Schoenmaker shatters world record to win Olympic gold

South Africa’s latest swimming sensation, Tatjana Schoenmaker, wrapped up a memorable double on Friday morning, scorching to a new world record as she grabbed the 200m breaststroke title at the Tokyo Olympics.

Competing in her last individual race of the Games, Schoenmaker lived up to the hype after lining up as the firm favourite, adding the 200m gold medal to the 100m silver she had earned earlier in the week.

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The 24-year-old breaststroke specialist touched the wall in 2:18.95 over the longer distance, breaking the world best of 2:19.11 which had been set by Rikke Moller Perdersen of Denmark at the 2013 World Championships in Barcelona.

Schoenmaker also sliced 0.21 off her own African record of 2:19.16 which she had set in the first-round heats.

She finished well clear of American swimmer Lilly King, who bagged the silver medal in 2:20.92.

Her fellow South African, Kaylene Corbett, also put up a fight, taking fifth place in the final.

Corbett, who had delivered stunning performances in the heats and the semifinals to establish her place among the medal contenders, set another personal best of 2:22.06.

Schoenmaker’s latest podium performance lifted the SA team’s medal tally to three (one gold and two silver) on day seven of the Tokyo Games.

She was set to turn out in the heats of her last event, the 4x100m medley relay, later on Friday afternoon.