Schoenmaker Hits 2:19.16 200 Breast Olympic Record, 2nd Fastest Swim In History

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
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Olympic silver medalist in the 100 breaststroke Tatjana Schoenmaker returned to swim the 200 breaststroke on day 5 prelims and started things off with a 2:19.16 Olympic record. Schoenmaker got under American swimmers Rebecca Soni‘s 2012 Olympic record of 2:19.59.

Split Comparison

Schoenmaker took things out more than half a second faster than Soni did with a 31.98 opening split, was faster on the middle 100, and then back a little bit slower than Soni did on the final lap.

That swim for Soni back in 2012 was actually a new world record in the event, one which she actually set twice during the London Olympics. Soni hit a 2:20.00 world record during the semi-finals to take out Annamay Pierse‘s 2009 mark of 2:20.12. Soni then swam her 2:19.59 Olympic and world record during the finals, becoming the first-ever woman under 2:20 in the event.

Soni’s record stood until the next summer when Denmark’s Rikke Møller Pedersen delivered a 2:19.11 at the 2013 World Championships. Schoenmaker got within 0.05 of that time during prelims to make her the second-fastest woman in history. With 2 swims left to go at Tokyo 2020, the world record will be on high alert during semis and finals.

All-Time Performances (Sub-2:20), Women’s 200 Breaststroke (LCM)

1. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2:19.11 – 2013
2. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2:19.16 – 2021
3. Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2:19.41 – 2013
4. Rebecca Soni (USA), 2:19.59 – 2012
5. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2:19.61 – 2014
6. Viktoriya Zeynep Gunes (TUR) / Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2:19.64 – 2015/2017
7. –
8. Rie Kaneto (JPN), 2:19.65 – 2016
9. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2:19.67 – 2014
10. Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2:19.83 – 2017
11. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2:19.84 – 2014
12. Yuliya Efimova (RUS), 2:19.85 – 2013
13. Rikke Moeller Pedersen (DEN), 2:19.94 – 2014

Schoenmaker will be gunning for her second Olympic medal during the 200 breaststroke finals, having hit a 1:05.22 for the silver medal in the 100 breaststroke to Lydia Jacoby‘s 1:04.95 victory. While she was 2nd place in the final, Schoenmaker actually broke the Olympic record in the heats of the 10 breaststroke with a 1:04.82 which stayed intact through to the finals. That makes Schoenmaker the Olympic record holder in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes.

Schoenmaker’s breaststroker dominance is reminiscent of her compatriot Penny Heyns who in 1996 collected Olympic gold in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes. Heyns topped the podium for South Africa in Atlanta with a 1:07.73 100 breaststroke and a 2:25.41 Olympic record in the 200. Heyns has been very active on social media over the course of the Tokyo 2020 Games, sharing her support for Schoenmaker:

I am speechless ⁦@TRSchoenmaker⁩ Awesome swim …. So proud of you 💪 New Olympic Record pic.twitter.com/Hh3HN8nPsq

— Penny Heyns (@pennyheyns) July 28, 2021

Schoenmaker was the only woman under 2:20 during the 200 breaststroke prelims, leading the way by nearly 3 seconds as Lilly King posted a 2:22.10 for second seed heading into the semi-finals. Evgeniia Chikunova was third in the heats with a 2:22.16 and Schoenmaker’s teammate Kaylene Corbett rounded out the top 4 in a 2:22.48.

Women’s 200 Breaststroke Prelims – Top 16

1. Tatjana Schoenmaker (RSA), 2:19.16 OR
2. Lilly King (USA), 2:22.10
3. Evgeniia Chikunova (ROC), 2:22.16
4. Kaylene Corbett (RSA), 2:22.48
5. Annie Lazor (USA), 2:22.76
6. Molly Renshaw (GBR), 2:22.99
7. Mariia Temnikova (ROC), 2:23.13
8. Yu Jingyao (CHN), 2:23.17
9. Jenna Strauch (AUS), 2:23.30
10. Jessica Vall Montero (ESP), 2:23.31
11. Fanny Lecluyse (BEL), 2:23.42
12. Sophie Hansson (SWE), 2:23.82
13. Francesca Fangio (ITA), 2:23.89
14. Lisa Mamie (SUI), 2:23.91
15. Abbie Wood (GBR), 2:24.13
16. Kelsey Wog (CAN), 2:24.27