Two-Time Olympic Champion Tatjana Smith Confirms Return to Swimming
Two-time Olympic champion Tatjana Smith has officially confirmed her return to competitive swimming.
The South African had retired from the sport after the 2024 Olympics in Paris where she captured the 100m breaststroke crown and silver over 200m. That followed 200 gold and 100m silver in Tokyo three years earlier.
It was announced five days ago that Smith would compete at the South African Short-Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg from 24-27 September.
Now she has officially announced in a press release that she is back in competition.
“When I announced my retirement from swimming, I genuinely believed that chapter of my life was over,” she said in a press release shared with news outlets.
“With some distance, I realized that stepping away had been the right decision for me at that time. I had always believed that swimming was something I did, not who I was. Stepping away proved that to me.
“I discovered that I could have a full life beyond the pool and still choose to swim. I am coming back because I want to. This time, the decision is mine. The time away gave me perspective, but it also gave me power. Now I get to bring both of those things back into the pool.”
