then called time on her career, announcing her retirement soon after she created history.
It wasn’t a bombshell announcement, given the 27-year-old has consistently said that swimming doesn’t define her. She has a life outside of the pool and it’s always best for champions to walk away on a high.
A staunch Christian, she has always believed there’s a bigger plan and goal to her life than winning swimming medals. Besides, she got married late last year and will be into her thirties by the time the next Olympics swing into view. “I’m looking forward to my life outside of swimming.” she said in making her announcement.
“It was an amazing battle and I’ve never raced Kate in an Olympic final before. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end my career in a very tough battle. I’ve always loved competing.”
In confirming her retirement, Smith said: “Achievements fall away. You are remembered for who you are and I want to be remembered for bringing people joy. Swimming is a part of a season in your life and now I’m excited to live life.”
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