Champion Tatjana: Nerves still there for 200m breaststroke

Are you ready for round two of the Tatjana Smith show?

Having won gold in the 100m breaststroke on Monday night, South Africa’s champion swimmer will jump into the La Defense Arena pool once again this morning to begin her quest for a second title at the Paris Olympics.

The 27-year-old will be aiming to defend the 200m breaststroke gold medal that she clinched in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, in what was then a world record time of 2:18.95.

Smith’s epic triumph in the 100m was already an improvement on her performance in Tokyo, where she claimed the silver medal in the two-lap event.

Her terrific finish to pip China’s Qianting Tang almost on the wall in a time of 1:05.28 – which was slightly slower than her 1:05.00 efforts in the heats and semi-final – showed tremendous resilience after she turned at the halfway point in fourth position.

But she might feel a bit more comfortable in the 200m, which starts today with the heats at 11am and semi-finals at 10pm, especially since Russia’s world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova – whose mark stands at 2:17.55, set last year – is not participating in Paris.

Smith, though, was adamant after winning the 100m gold that the four-lap race won’t be easy to navigate, although she has an opportunity to emulate Penny Heyns, who won the 100m and 200m breaststroke titles at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Heyns secured a bronze in the 100m at the 2000 Sydney Games too, so another medal for Smith would see her equal Chad le Clos’ four medals, the most by a South African.

She told the media in Paris that the fact that the final only takes place in the evening – with the 200m breaststroke decider set for tomorrow at 9.04pm – also has an influence.

“The worst is not done! I still have the 200m ... It is challenging having the morning off, and obviously coming back for the finals. It is really about the recovery, and I wouldn’t say that I didn’t recover properly,” Smith said.

“But I think, like we know in the finals, if you have a lane, you have a chance.

“We were all fighting, so it is really to just enjoy the race as it is.

“For me, in the heats and the semi, I just try and go for the times, so that when I step into that final I can just enjoy the race for what it is, and just take in the experience and not stress about the time.

“I wouldn’t say that (the 200m is easier). The 200 is an extra 100, so the nerves are still there. So, I am hoping that I have it in me ...

“The work’s not done. I don’t want to relax too much because I still want to give my best in the 200. The three years that have passed, you really work on handling the expectation.

“I swim to improve on myself and I know that no matter the result, everyone would love me the same and everyone would be just as proud as they are – with or without a medal.”

Smith won’t be alone in contesting the 200m breaststroke, as compatriot Kaylene Corbett will also be keen to reach the final again.

Corbett finished fifth in the event at the Tokyo Olympics, and will hope to get onto the podium this time around in Paris, which would secure another medal for Tuks coach Rocco Meiring’s training group.

On the men’s side, Pieter Coetzé will go all out to push for a medal in the 200m backstroke today after just missing out in the 100m on Monday night.

Coetzé, who matriculated last year, grabbed a bronze in the 200m at the world championships earlier this year, and will want to improve on his fifth-place finish in the 100m in Paris, where he set a new African record of 52.58 seconds.

The heats will start at 11.21am today, with the semi-finals at 9.47pm.

“I’m definitely proud of myself and I’m just grateful for the opportunity to even be here,” Coetzé said in a Swim SA media release.

“So, obviously it would have been nice to get a medal, but I can’t let that play in my mind too much.

“(My speed) is obviously a good sign, but I’ve just got to switch off a little bit now.

“I’m not going to be thinking about the 200 too much. Right now I’m feeling pretty tired, but I’m confident, though – I think it will be good.”

Yesterday, SA’s Matthew Sates missed out on the semi-finals of the men’s 200m butterfly after finishing sixth in his heat in a time of 1:57.04.