By Terin Frodyma on SwimSwam
Tatjana Smith, who has been in the headlines as of late for her vocal disapproval of Swimming South Africa, has officially announced she will return to competitive swimming after initially retiring in 2024.
In a press release from her husband and manager, Joel Smith, when she first stepped away from the sport, she had no intention of returning, which gave her time to live her life outside of the pool. However, the longing for the feeling of competition, racing, and challenge is just some of the reasons that the Olympic Champion wants back in.
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“When I announced my retirement from swimming, I genuinely believed that chapter of my life was over. 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.” Smith said in the press release. “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.”
This comeback marks her official announcement back to racing. However, it was reported earlier this month that she was on the psych sheets for the upcoming South African Short Course Championships, which will be contested in Pietermaritzburg from September 24-27; she is entered in the 50, 100, and 200 breaststrokes, marking her first meet back since the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
Smith added that she is not coming back as the “same athlete,” noting that she will be taking on this new chapter with a very new setup, including a new coach and a new event. Her new era will be under the leadership of Karin Hugo at Lane Leader in Stellenbosch, a new spot for Smith, having previously trained in Pretoria and the Tuks Swimming Academy.
“I am not coming back as the same athlete, or the same person. It’s a new chapter, a new challenge, a new event, a new training group, a new city, and a new coach. Most importantly, it’s a new balance. I have learned that I don’t have to choose between being an athlete and having a full life outside of sport. I can have both.” Smith said in the press release.
Smith has expressed her frustrations with Swimming South Africa about how athletes are treated in the current system, and she hopes to be one of the leaders in a new movement for athletes, with the goal of a more supportive and safe environment.
“Athletes deserve to love their sport. They deserve to feel safe, supported, and respected within it. And they deserve the opportunity to pursue excellence without having to compromise who they are.”
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