You leave me speechless, says Penny Heyns to Tatjana Schoenmaker

Later in an interview with SABC Sport TV, Heyns said that Schoenmaker had produced the “absolutely perfect race” as she set a new world record of 2:18.95 – the first woman to go lower than 2:19 – ahead of Americans Lilly King (2:19.92) and Annie Lazor (2:20.84).

The other South African in the final, Kaylene Corbett, finished fifth in a personal best time of 2:22.06.

“Thank goodness I’m not alone (anymore)! Actually, there’s a lot more to that if you look at the stats. It’s the first gold medal in 25 years for Tatjana in breaststroke, in the same event as the last one – the 200 breast. It’s the first world record in 22 years… it’s the first world record of the Games over here (in swimming). It’s the first gold medal for South Africa – so she’s just full of firsts! She’s first all the way,” Heyns told SABC Sport.

“The last time was myself and Sarah Poewe (as South Africans in the 200m breaststroke final at Sydney 2000). I thought that race was so competitive. Kaylene improved her time once again, she did a PB.

“So, she was really, really close, and I think she must be happy, and we as South Africa are really happy. It would’ve been great if we had both on the podium – instead of two Americans! But nonetheless, Tatjana made up for it all, and really, that was the absolute perfect race.”

Heyns said she first took it all in by staying in the stands for the medal ceremony before trying to find Schoenmaker, who was busy with media interviews and a press conference before going for her doping test.

And when she eventually found her, she said Schoenmaker spoke about how she eyed King at the 150m mark, after the American had taken the lead over the first 100m.

“I knew that King was going to go out hard, and I was hoping… I kinda knew she’s gonna ‘die’. I expected King would ‘die’ a little earlier, and Tatjana would level out with her earlier,” Heyns said.

“But I think it’s a blessing in disguise that King took out that way, because that helped Tatjana also – not that we should be seeing each other… Tatjana said something about when they turned at the 150, her and King looked each other in the eye, and then the race began.

“So, I thought that Tatjana paced it really well, and reserved that amazing finish that she has, and the rest is history, I suppose!”

The PERFECT swim https://t.co/Lx7A9pZWwE

— Penny Heyns (@pennyheyns) July 30, 2021

Heyns added that Schoenmaker won’t immediately come to terms with the fact that she was an Olympic champion and world record-holder.

“I think there is a great sense of release. They can say they don’t feel the pressure, but after that awesome performance in the 100m breaststroke – breaking the Olympic record – Tatjana definitely was the one everybody was watching,” she said.

“And like it or not, there must have been a degree of pressure as well. I think there was that great relief that that was her final individual race, and she did exactly what she needed to do. It really was the perfect race.

“By the time I got down there, she was missing for a while. There is a lot that happens post-race – she obviously had a lot of interviews, and the doping people follow you around!

“I did have a brief word with her, and she was very relieved and over the moon. She didn’t really have much words, because the emotion is still too strong.

“It does take a while to sink in – for some, it takes a few months, and for some, it takes 25 years. I think for Tatjana, it is going to take a while before she really realises what she’s achieved at these Games.”

LET THE GAMES BEGIN 🙏![CDATA[]]>🏻![CDATA[]]>🇿![CDATA[]]>🇦

Father God may your will be done, may your peace fill us up, may we praise you no matter what the outcome, may we be empowered by your strength to give it our all and may we forever be in the awe of your goodness! pic.twitter.com/FE21q66Bvs

— Tatjana Schoenmaker (@TRSchoenmaker) July 23, 2021

@ashfakmohamed