Three days after her victory in the 100m breaststroke, Tatjana Smith went for silver in these 2024 Olympic Games. On Thursday, August 1, the swimmer failed to retain her Olympic title in the 200m breaststroke, beaten by the American Kate Douglass. With two gold medals and two silver medals in her career at the Games, the South African, one of the greatest specialists in the breaststroke, could retire with a splendid record.
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From our special correspondent at La Défense Arena,
The dream has passed. After his gold medal was snatched in the last meters of the 100m breaststroke finalTatjana Smith appeared to be the favourite for the 200m breaststroke title at the JO 2024. Olympic history awaited her: she could emulate American Rebecca Soni, the only swimmer to have retained her title at the Games (2004 and 2008). She could also follow in the footsteps of her South African compatriot, Penelope Heyns, the only woman to have won gold in the 100m and 200m breaststroke in 1996 in Atlanta.
But sport is not an exact science and even those who were promised the Holy Grail can fail. On Thursday 1st May, in the final of the 200m breaststroke, Tatjana Smith came up against someone stronger than her. In the second half of the final, American Kate Douglass overtook her and never gave up her advantage. The South African swimmer therefore finished with silver (2’19”60), while Douglass took gold and the American record (2’19”24).
” There is life after swimming »
These Paris Games appear to be a mirror image of the previous ones in Tokyo. In Japan, Tatjana Smith, who was still called Schoenmaker, won gold in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke. Having become a star in her country and in the world of swimming, the young woman had a hard time coping with this sudden notoriety. She then moved away from high-level swimming for more than a year.
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This break proved to be a blessing for the swimmer with Dutch roots. The year 2023 was the year of a strong comeback and change: at the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, the South African won silver in the 100m breaststroke and gold in the 200m breaststroke, her favourite distance. Then, in November, she married her partner, Joel Smith, and took his name. For 2024, she had one big goal left with these Games in Paris, a city from which she leaves with a gold medal and a silver medal, as in Tokyo. In three years, and despite this break that lasted more than a year, Tatjana Smith has written her name in the tablets.
And now, what does the future hold for the 27-year-old champion? It’s not yet set in stone, but these 2024 Olympics were undoubtedly her swan song. After her gold medal on July 31, Tatjana Smith strongly hinted that she could hang up her boots after these Paris Games. The four-time Olympic medalist does not want to be defined solely by her performances in the pool. There is life after swimming. I’m not going to hurt myself over it. I’m just trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I probably won’t swim again. “, she confided to the press, reports the daily Daily Maverick.
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