Paris Olympics, Day 6 Finals: Kate Douglass Wins 200m Breaststroke In American Record: Tatjana Smith Retires
Only one woman had ever won the 100/200 breaststroke double at the Olympics with Penny Heyns enjoying two trips to the top of the podium at Atlanta 1996.
Durdica Bjedov of the former Yugoslavia won 100 gold at Mexico City 1968 when the two-length race made its inaugural appearance on the Olympic programme plus 200 silver.
Leisel Jones similarly came close in 2008, when she won 100 gold and 200 silver behind Rebecca Soni and her world record of 2:20.22.
Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker) came second behind Lydia Jacoby in the shorter race in before going on to won 200 gold in a WR of 2:18.95.
Tatjana Smith: Photo Courtesy: Andrea Masini / Deepbluemedia / Insidefoto
Smith arrived at La Defense Arena on Thursday having won the 100 crown in 1:05.28 and one step away from joining fellow South African Heyns in an exclusive two-woman club.
She faced a fearsome challenge however from the likes of Kate Douglass and Tes Schouten, the trio between them having gone 2:19 seven times in 2024.
Smith topped the rankings with 2:19.01 followed by Douglass and her American record of 2:19.30 from the TYR Pro Series meet in Knoxville in January while Schouten won the world title at the Doha worlds in 2:19.81 ahead of Douglass.
Also lurking was the likes of Lilly King in the final Olympic race of a fine career.
Smith led at 50 in 31.60, 0.23 ahead of Douglass with Schouten third to turn.
Douglass moved ahead on the second 50 and was inside world record pace at the turn, holding a 0.12 lead over the South African.
The American had a 0.19 edge at the 150 and she made more distance off the wall to come home in a national record of 2:19.24 ahead of Smith in 2:19.60 and Schouten who claimed bronze in 2:21.05.
It was Douglass’ second medal of Paris 2024 following silver with the USA women’s 4x100m freestyle and her third Olympic medal overall with 200IM bronze having come her way in Tokyo.
- World Record: Evgeniia Chikunova, Russia – 2:17.55 (2023)
- Olympic Record: Tatjana Smith, South Africa – 2:18.95 (2021)
- Tokyo Olympic Champion: Tatjana Smith, South Africa – 2:18.95
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Satomi Suzuki of Japan was fourth in 2:22.54 ahead of Kotryna Teterevkova of Lithuania (2:23.75), Ye Shiwen (2:24.31), Kaylene Corbett (2:24.66) and King, who finished eighth in 2:25.91.
King, who won silver over four lengths in Tokyo, bowed out of Olympic competition with five medals across two Games: two golds at Rio 2016 were followed by two silvers and a bronze in Japan in 2021.
Douglass is the fourth American won to have won the title since it was introduced to the programme in 1924.
Sharon Wichmann got the ball rolling at Mexico City 1928 which was followed by a 36-year wait before Amanda Beard took the title at Athens 2004 and then came Soni’s double.
“I’m really excited,” said Douglass. “For a while I wasn’t sure if Olympic champion was going to be possible for me to say. And now it’s really exciting to see it happen.
“I’m really excited to get a gold for Team USA and help the medal count.”
Kate Douglass: Photo Courtesy: Deepbluemedia
She added: “I knew if I went a best time and went the American record, that would probably win the race. So that was the plan. I could see on the turn where I was, so I kicked it into high gear. I couldn’t tell if she was going to catch me.
“I was trying to say calm and collected. The (200m) breast, I pretty easily can stay relaxed before it, because I have a specific race plan and I know that if I stick to that I know it is probably going to go pretty well. I have a specific stroke count that I’ve done on a few of my best times, so I knew if I stuck to that it would probably be my best time. Specifically it is 14, 16, 17, 19. I was 20 strokes on the last 50 but I was pushing it.”
For Smith, it was her final race as she confirmed her retirement following a career in which she’s won two gold and two silver Olympic medals across two Games.
The South African has three world medals, including 200 gold at Fukuoka 2023, as well as three golds and one silver from two Commonwealth Games.
The 27-year-old said: “I think I’m a very fortunate athlete. I think a lot of people dream and hope to get what I have but, for me, it was never about the medals. It’s always just trying to challenge myself, push myself, and that race was exactly that. It’s pushing and that fight and that competitiveness.
“That was an amazing race, so to end it off with a silver, but with a fight. That’s the best way to end it. “I think it’s really just now embracing life and seeing what’s outside of swimming, what my passions are outside of swimming. I think when I was swimming I was really focusing on swimming, because to stay motivated you need to be passionate about your sport, and I never really shifted my mind. Now it’s going to be tomorrow is day one of the life without swimming.”
Schouten repeated her bronze from last year’s Fukuoka worlds, six months after winning the Doha title ahead of Douglass.
The Netherlands swimmer trains in Amsterdam alongside Tokyo double silver medallist Arno Kamminga, Kenzo Simons and Caspar Corbeau, who also won 200 breast bronze in the men’s race.
“It feels a bit unreal,” she said. “I don’t really know how to explain it. I am happy and I am really shocked. I don’t think it has really kicked in as yet. I feel a little weird, I can’t wait for the ceremony, and then I think everything will kick in. I will see my parents and coach, and then it will start to feel real. I am like, did this really happen or is it a dream?”
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