Tatjana Smith wins gold in the pool as Team SA’s medal tally rises to three

Tatjana Smith earned the nation’s first gold medal on a spectacular third day of competition for Team SA on Monday, with the national squad raking in two more podium places as they continued their impressive start to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Smith won a thrilling battle in the women’s 100m breaststroke final on Monday night to secure her third career Olympic medal.

The 27-year-old star launched a gutsy chase in the closing stages of the race, after turning in fourth position, snatching the lead at the death to secure victory in 1:05.28. Qianting Tang of China was edged into the runner-up position in 1:05.54.

Just minutes before Smith entered the water, 20-year-old Pieter Coetze put up a fight but settled for fifth place in the men’s 100m backstroke final.

Coetze was in superb form, touching the wall in 52.58 seconds to break the African record of 52.63 he had set in the semifinals the night before. He was 0.19 outside a place in the top three.

Hatherly clinches bronze

Earlier, mountain bike cyclist Alan Hatherly delivered a gutsy performance to take bronze in the men’s cross country race, ensuring the SA squad would close out day three with a total of three medals at the Games, after the national men’s rugby sevens team grabbed bronze over the weekend.

Hatherly finished third in a hard-fought race, just 11 seconds behind British opponent Tom Pidcock, who successfully retained his Olympic title, and two seconds behind silver medallist Victor Koretzky of France.

Competing at his third Olympics, Hatherly became the first South African cyclist to earn a medal at the Games since 1956, and the first to achieve the feat in mountain bike racing.

“No regrets in the end. I left everything out there that I possibly could,” Hatherly said after the race.

“I think it’s every athlete’s dream to get an Olympic medal, and for me to achieve that today is unbelievable. I’m still lost for words. It’s for sure going to take some time to settle in.”

Other events

In other events on Monday, skateboarder Brandon Valjalo finished 12th in the men’s street prelims, missing out on a spot in the final, and equestrian rider Alexander Peternell settled for 43rd place in the qualifying round of individual jumping, also falling short of a place in the medal contest.

On the hockey field, the SA women’s side were handed their second defeat of the tournament, in a 4-2 loss to Argentina.

And after losing all three of their group matches, the SA women’s rugby sevens team were edged in a 15-12 defeat to Japan in the classification playoffs on Monday night, taking the wooden spoon.

Elsewhere, in Tahiti, Jordy Smith was eliminated by Alonso Correa of Peru in the third round of the men’s surfing competition. Sarah Baum was set to turn out in the third round of the women’s event in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

Rooskrantz withdraws

Meanwhile, artistic gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz was withdrawn from the Games on Monday due to injury.

Rooskrantz, who carried the SA flag alongside sprinter Akani Simbine at the opening ceremony last week, hurt her right foot during the floor exercise in all-round qualifying on Sunday.

While the SA team had hoped she would compete in the individual apparatus later in the week, an MRI scan picked up a ligament injury and it was confirmed that she would not turn out again at the showpiece.