Tatjana Smith to represent Netherlands in international swimming

Tatjana Smith has announced she will represent the Netherlands in international swimming, saying financial and practical pressures made her previous career difficult to sustain and that the switch offers greater high-performance support. The four-time Olympic medallist announced the decision in a social-media video on November 10, saying she understood it could disappoint supporters in South Africa, the country she represented at the Tokyo and Paris Games.

Smith, 29, holds South African and Dutch citizenship. She said the decision would let her explore another part of her identity and pursue a more sustainable swimming career. She also said she would continue to live and train in South Africa while representing the Netherlands internationally.

The swimmer won gold in the 200-metre breaststroke at the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, and silver in the 100 metres. At the 2024 Paris Games, she won gold in the 100 metres and silver in the 200 metres. Those four medals made her South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, according to the reports.

Smith retired after the Paris Games, then announced her return to competition in September 2026, with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics as a target. At...