Tatjana Smith switches to the Netherlands, taking SA’s most decorated Olympian off the team

South Africa’s most decorated Olympian will chase her next medals for another country. Tatjana Smith, who won two golds and two silvers in breaststroke at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, has switched her sport nationality to the Netherlands after World Aquatics approved the change. The dual citizen, whose parents live in the Netherlands, came out of retirement in September and is targeting the new 50m breaststroke at LA 2028. She will still live and train in South Africa with her existing coaches, and will keep supporting local athletes through the Lighthouse Sport Foundation. Her Dutch debut is at the short-course World Championships in Beijing, from 1 to 6 December..Watch here.PRESS RELEASE.CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA AND NAALDWIJK, NETHERLANDS: Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith has announced that she will represent the Netherlands in the next chapter of her international swimming career, following confirmation from World Aquatics of her change of sport nationality.Smith holds both South African and Dutch citizenship. Her decision reflects a personal connection to the Netherlands and an opportunity to explore a new direction in her sporting career as she sets her sights on the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.“Representing South Africa at the Olympic Games was my biggest childhood dream. To have lived that dream and won four Olympic medals is something I will always treasure,” said Smith. “Both South Africa and the Netherlands have always been part of who I am. I am deeply grateful to the South African swimming community, all my coaches, and to every South African who cheered me on. That gratitude will never change.”Smith won gold in the 200m breaststroke in a world-record time and silver in the 100m breaststroke at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, before adding gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m breaststroke at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.Her return to competition has been driven by a renewed love of swimming and a desire to discover what more she can achieve. Representing the Netherlands offers Smith the opportunity to explore her Dutch roots through sport and experience a different approach to high-performance training. The support structure available will allow her to dedicate herself fully to her performance and build a more sustainable swimming career.The introduction of the 50m breaststroke at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games provides a new competitive goal as she works towards returning to the Olympic stage.She looks forward to joining the Dutch team at international competitions and training camps, bringing with her the experience and knowledge gained throughout her career with her South African coaches and teammates, while embracing the opportunity to learn from a different high-performance environment. She will remain based in South Africa, continuing to train with the team that has been part of her journey.Alongside her swimming career, Smith will continue her involvement in South African sport through the Lighthouse Sport Foundation, supporting South African athletes and helping create opportunities for more people to experience what sport can offer.“My swimming career might be taking a different direction, but my connection to South Africa never will. Choosing a new path doesn’t erase the journey that brought me here. It simply gives me the opportunity to write a new chapter,” said Smith.Smith has formally notified Swimming South Africa and the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation of her decision. Her first competition representing the Netherlands will be the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, China, from 1 to 6 December 2026.About Tatjana SmithTatjana Smith (formerly Schoenmaker) is South Africa's most decorated Olympian, a two-time Olympic champion and former 200m breaststroke world record holder. Across the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games, she won four individual medals – two gold and two silver – in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. She set the 200m breaststroke world record during her gold-medal-winning performance in Tokyo. Her international achievements also include four Commonwealth Games medals and three World Championship medals.Smith represented South Africa at both junior and senior international level. She retired from competitive swimming following the Paris 2024 Olympic Games and announced her return in September 2026.A dual South African and Dutch citizen, Smith has longstanding family ties to the Netherlands, where her parents live. She remains based in South Africa and, through her work with Lighthouse Sport Foundation, supports the development of opportunities and support structures for South African athletes..Sign up for your early morning brew of the BizNews Insider to keep you up to speed with the content that matters. The newsletter will land in your inbox every morning on weekdays. Register here.Support South Africa's bastion of independent journalism, offering balanced insights on investments, business, and the political economy, by joining BizNews Premium. Register here.If you prefer WhatsApp for updates, sign up to the BizNews channel here.

Tatjana Smith switches to the Netherlands, taking SA’s most decorated Olympian off the team

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