Swimming star Tatjana Smith is targeting her fourth career medal at the Olympic Games. Picture: Anton Geyser/Gallo Images
Aiming to make history in Paris on Thursday night, Tatjana Smith says she is ready for a hard-fought battle as she looks to defend her Olympic title in the 200m breaststroke.
Smith was second fastest in the semifinals on Wednesday, touching the wall in 2:19.94, just 0.20 behind American opponent Kate Douglass.
Following her gold medal in the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week, on top of the two medals she achieved at the Tokyo Games three years ago, if Smith steps on the podium again in the 200m final (to be held at 9.11pm) she will become South Africa’s most decorated Olympian.
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“I’ve given my best, I’ve swum the times I wanted to and I know I’m capable of it, so tomorrow is just going to be like a dog fight,” Smith said.
“But I’m just going to have fun with it. Whatever the result, I’m going to walk out happy and I’m going to enjoy the rest of the Olympics, watching other athletes give their best, so I’m very excited.”
With her training partner Kaylene Corbett having also qualified for the 200m breaststroke final, Smith said she was looking to join her friend and compatriot once again as they targeted a podium double.
Corbett was fifth at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, when Smith won gold, and she showed her form on Thursday by clocking the fourth fastest time (2:22.87) in the semifinals.
“We’ve walked this journey since 2018 where we’ve been in every single final together,” Smith said.
“So she’s played a massive role in where I am today, whether it’s bringing comfort in the call room (before a race), just having someone I know and a familiar face, or whether it brings out the best version of us and we can push each other to do better.
“It really has brought so much to who I am today, so to share one last final with her is going to be amazing.”
Meanwhile, 20-year-old Pieter Coetze will turn out in the men’s 200m backstroke final on Thursday night.
Coetze, who was fifth in the 100m backstroke final earlier in the week, was third fastest in the 200m semifinals in 1:56.09.
“I’m just going to swim my race and trust my body to do what it knows how to do, and hopefully it goes well,” Coetze said.
“I’m already just blessed to be here and to have this experience… so I’m just glad I get to swim in another Olympic final.”
Meanwhile, Matthew Sates will be the only SA swimmer in action in the morning session on Thursday.
The former short-course world champion goes in the men’s 200m individual medley heats at 11.47am, as he goes in search of a place in the semifinals to be held in the evening session (9.47pm).
Eslewhere on the sixth day of competition at the Games, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Erik van Rooyen will compete in the opening round of the men’s golf tournament. Bezuidenhout tees off at 9.33am and Van Rooyen starts his round at 11.17am.
On the hockey field, the SA women’s team will target their first win of the tournament when they face Spain in a pool match at 5.30pm.
In the evening session, archer Wian Roux is in the men’s individual 1/32 elimination round at 7.37pm, after his match was postponed on Wednesday.
Later, in BMX racing, Miyanda Maseti is in the women’s quarterfinals, and surfer Sarah Baum will hope to turn out in the third round of the women’s surfing event (8.48pm), following multiple postponements due to hazardous weather conditions in Tahiti over the last few days.
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