Tatjana Smith clinched her first Olympic gold medal in the event, triumphing after narrowly missing out on the top spot in Tokyo three years ago where she earned a silver.

Entering the final as the favorite, Smith had already impressed with identical heat and semifinal times of 1:05.00, outpacing all her competitors.

In the final, however, her time was slightly slower at 1:05.28, yet it was just enough to secure victory.

Competing in the La Défense Arena in Paris, Smith faced a challenging race. She had a slow start and was positioned fourth at the halfway mark.

Despite this, Smith, known for her strength in the 200m breaststroke, found her rhythm in the last 25 meters. It seemed she might miss out on a medal, but she surged ahead when it counted the most.

China’s Tang Qianting had led from the start, maintaining a one-meter advantage at one point, while Ireland’s Mona McSharry was a formidable rival beside Smith.

In the final meters, Smith closed the gap with an impressive burst of speed, overtaking the leaders with a perfectly timed lunge at the wall, finishing 0.26 seconds ahead of Tang, who took silver. McSharry completed the podium with a time of 1:05.59.

Tatjana Smith Triumphs with Olympic Gold in Dramatic Finish, Pieter Coetzé Sets New African Record in 100m Backstroke

Smith’s reaction to her victory was deeply emotional. Initially unable to look up from the water, she soon realized she had won.

“I don’t think anyone can explain it. It took a village to get me to where I am today,” Smith shared after her race. “I know they would have been proud even if I didn’t have a medal.

“Tatjana Smith elevated her status from silver to gold in the 100m breaststroke at the Paris 2024 Olympics, marking her as the most successful South African Olympian. She became only the fourth athlete from her country to win two gold medals at the Games, joining the ranks of Heyns, Caster Semenya, and Charles Winslow.” – Paris 2024 Olympics

“I swam for everyone that believed in me and for the country as well. Our team hashtag is ‘for my country’ and it really is. We just want to inspire somebody at home to know that they don’t have to disqualify themselves from any race, and that they can also potentially be an Olympic champion.

“There is always something to learn from every race. I wanted to focus on my own race and really just did that. Even if I didn’t get a medal, I would’ve been happy because there are things that you want to do based on your plan.

“I gave it my best and I’m so grateful I’m walking away with the gold medal.”

Just moments earlier, Another Inspiring swimmer from South Africa, Pieter Coetzé narrowly missed out on his first Olympic medal in the 100m backstroke.

Coetzé finished fifth with a new African record time of 52.58 seconds, surpassing his semifinal time of 52.63. However, it wasn’t enough for a podium finish as Italian world record holder Thomas Ceccon took gold with a time of 52.00 seconds.

China’s Xu Jiayu secured silver in 52.32 seconds, while the USA’s Ryan Murphy rounded out the podium with a time of 52.39 seconds.

Greek swimmer Apostolos Christou finished in the unlucky fourth place with a time of 52.41 seconds.

Despite his record-breaking swim, Coetzé could have improved his time with a better start, as he was the last swimmer off the blocks.

The 20-year-old made a strong comeback in the second half of the race, managing to overtake France’s Yohann Ndoye-Brouard in the final stretch.

Source: DM