Tatjana Smith is a South African Olympic champion and one of the most decorated swimmers in the country’s history. Best known for her breaststroke events, she won four Olympic medals across the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Games, including two gold medals.
Born Tatjana Schoenmaker, she became widely known by her maiden name during the early part of her international career. After marrying fellow swimmer Joel Smith, she began competing as Tatjana Smith. In 2026, she returned to competitive swimming after retiring following the Paris Olympics, with her sights set on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
Who Is Tatjana Smith?
Tatjana Smith was born on July 9, 1997, in Johannesburg, South Africa. She developed an interest in swimming at a young age and eventually became one of the country’s leading breaststroke specialists.
Her breakthrough at the highest level came at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where she won gold in the women’s 200-metre breaststroke and silver in the 100-metre event. She followed that performance with another Olympic gold and silver at Paris 2024.
Her four Olympic medals have made her one of South Africa’s most successful Olympic athletes.
Tatjana Smith Age
Tatjana Smith is 29 years old as of September 2026. She was born on July 9, 1997.
She stands approximately 1.78 metres tall and specialises in breaststroke, particularly the 100-metre and 200-metre events.
Education
Smith attended TuksSport High School in Pretoria, where she balanced her education with intensive swimming training.
She later studied at the University of Pretoria. Her university years coincided with her rise into international swimming, requiring her to manage academic commitments alongside elite competition and training.
Her development through South Africa’s university and high-performance sporting system helped prepare her for major international competitions.
Swimming Career
Early Development
Smith developed through South African swimming competitions before establishing herself internationally. Her breaststroke ability quickly became her defining strength.
Her international breakthrough came at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, where she won gold medals in both the 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events.
Those performances established her as a major South African swimming talent and set the stage for her Olympic breakthrough.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Smith became a global swimming star at the Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021 after the Games were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
She won silver in the 100-metre breaststroke before claiming gold in the 200-metre event. During the 200-metre final, she set a new world record with a time of 2:18.95.
The victory made her the first South African woman to win an individual Olympic swimming gold medal.
World Championships
Smith also established herself as a leading competitor at the World Aquatics Championships.
She won silver in the 200-metre breaststroke at the 2019 World Championships. At the 2023 championships in Fukuoka, Japan, she won gold in the 200-metre breaststroke and silver in the 100-metre event.
Her 2023 world title confirmed her position among the world’s leading breaststroke swimmers.
Paris 2024 Olympics
Smith entered the Paris Olympics as one of South Africa’s leading medal hopes.
She won gold in the 100-metre breaststroke and silver in the 200-metre event. The results gave her four Olympic medals from two Games, consisting of two gold and two silver medals.
She also served as one of South Africa’s flag bearers at the closing ceremony.
After the Paris Games, Smith announced her retirement from competitive swimming.
Return to Swimming in 2026
Smith returned to competitive swimming in September 2026 after spending about two years away from the sport.
Her comeback began at the South African Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg from September 24 to 27. She entered the 50-metre, 100-metre and 200-metre breaststroke events, along with relay competitions, representing the Stellenbosch-based Lane Leader team.
Smith has also identified the 50-metre breaststroke as an important part of her new competitive direction because the event will feature at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Her comeback represents a new phase of her career after she previously believed her competitive swimming journey had ended.
Olympic and Swimming Achievements
Tatjana Smith’s major achievements include:
- Two Olympic gold medals
- Two Olympic silver medals
- 2020 Olympic 200m breaststroke champion
- 2024 Olympic 100m breaststroke champion
- 2023 World Championships 200m breaststroke champion
- Two World Championships silver medals
- 2018 Commonwealth Games champion in the 100m and 200m breaststroke
- Former world record holder in the women’s 200m breaststroke
- Four-time Olympic medallist
- South Africa’s most decorated female Olympian
- South African flag bearer at the Paris 2024 closing ceremony
World Aquatics records 11 major international medals for Smith, including four Olympic medals and three World Championships medals.
Personal Life and Family
Tatjana Smith was born Tatjana Schoenmaker and later adopted the surname Smith after marrying fellow swimmer Joel Smith.
Her husband has also been involved in swimming, giving the couple a shared connection to competitive sport. Smith has generally kept her private family life away from the main focus of her public career.
Her decision to return to swimming in 2026 has also been shaped by her desire to approach elite sport differently while maintaining a fuller life outside competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Tatjana Smith?
Tatjana Smith is 29 years old as of September 2026. She was born on July 9, 1997.
What is Tatjana Smith’s real name?
She was born Tatjana Schoenmaker and now competes under the name Tatjana Smith.
How many Olympic medals has Tatjana Smith won?
She has won four Olympic medals: two gold and two silver.
What events does Tatjana Smith swim?
She specialises in breaststroke, particularly the 100-metre and 200-metre events. In her 2026 comeback, she also entered the 50-metre breaststroke.
Did Tatjana Smith retire from swimming?
Yes. She retired after the Paris 2024 Olympics but returned to competitive swimming in September 2026.
What did Tatjana Smith win at the Olympics?
She won the 200m breaststroke gold and 100m silver at Tokyo 2020, followed by 100m gold and 200m silver at Paris 2024.
Conclusion
Tatjana Smith has built one of the strongest swimming records in South African sporting history. Her four Olympic medals, world title and Commonwealth Games victories established her as an elite breaststroke swimmer.
Her return to competition in 2026 adds a new chapter to that career. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now part of her ambitions, Smith is approaching swimming with a different perspective while continuing to compete at the highest level.