Schoenmaker First Since ‘92 to Hold Olympic, Worlds, and WUGs Titles Simultaneously

2023 WORLD AQUATICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

• July 23 to 30, 2023
• Fukuoka, Japan
• Marine Messe Fukuoka
• LCM (50m)
• WORLD CHAMPS WATCH PARTY – DAILY
• Meet Central
• SwimSwam Preview Index
• Entry Book
• Live Results (Omega)
• Day 1 Prelims Live Recap | Day 1 Finals Live Recap
• Day 2 Prelims Live Recap | Day 2 Finals Live Recap
• Day 3 Prelims Live Recap | Day 3 Finals Live Recap
• Day 4 Prelims Live Recap | Day 4 Finals Live Recap
• Day 5 Prelims Live Recap | Day 5 Finals Live Recap
• Day 6 Prelims Live Recap | Day 6 Finals Live Recap

WOMEN’S 200 BREASTSTROKE – FINAL

• World Record: Evgeniia Chikunova, Russia – 2:17.55 (2023)
• World Junior Record: Viktoria Gunes, Turkey – 2:19.64 (2015)
• Championship Record: Rikke Pedersen, Denmark – 2:19.11 (2013)
• 2022 World Champion: Lilly King, United States – 2:22.41
• 2022 Time to Medal: 2:23.30

Top 8:

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA) — 2:20.80
2. Kate Douglass (USA) — 2:21.23
3. Tes Schouten (NED) — 2:21.63
4. Lilly King (USA) — 2:22.25
5. Thea Blomsterberg (DEN) — 2:22.42
6. Kotryna Teterevkova (LTU) — 2:24.22
7. Abbey Harkin (GBR) — 2:24.55
8. Kelsey Wog (CAN) — 2:25.21

South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker entered rarefied air with her victory in the women’s 200 breaststroke at the World Championships on Friday night. Collecting gold in this event, Schoenmaker has become the first swimmer since 1992 to hold the gold medal in the same event at three of the most prestigious long-course global championships meets in recent history: the Olympics, World Championships, and World University Games (WUGs).

The last to do so was Chinese IMer Lin Li. Lin won the 200 IM at the 1991 Sheffield Summer Universiade, she took gold at the 1991 Perth World Championships, and she set a World Record time of 2:11.65 at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

The World University Games may not have the same prestige as other swimming competitions. Still, it is the only other genuinely global competition (technically, it is limited to athletes under a certain age, and they must be enrolled in or a former student at an educational Institution). The European Championships, Pan-Pacs, and Pan-Ams are all regional competitions and therefore limited in the possible competition. The Commonwealth Games (she has that gold medal, too), while contested by countries spanning the globe, is limited to nations within the Commonwealth of Nations (mostly comprised of the nations/realms that make up the United Kingdom or its former colonies)

Schoenmaker swam to gold in the 200 breast at the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, she just added the gold last night in Fukuoka, and in Naples at the 2019 Summer Universiade Games, she won gold in both the 100 and 200 breast.

A confluence of several factors led to this occurrence, foremost among them the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic postponed the 2021 World University Games to 2023 (starting in a few days) and allowed Schoenmaker to achieve this feat.

Another factor that may make this achievement more unique is that several countries, chief among them, the US, do not prioritize the WUGs, as evidenced by the self-funded team representing the United States in Chengdu, China. That is not to say American athletes have not progressed on from WUGs to the Olympic or World gold medals. Maya Dirado won gold in the 400 IM at the 2011 WUGs, and Ryan Held won gold in the 100 free in 2017.

Several swimmers have come close in recent years. Both Italy’s Federica Pellegrini in the 200 free and Germany’s Britta Steffen in the 50 and 100 free have won gold in their individual events across all three meets but did not hold all of them simultaneously. The 2009 WUGs occurred before the 2009 World Championships, and therefore they were unable to defend their WUG titles.

Until the final of the 200m breast in Chengdu, Schoenmaker stands alone with this accolade, and regardless of how many days she holds it for, her consistency over the past four years in the 200 breast has set her up very well for 2024 and beyond.