South Africa’s golden girl of swimming, Tatjana Smith, has done it again, this time winning the women’s 100 m breaststroke gold at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

On Monday night, Smith, touched the wall in a time of 1:05.28 to win the gold medal in the distance for the first time. She became South Africa’s first gold medallist in Paris. In Tokyo, she won the Olympic silver in the 100 m breaststroke.

‘At about the halfway mark of the second lap, Smith shifted gears’

China’s Qinating Tang got off to a blistering start and led for the most part. At about the halfway mark of the second lap, Smith shifted gears to get past Ireland’s Mona Mc Sharry and then Tang to touch the wall just 0.26 seconds ahead of the Chinese swimmer.

Mc Sharry, in turn, took the bronze medal in a time of 1:05.59 or 0.31 seconds slower than Smith.

Smith is still to compete in the 200 m breaststroke and for her, it will be a title defence after winning the gold in Tokyo.

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Tatjana Smith take a bow ??????

Look at what it meant for her and the South Africans in attendance ??#Paris2024 | #CloserToYourChampions pic.twitter.com/GxPEADzS1u

— SuperSport ?? (@SuperSportTV) July 29, 2024

Just before Smith’s race, Pieter Coetzé swam in the final of the men’s 100 m backstroke, where he finished fifth. The world record holder, Thomas Ceccon of Italy, won the gold in 52.00 seconds flat, while China’s Jiayu took silver and Ryan Murphy of the USA claimed the bronze.

Coetzé touched the wall in fifth in a time of 52.58 seconds to break the African record he set in the semi-finals on Sunday.

 OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg/mvh