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Smith breezes into 100m breaststroke final in Paris

───   MORGAN PIEK 07:42 Mon, 29 Jul 2024

Smith breezes into 100m breaststroke final in Paris | News Article
Tatjana Smith is happy with her times heading into the big final. Picture: X

“I think most of all I’m really enjoying every race and I’m much happier, so it doesn’t matter what the times are. I think just me personally experiencing these races and being happy is exactly what I want to be at this time.”

South Africa’s golden girl of swimming, Tatjana Smith, will have her first crack at a gold medal on Monday evening at the 2024 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Smith will swim in the final of the women’s 100 m breaststroke. During the semi-final, she swam the fastest by touching the wall in 1:05,00, exactly the same time as in the heats.

Smith said she is happy with her times heading into the big final. She will be in action at 21:25 on Monday evening.

“I would say that it was comfortable, but I’m just so grateful to be swimming some good times,” said Smith. I haven’t been close to my time since Tokyo, so this is my best time since Tokyo, so I think good times are obviously amazing.

“I think most of all, I'm really enjoying every race and I’m much happier, so it doesn’t matter what the times are. I think just me personally experiencing these races and being happy is exactly what I want to be at this time.”

In 2021, during the Tokyo Olympics, she won the silver. 

Pieter Coetzé also qualified for the final. Picture: Anton Geyser/Team SA.

Meanwhile, Pieter Coetzé swam the joint-second fastest time in the first semi-final to qualify for the men’s 100 m backstroke final. Coetzé swam a time of 52,63 in the semi-final, which was the same as Yohann Ndoye-Brouard of France, while Thomas Ceccon of Italy was the fastest in 52,58.

This was, however, a good enough time for Coetzé to break the African record.

Coetzé said the main objective was to reach the final, and now the goalposts will shift.


“Tomorrow it’s just a race. I wanted to get into the final because once you're there, you give yourself a chance. So, it 0146s just going to be a dog fight.”

He will be in action at 21:19 on Monday evening.

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg/mvh

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