By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Breaststroke queen Tatjana Smith claimed South Africa’s first gold medal at the Paris 2024 Games after a speedy finish in the 100m event.
The double gold dream is now on with Smith set to compete in her more favoured event, the 200m breaststroke.
It’s Smith’s first Olympic gold medal in the event after narrowly missing first place in Tokyo three years ago when she left with silver around her neck.
“I don’t think anyone can explain it. It took a village to get me to where I am today, “Smith said after her race. “I know they would have been proud even if I didn’t have a medal.
“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.
She took a chance to emulate the great Penny Heyns, who did the 100m and 200m breaststroke double at the Atlanta Games in 1996.
Smith was visibly emotional during the national anthem, closing her eyes and almost biting her lip when the South African flag was raised for the first time in Paris.
Meanwhile the River Seine, which snakes through the French capital, is supposed to host the swimming leg of the triathlon competition, originally scheduled to begin on Tuesday morning with the men’s individual event.
But just hours before it was set to start, organisers said the race would be pushed back to Wednesday due to poor water quality.
Heavy rain that fell in the French capital on Friday and Saturday had worsened the pollution in some areas of the river to levels “still above the acceptable limits”, said a statement issued by World Triathlon.