Staff Reporter.
Tatjana Schoenmaker came roaring back to beat defending champion Lilly King and clinch victory in the 100m breaststroke semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday to advance to Tuesday’s final.
Schoenmaker who broke American King’s Olympics record in Sunday’s heat, wasn’t quite as quick this time around, but winning was all that mattered, and she touched the wall in 1:05.07.
King, who is also the world record-holder, suffered her first defeat in a 100m breaststroke race since 2015, finishing second in 1:05.40, but while she might be smarting about her winning streak ending, she will know that it’s only the final that really counts.
The 24-year-old American, who hails from Evansville in Indiana, went out quickly and led for about 40 metres until Schoenmaker stepped it up close to the wall to lead at the halfway mark with a 30.48-second split.
But after that, the 24-year-old South African edged ahead gradually and eventually pulled away to win by over three-tenths of a second.
She qualified as the fastest swimmer for the final, with American Lydia Jacoby winning the first semi-final in 1:05.72.
“In this race, I was just trying to see – especially because of it being in the morning, I was quite tired – just to see if I can stay with her,” Schoenmaker said afterwards.
“So ja, that’s literally the whole plan, and I just wanted to make a lane in the final so that we could rest now, and then be ready for the finals.”
The final takes place at 4.17am SA time on Tuesday, and Schoenmaker said that she was still buzzing from her Olympic record swim on Sunday.
Meanwhile Adam Peaty wrote his name into the history books once again as he powered to 100m breaststroke gold in Tokyo to become the first British swimmer to defend an Olympic title.
From start to finish it was a perfectly executed swim by Peaty as he finished in a time of 57.37 seconds, six tenths clear of the field.
Netherlands’ Arno Kamminga, the only man other than Peaty to ever go under 58 seconds, took the silver medal while the bronze medal went to Nicolo Martinenghi of Italy. GB’s James Wilby finished fifth.