Former Olympic champion Tatjana Smith to make comeback from retirement
Smith has entered three individual events at the national championships.
Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith is reportedly preparing to return to competitive swimming next week, having entered multiple events at the upcoming SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg from September 24-27. Swimming South Africa (SSA) confirmed that Smith, who officially retired following the 2024 Paris Olympics, will participate in the 50m, 100m, and 200m breaststroke events, as well as some relay races.
SSA high performance manager Dean Price expressed excitement about Smith's return, highlighting her excellent racing skills and confidence in her performance. Smith, a former 200m breaststroke world record holder, is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, having won titles at the 2021 and 2024 Games, as well as the 2023 World Championships.
While it remains unclear how fit she will be after a two-year retirement, Price feels optimistic about her chances, stating that she is expected to "do very well." Smith's comeback follows a recent legal battle against SSA over unpaid interest on prize money withheld for a year after the 2023 World Championships. Recently, SSA reportedly agreed to settle the matter and pay Smith the full amount due.
Written by urgent.news from The Citizen's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
