By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Four-time Olympic medalist Tatjana Smith (née Schoenmaker) is changing sporting citizenship in the lead-up to the 2028 Olympics.
Smith, a South African native who has represented the country throughout her swimming career, announced Tuesday that she’ll compete for the Netherlands moving forward, with the ultimate goal of repping the Dutch at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The 29-year-old holds both South African and Dutch citizenship. World Aquatics has approved the change, Smith’s camp confirmed.
“Representing South Africa at the Olympic Games was my biggest childhood dream. To have lived that dream and won four Olympic medals is something I will always treasure,” said Smith. “Both South Africa and the Netherlands have always been part of who I am. I am deeply grateful to the South African swimming community, all my coaches, and to every South African who cheered me on. That gratitude will never change.”
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Smith has been critical of Swimming South Africa (SSA) in the past, including sending a letter to the organization regarding the withholding of prize money in 2023.
She went further in-depth on her criticisms of SSA in a recent interview on BizNews Television, arguing that the federation has long failed to put athletes first, with a lack of financial support, legal protection and a safe mechanism to raise concerns all playing a role.
The 29-year-old Smith had previously retired from competitive swimming after the 2024 Olympics in Paris, but announced in September that she was coming back in pursuit of a third Olympic appearance.
After breaking out by winning gold in the women’s 100 and 200 breast at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Smith won silver in the 200 breast at the 2019 World Championships.
She then had an incredible performance at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, breaking the world record in the 200 breast en route to winning gold in a time of 2:18.95. The victory marked South Africa’s first Olympic gold medal in women’s swimming since 1996.
Smith also won silver in the 100 breast in Tokyo, setting a new Olympic and African Record of 1:04.82 in the prelims. That performance, which came a few days prior to her 200 breast victory, was South Africa’s first Olympic medal in women’s swimming since 2000.
After winning the Commonwealth title in 2022 and the World Championship title in 2023 in the women’s 200 breast, Smith became South Africa’s most decorated Olympian at the 2024 Games in Paris, winning gold in the 100 breast and adding a silver medal in the 200 breast.
She immediately announced her retirement after her program had concluded in Paris, though on Sept. 21, she revealed she was coming back with a renewed love of swimming and desire to compete.
“Representing the Netherlands offers Smith the opportunity to explore her Dutch roots through sport and experience a different approach to high-performance training,” her camp said in a press release announcing the change. “The support structure available will allow her to dedicate herself fully to her performance and build a more sustainable swimming career.”
She also noted the addition of the stroke 50s to the 2028 Olympic program as a source of motivation for coming back.
“My swimming career might be taking a different direction, but my connection to South Africa never will. Choosing a new path doesn’t erase the journey that brought me here. It simply gives me the opportunity to write a new chapter,” said Smith.
Smith competed at the Dutch Qualifiers (SCM) meet in late October in Rotterdam, sweeping the women’s breaststroke events with times of 29.54 in the 50, 1:03.92 in the 100 and 2:19.96 in the 200.
Having officially notified both the South African and Dutch federations of her decision, Smith announced she’ll represent the Dutch for the first time internationally at the 2026 Short Course World Championships, which will take place in three weeks in Beijing.
The Dutch women now have a formidable duo in the breaststroke events, with Smith joining forces with Tes Schouten, who won the 2024 world title in the 200 breast and was the bronze medalist in the event at the Paris Olympics behind American Kate Douglass and Smith.
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