Thursday, November 12, 2026 - South Africa’s most
decorated Olympic athlete, Tatjana Smith, has announced her switch to compete
for the Netherlands.
Two-time Olympic swimming champion Smith said in a sometimes-tearful
video message posted on Instagram: “I’ve decided to swim for the Netherlands.”
“I know that not everyone will understand or agree with my
decision,” she said, citing “financial and practical challenges” that can make
a swimming career difficult to sustain.
Smith won the 100 breaststroke title at the 2024 Paris
Olympics and, as Tatjana Schoenmaker, the 200 breaststroke at the Tokyo Games
held in 2021.
She also took two silvers, in the 100 at Tokyo and the 200
in Paris, to become South Africa’s most successful Olympic athlete.
Swimmer Chad le Clos also has four medals, including one
gold.
“Both countries are a part of who I am,” the 29-year-old
Smith said. “But dreams can change as you grow.”
“This gives me the opportunity to explore another part of my
identity and the heritage that I’ve never experienced through sport.
“The opportunity also offers greater high-performance
support and the potential to build a more sustainable career.”
Smith added that athletes need a system in which they can
thrive and not just survive, suggesting she would have “greater high
performance support” in future. She said she would continue training in South
Africa.
She retired from competitive swimming after Paris and
announced a comeback two months ago, targeting the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics,
now in Dutch orange instead of South African green and gold.
Smith added that athletes need a system where they can
thrive and not just survive, suggesting she would have “greater high
performance support” in the future.
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