Tatjana sounds warning to Olympic rivals with 200m blitz

Tatjana Smith sounded a warning to her Olympic rivals on Wednesday as she cruised to her fastest 200m breaststroke time in SA waters during the heats at the national championships in Gqeberha.

The 26-year-old torpedoed across the Newton Park pool in an impressive 2min 19.92sec, also her quickest time since she won the Olympic crown in Tokyo three years ago.

Clearly the queen is ready to fight at the Paris Games when they start on July 27. 

Smith’s Tuks training partner Kaylene Corbett recorded 2:23.84, also inside the 2:23.91 qualifying standard for the showpiece in the French capital. 

Three years ago Smith, then known by her maiden name Schoenmaker, swam an African record of 2:20.17 at the SA Olympic trials before blitzing Tokyo in a 2:18.95 world record.

Wednesday’s effort means she’s even quicker launching into her final training block heading into Paris than she was in 2021.

Still, she will need to go faster; her effort on Wednesday ranks her third in the world so far this year, behind American Kate Douglass (2:19.30) and Holland’s Tes Schouten (2:19.81).

Russian teen Evgeniia Chikunova, who went 2:17.55 last year to break Smith’s world record, has yet to compete this year.

Aimee Canny was the fastest in the women’s 200m freestyle in 1:59.52 and Matthew Sates went 1:50.69 in the men’s race. 

Pieter Coetzé took it easy in the men’s 200m backstroke, recording 2:04.96, while Hannah Pearse set the pace in the women’s 200m backstroke in 2:12.44.

Matthew Randle was the fastest in the men’s 200m breaststroke in 2:14.89.