Tatjana ‘positive’ and can’t wait for Paris splash

Swimming’s golden girl Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) will headline the list of Team South Africa competitors on the opening weekend of the Olympics, which officially start in Paris on Friday.

Team SA have a distinguished Olympic record since returning to international competition in 1992.

South Africa have won 40 medals, which includes 13 gold, 18 silver and nine bronze, over the past 32 years.

The opening ceremony takes place on Friday night at the River Seine.

Team South Africa are set to appear fourth, in alphabetical order – as they will be referred to as Afrique du Sud – and their flag bearers will be athletics sprinter Akani Simbine and gymnast Caitlin Rooskrantz.

Smith was Team SA’s sole gold medallist at the last Olympics in Tokyo, having been crowned champion in the 200m breaststroke, while she also claimed a silver medal in the 100m discipline of the same event.

The 27-year-old will dip into the La Defense Arena pool for the first time on Sunday, when the 100m breaststroke heats begin. She feels that this is good preparation for her premier event – the 200m breaststroke – which gets under way next Wednesday.

“The 100 is always first, and it’s always nice to have it as a pre-race for the 200m,” said Smith in a video released by Team SA from the Athletes Village.

“Sometimes I start enjoying it too much and then get nervous, thinking ‘how am I going to survive in the 200?’ But it is always good to just see where I am and have that easy speed in the beginning. You have to stay calm in this. It’s about how we react to situations and how positive we are in those situations that count. So, I’m just staying positive. I know it’s going to go well, and I’ve prepared well.”

Despite being three years older than in Tokyo – the last Olympics were pushed back a year due to the pandemic – Smith is still showing the form that could enshrine her as South Africa’s most decorated Olympian by the conclusion of the Paris Games.

She is currently the third-fastest in the 100m with a time of 1:05.41 back in April, while she’s the fastest in the 200m, having swum 2:19.01.

Russia’s Evgenia Chikunova set a world record 2:17.95 last year, but she has withdrawn from Paris.

Smith won the gold medal in Tokyo with a then-world record time of 2:18.95. She said that she has only made minor changes to her style with coach Rocco Meiring over the intervening period.

“I don’t think (there’s) much difference,” she said.

“Just perfecting all the small things – swimming is a technical sport. It’s those small margins that count, so physically we can’t do much more. She said adding finesse to the finer details was character-building.

“You’re growing as a person, and I’m getting older. That was a huge difference So, that’s a massive difference … compared to Tokyo, but otherwise it’s just the same, trying to get it right every time.”

It is set to be a busy weekend for Team SA, with the men’s and women’s hockey teams getting their campaigns under way.

Cheslyn Gie’s men’s side face European champions Netherlands on Saturday (12.45pm) before playing Great Britain (8.15pm) on Sunday. The women’s team’s Pool B opener is against Australia (12.45pm) on Sunday.

Ranfred Dazel’s women’s Springbok Sevens team will also face their Aussie counterparts later on Sunday (4pm), before a second clash against Ireland (7pm) later.

South Africa’s Johanita Scholtz will go head-to-head with Korea’s Kim Ga Eun in the badminton women’s singles group play stage (around 2.50pm) on Saturday.

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Candice Lill will also be competing in the women’s cross country mountain bike race on Sunday (2.10pm).