Tatjana Schoenmaker is a competitive swimmer who represents South Africa internationally. She is a 2021 Olympian, world championship medalist and Commonwealth champion.
National/International Competition
2018 Commonwealth Games (Gold Coast, Australia)
In what could be considered a breakout meet, Schoenmaker won the 100 breast (1:06.41) and 200 breast (2:22.02) titles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, setting African records in both events.
2019 World University Games (Napoli, Italy)
Schoenmaker was a double champion at the World University Games in July 2019, winning the 100 breast (1:06.42), after setting the South African national record (1:06.32) in the semifinals, and 200 breast (2:22.92).
2019 World Championships (Gwangju, South Korea)
Schoenmaker bested her own African record in the 200 breast in the event semifinals at the World Championships in Gwangju, Korea, on July 25. She was second in the semis behind defending champion Yuliya Efimova, clocking a 2:21.79.
Schoenmaker touched for 2nd in the final heat, earning her first world championship medal, a silver, in a time of 2:22.52.
2019 Swammy Awards
For her silver medal at the world champs, Schoenmaker earned the African Female Swimmer of the Year Swammy Award.
2020 Record Assault
Despite a year full of lockdowns and cancellations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schoenmaker managed to lower 4 out of 6 South African records in the women’s breaststroke events, 3/6 of which were also African records. At the 2020 South African Short Course Championships in October, Schoenmaker went 3/3 in African records, recording pb’s of 30.2, 1:03.89, and 2:18.02. Her times in the 100 and 200 also came as African records.
In December, Schoenmaker kept the momentum rolling at the NTS Championships, breaking the African record in the 50 LCM breast with a time of 30.52.
2020 Swammy Awards
For her performances in the pool, Schoenmaker earned her 3rd consecutive Swammy award for African Female Swimmer of the Year.
2020 Olympic Games
After moving through prelims and semis and notching a personal best (1:04.82) in the 100 breast, she swam in the final of the event, touching 2nd to earn her first Olympic medal, a silver.
Moving onto the 200 breast, Schoenmaker wasted no time making a statement. In the last heat of prelims, the South African exploded with a 2:19.16, a new African record and the #2 swim of all-time, just .05 off the world record from 2013. After recording a slightly slower semi-final performance to put her in lane 4 for the final, Schoenmaker exploded in the final, going out fast and coming home fast to touch at 2:18.95, earning Olympic gold while breaking the world record from 2013.
2023 World Aquatics Championships (Fukuoka, Japan)
After a down 20222, Schoenmaker made some noise at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. In the 100 breast she was a solid 1:05.56 for 3rd in prelims. She improved to a 1:05.53 in semis for 3rd. In the final, she was out quick but was a little sluggish coming home for a 1:05.84 and silver.
In the 200 breast, Schoenmaker was calm and in control across all three of her swims. In prelims, she was 2:22.92 for 2nd and moved up to lead the semis in 2:21.31. In the final, she was tied for second at the first 50, but by the halfway point, she had taken the lead, turning in 1:07.74. She didn’t look back, extending her lead with a 36.22 split on the third 50. Schoenmaker touched for the gold medal in 2:20.80.
2024 Olympic Games (Paris, France)
After a down quad, Smith, newly married, made a major resurgence for her swan song, coming away with a gold and a silver. That mirrored her medal haul from Tokyo, though flipping the medal colors between events to become the most decorated South African Olympian.
In the 100 breast, Smith led prelims and semis with the exact same time: 1:05.00. In the final, Smith sat back in 4th at the 50 with a 30.62 but used a monster 34.66 2nd 50 to stroke her way to Olympic gold in 1:05.28.
In the 200 breast prelims, Smith led the field by 1.51 seconds with a solid 2:21.57. After the prelims, Smith announced that the 200 breast final would be her last. In the semis, she and Kate Douglass were in a field of their own, both poppin 2:19s (2:19.74 for Douglass and 2:19.94 for Smith), 3 seconds ahead of the rest of the field. In the final, all eyes were on the Smith-Douglass showdown. Smith led Douglass 31.60 to 31.83 at the 50 but Smith was out-split on the 2nd 50, putting her .12 seconds back of Douglass in 1:07.21. Smith was again out-split on the 3rd 50 but kept the margin close, sitting just .19 seconds behind Douglass with a 1:43.09. Douglass continued to swim a slightly better race, outsplitting Smith by .17 seconds on the final 50 to beat Smith by just .36 seconds 2:19.24 to 2:19.60 to close out Smith’s storied career.
