South African Olympic swimmer Tatjana Smith has spoken out about her concerns regarding Swimming South Africa (SSA), the governing body of swimming in the country. In an exclusive interview, Smith revealed that she still does not feel "safe" competing under SSA, despite her recent triumphant comeback at the SA Short Course Championships. Smith secured A-qualification times for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
Smith's criticism of SSA comes after the World Aquatics' provisional suspensions of SSA president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse over alleged abuse of power. However, Smith insists that the federation's toxic culture, including claims of bullying and harassment of swimmers, remains deeply entrenched. According to Smith, the suspensions have not cleared the waters for elite athletes, and she continues to face challenges within the system.
Smith's return to competitive swimming was driven by her desire to fight for reform within SSA. She views the suspensions of SSA's leadership as a critical window of opportunity for change. Smith explained that her comeback was not because the situation had improved, but because she has more fight in her. She believes that this is the right time to make a move towards creating a better system for athletes.
Smith's experience with SSA has been marked by a bitter legal battle over $35,000 in prize money earned at the 2023 World Championships. SSA initially withheld the sum under an arbitrary €46,000 fine because Smith competed in a Speedo suit instead of the official Arena kit. Although Smith successfully recovered the principal amount and accrued interest, her fight for commercial transparency continues.
Smith's legal team has lodged an Information Regulator complaint under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) to force SSA to disclose its master agreement with Arena. The complaint targets whether SSA signed an exclusive corporate deal that deprives swimmers of independent sponsorship income while offering no direct financial support to athletes. Smith argues that athletes should be able to represent brands that provide them with financial support.
Smith also criticized existing athlete representation as a tokenistic "tick-box exercise," revealing that the interim Swimming SA leadership has made zero attempt to communicate with swimmers. She highlighted the climate of fear within SSA, where the constitution effectively gagged swimmers with threats of suspension if they sought legal help. To counter this, Smith launched her Lighthouse Sport Foundation to act as an independent watchdog and safe harbour.
Smith's Lighthouse Sport Foundation aims to create a safe space for athletes to fight for a system where they come first. She emphasized that everyone in the system wants change, but they are all scared. Smith believes that intimidation is not just physical but also mental and wants to create a platform where athletes can speak out without fear of reprisal.
Key points
- Tatjana Smith criticizes Swimming South Africa for its toxic culture and lack of athlete safety.
- Smith's comeback was driven by her desire to fight for reform within SSA.
- Smith launched the Lighthouse Sport Foundation to act as an independent watchdog and safe harbour for athletes.
