South Africa’s most successful Olympian Tatjana Smith tearfully revealed Tuesday that she is switching allegiances from South Africa to the Netherlands
The 29-year-old swimmer, who’s tallied four medals for South Africa across two Olympics, made the move two months after she stepped out of retirement and set her sights on the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
“Representing South Africa at the Olympic Games was my biggest childhood dream,” Smith said in an emotional message on Instagram. “To have lived that dream and won four Olympic medals is something I will always treasure. But dreams can change as you grow.”
Smith holds South African and Dutch citizenship through her father René Schoenmaker, who was born in the Netherlands.
Smith’s parents moved back to the Netherlands following the Paris Olympics in 2024, according to the Daily Maverick.
She said both nations have “always been part of who I am,” and the gratitude she has for South Africa “will never change.”
Smith admitted, “I know that not everyone will understand or agree with my decision” as she pointed to the “financial and practical challenges” of a swimming career.
She also stressed the need for a system that lets athletes thrive instead of simply surviving, signaling she expects “greater high performance support” with the Dutch.
“I could spend hours trying to explain it, justify it or convince everyone why I made this choice, but at the end of the day, this is a decision I’ve had to make for myself and my future,” she said.
“I know it may disappoint or even break the hearts of people who have supported me and been part of my journey, and that’s not something I take lightly.”
The Olympian added that no matter what, she “will always be incredibly proud to be South African.”
“I’m excited for what lies ahead, and I truly hope you’ll continue to be part of the journey with me,” she concluded.
World Aquatics, the sport’s governing body, has approved Smith’s change of sporting nationality.
Despite the switch, she said she will continue training in South Africa.
Her first meet in Dutch colors will be the World Short Course Championships in Beijing in December.
Smith’s four Olympic medals include breaststroke golds in the 200m in Tokyo and the 100m in Paris, plus silvers in the 100m in Tokyo and the 200m in Paris.
She also set the 200m breaststroke world record at the Tokyo Olympics.
Beyond the Olympics, she swept the 100m and 200m breaststroke at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, defended her 200m title in 2022 and became the first South African woman to win the event at the 2023 World Championships.
Smith retired from competitive swimming after the 2024 Paris Olympics but announced her return two months ago with aspirations in Los Angeles.
Smith is far from the first athlete to switch allegiances.
American-born freestyle skier Eileen Gu switched to China — her mother’s home country — at 15 in 2019, then won two golds and a silver at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
She medaled in all three of her events at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games, taking silver in slopestyle and big air before winning her second halfpipe gold.
Soccer star Sydney Leroux started her international career with Canada’s youth team at 14 before moving to the US.
She led the Americans to the 2008 U-20 Women’s World Cup title, made her senior debut in 2011 and won Olympic gold in 2012 and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup for the US.
Source: nypost.com
