TATJANA SMITH WINS GOLD MEDAL AT OLYMPICS

South Africa’s Tatjana Smith won the women’s 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics 2024 on Monday 29 July, receiving South Africa’s first gold medal of the Olympics.

As reported by The South African, Smith surged late to touch the wall first in a time of 1:05:28. She finished ahead of China’s Qianting Tang (1:05:54) and Ireland’s Mona McSharry (1:05.59).

Tatjana will be competing again on Wednesday, 31 July in the heats and semi-finals of the women’s 200m breaststroke and in the final on Thursday, 1 August.

Tatjana dedicated her gold medal to her country, South Africa. She explained that she hopes to inspire someone at home.

“The emotions were really … it took a village to get me where I am today. I know they would have been proud, even if I didn’t get a medal, but it was really for them,” she said.

“It was for everyone that has been with me, who believed in me and for my country as well. Our hashtag is ‘for my country …’ it really is, just to inspire someone at home and to know that they don’t have to disqualify themselves and potentially be an Olympic champion,” she continued.

So, what do we know about the star South African swimmer?

SIX THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT MRS SMITH

Tatjana is the first South African woman to win two Olympic gold medals since Penny Heyns did so in Atlanta in 1996

The Olympic swimmer is married to Rachel Kolisi’s brother, Joel Smith. The pair tied the knot at the Pat Busch Mountain Reserve in the Western Cape in 2023.
Tatjana’s maiden surname was Schoenmaker.
The swimmer, who hails from Johannesburg, holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial services. She studied at the University of Pretoria (UP).
She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo and became only the third South African woman to win an Olympic swimming title, following in the footsteps of Joan Harrison at the Helsinki Games in 1952, and Heyns
Before marrying Joel Smith, Tatjana was reportedly in a relationship with fellow swimmer Ruan Ras