Tatjana Smith Ends Career with Last ‘Big Fight,’ Treasured Silver Medal

Photo Courtesy: DeepBlue Media

Tatjana Smith Ends Career with Last ‘Big Fight,’ Treasured Silver Medal

Tears and smiles often coexist for Tatjana Smith in the mixed zone at events like the Olympics. Tears of joy don’t often require much explanation, beyond the beaming visage the South African breaststroker wears to accompany than.

So Thursday night, when Smith emphatically called time on her career, with a silver medal around her neck from the women’s 200 breaststroke, there was no ambiguity about the source of the sadness and the joy.

“It’s a relief,” Smith said after scoring her fourth career medal at the Paris Olympics. “But I don’t really know, I’m probably like tomorrow going to miss it. It’s 22 years that I’ve been swimming, and it’s been a big part of my family’s life and everything. My family and everyone knows that it was my last one, just to enjoy that moment together. It was a lot of sacrifice that came from everyone, that our lives had to be put aside for Tatjana’s swimming. So I think we’re all excited to just have a family time without swimming in the back of our minds.”

Smith’s retirement came moments after she earned silver in the 200 breast, an event in which she claimed gold and a world record in the final in Tokyo. She and Kate Douglass of the United States waged an epic duel coming home, only an American record of 2:19.24 by Douglass capable of holding off her 2:19.60.

Douglass took the early initiative and Smith looked ready to chase her down in the final 50 meters, Smith gaining with every stroke until Douglass found another gear to keep the gap open.

Smith won silver in the 100 and gold in the 200 in Tokyo, then reversed those placings here at Paris’ La Defense Arena. She was the class of the 100 breast final on Monday, winning in 1:05.28 after matching 1:05.00s in prelims and semis.

Smith – who competed in Tokyo under her maiden name Tatjana Schoenmaker – didn’t expect the 100 gold. She discussed how little pressure she felt as a result of her Tokyo results after the semifinals of the 100, and even if she might’ve felt a tad more than she was letting on, any residual angst evaporated with that gold.

“I never expected it, but I’m very grateful for the 100,” she said. “Having the gold because it really took off the pressure for me. I think I had a lot of expectation from what I did have from Tokyo. So it really made me just enjoy the 200 and go out there and have nothing to lose. And that’s what I think for me was the blessing of that 100. I would have never expected to win a gold in the 100. And obviously to defend my title would have been amazing. But I couldn’t have lost in a better way because it was so fun to race. And I love how that brings out the best in you. I swam a better time that I did in the semis, so I couldn’t have swum better. I gave it my all.”

Smith, 27, has accomplished much more than just her four Olympic medals. The Johannesburg native won gold in the 200 breast and silver in the 100 at World Championships in 2023, plus silver in Gwangju in the 200 in 2019. She’s a four-time medalist (three gold) at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022, plus medals at the African Games, World University Games, African Youth Games and African Junior Championships.

She matches Chad le Clos for the most swimming medals in Soth African history, though she has two golds to one for le Clos, who remains active.

Smith said she’ll, “give myself some space to find my passions outside of swimming.” She has remained focused on her career, knowing that the finish line was so near. She’s in no rush to design what life after swimming might look like.

She goes out with what feels like a celebration – one last race against Douglass, to whom she magnanimously passes the torch and who she wished she could’ve raced in Tokyo, when Douglass swam only the 200 individual medley.

“Everyone wants to touch the wall first,” she said. “But I’m just as happy to get the silver medal, because I love that competitiveness. And it’s amazing to now celebrate the new champion. She has so much more to come. She wasn’t in Tokyo (in the 200 breast) so I never got to race that Olympic final with her, so t I think that’s just exciting on its own.

“To end off my career with big fight was so worth it. And I’m so grateful that I still get to walk away with a medal and leaving my career walking away from the Olympics with two medals and a double Olympian. I couldn’t complain.”

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