South African swimmer Tatjana Smith marked her comeback to elite competition with impressive performances at the SA Short Course Championships held in Pietermaritzburg. Smith, a four-time Olympic medallist, had retired in 2024 but has now set her sights on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She competed in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events, winning national titles in both. Her times in these events were a personal best 29.50 seconds and 1:04.00, respectively.
Smith's performances at the championships earned her automatic qualifying standards for the World Short Course Championships to be held in December. Alongside her, three other swimmers also achieved the qualifying standards. These included Michael Houlie, who stopped the clock at 26.15 in the men's 50m breaststroke and 57.30 in the 100m breaststroke. Chris Smith also secured a silver medal in the men's 50m breaststroke with a time of 29.21.
Despite focusing on shorter distances, Smith showed her versatility by setting the fastest time in the 200m breaststroke heats with a time of 2:23.27. However, she withdrew from the final to concentrate on her preferred events. Smith expressed satisfaction with her performances, particularly given that she was adapting to the 50m sprint. She acknowledged that there were still areas for improvement but was pleased with her times.
Smith's national short course record in the 100m breaststroke is 1:03.89, and her performance in Pietermaritzburg was just 0.11 seconds shy of this. Her achievements in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events have secured her a spot at the World Short Course Championships. Smith will also compete in the 100m event in Beijing, having dipped under the A-standard qualifying times in both events.
Other swimmers who achieved automatic World Championships qualifiers in Pietermaritzburg included Duné Coetzee, who met the A standard in the 400m freestyle heats with a time of 4:05.54. She went on to win the title in 4:06.29, competing in front of her home crowd following a recent move to Pietermaritzburg. Fifteen other swimmers achieved the B qualifying standards for the World Championships.
In para swimming events at the national championships, Kat Swanepoel broke multiple national records in the S5 class. The former world champion won the 100m backstroke in 1:47.98 and the 50m freestyle in 43.49. These achievements demonstrate the depth of talent in South African swimming.
Smith's comeback to elite competition has been successful, with her performances indicating that she remains a strong contender in her events. Her focus on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles will see her continue to compete at the highest level. With her impressive performances in Pietermaritzburg, Smith will be one to watch at the World Short Course Championships in December.
Key points
- Tatjana Smith achieves automatic qualifying standards for the World Short Course Championships in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events.
- Smith wins national titles in the 50m and 100m breaststroke events with times of 29.50 seconds and 1:04.00, respectively.
- Four swimmers, including Smith, achieve automatic qualifying standards for the World Short Course Championships at the SA Short Course Championships.
