2024 PARIS SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES
- Pool Swimming: July 27 – August 4, 2024
- Open Water Swimming: August 8 – 9, 2024
- La Défense Arena — Paris, France
- LCM (50 meters)
- Meet Central
- Full Swimming Schedule
- SwimSwam Preview Index
- Pick ’em Contest
- How To Watch
- Entry Lists
- Live Results
- Prelims Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
- Finals Live Recaps: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3
WOMEN’S 100-METER BREASTSTROKE – FINALS
- World Record: 1:04.13 – Lilly King, USA (2017)
- World Junior Record: 1:04.35 – Ruta Meilutyte, LTU (2013)
- Olympic Record: 1:04.82 – Tatjana Smith (Schoenmaker), RSA (2021)
- 2021 Winning Time: 1:04.95 – Lydia Jacoby, USA
- 2021 Bronze Medal Time: 1:05.54
- Tatjana Smith (RSA) – 1:05.28
- Tang Qianting (CHN) – 1:05.54
- Mona McSharry (IRL) – 1:05.59
- Benedetta Pilato (ITA) – 1:05.60
- Lilly King (USA) – 1:05.60
- Angharad Evans (GBR) – 1:05.85
- Eneli Jefimova (EST) – 1:06.50
- Alina Zmushka (AIN) – 1:06.54
Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker) swam her way to her second Olympic medal in the 100 breaststroke tonight, winning in 1:05.28. Just 4th at the 50 turn in 30.62, Smith used her 200 breaststroke skill to make a push on the backhalf, coming home in 34.66 to take the win by .26 over Tang Qianting.
While the time was slower than the 1:05.00 she swam in prelims and again replicated in the semifinals last night, it’s the order of finish that takes precedence. In the finals of the 2021 Tokyo Games, Smith finished in second in 1:05.22, and while.06 slower at these Olympics, she certainly prefers this outcome.
| 2021 Olympics Final | 2024 Olympics Final | Personal Best | |
| 1st 50 | 30.41 | 30.62 | 30.21 |
| 2nd 50 | 34.81 | 34.66 | 34.61 |
| Time | 1:05.22 (2nd) | 1:05.28 (1st) | 1:04.82 – Olympic Record |
In looking at her splits, Smith was out slower than her silver time in Tokyo, but came home faster, which should in addition to this win speak well for her chances in the 200 breast, where she is the defending Olympic Champion.
With the win tonight, Smith enters some rarefied air. She becomes the third African woman to win a second swimming gold medal after fellow South African Penelope Heyns and Zimbabwe’s Kirsty Coventry. Smith actually has a second connection to Heyns, as Smith becomes the first women to have won an Olympic gold in both the 100 and 200 breaststroke since Heyns did it in 1996. Smith’s two gold come from different Olympics, but her results today make her a favorite to repeat as champion in the 200 breast. If she does claim victory in the 200 later on in the week, Smith will become Africa’s most decorated swimmer.
Other Continental News
- South Africa’s Pieter Coetze finished 5th in the 100-back final in a time of 52.58, further lowering his own South African and African continental record. Read more about it here.
- Tunisian Ahmed Jaoudi keeps his nations distance freestyle pedigree alive, placing second into tomorrow’s 800 free. Read more about it here
Continental/National Records
- African Record
- 100 Back: Pieter Coetze (RSA) – 52.58
- Benin
- 100 Back: Alexis Kpadi – 57.61
- South Africa
- 1oo Back: Pieter Coetze – 52.58
Medal Summary
| Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total | |
| South Africa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Has a woman ever won 3 individual golds in breast? I know Kitajima did but can’t think of a woman who has… Will Tatjana be the first?
kitajima is the only man or woman to win 3. the closest woman is soni (2/2/0), who was 0.08 behind ruta in 2012
Typo in the headline. Should be “Heyns.”
Penelope Henny is how Stacy Layne Matthews pronounces it
Merci
This race proved the importance of timing one’s finish to get it perfect.
I used to have nightmares about finishes like Tang’s.
But at least I woke up from them
Can Lilly King retire and we can finally move on.