South African swimming has found itself a rather intriguing ripple in the water. Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith, formerly Schoenmaker, is returning to competition at next week’s SA Short Course Championships, and suddenly the 25m pool has a much bigger fish circling in it.
Smith, who retired from competition after collecting gold and silver at the Paris Olympics in 2024, is entered in the 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke, plus several relays, representing her new Stellenbosch-based team, Lane Leader.
Swimming South Africa Head of High Performance Dean Price could barely contain his enthusiasm.
“We’re very excited that Tatjana is coming back to swimming. We know Tatjana is an excellent racer, so you can really count on her in a big event. I think she’ll be a huge addition to our team, and I think not only in the individual, but I think she can be of great value in the relays as well… We look forward to her competing in her first event, and we feel very confident that she’s going to do very well.”
The delicious subplot is that Smith apparently returns with something more valuable than medals: freedom.
Michael Houlie, who raced alongside her at Tokyo 2020, believes that could make her particularly dangerous.
“There’s a lot that I can say about Tatjana that we already know. She’s a phenomenal swimmer, but more importantly, she looks like a happy swimmer right now. And that could be dangerous for everyone else, so the world better watch out.”
Houlie added: “She has absolutely nothing left to prove, which means she has the opportunity to race completely free and just enjoy swimming again. We were national teammates for so many years, so on a personal level, it’s just really great to have her back.”
Duné Coetzee, another Tokyo teammate, was equally effusive: “I think it is amazing that she is coming back. She is the best there is and such a huge inspiration to me. I’m really excited to see her race again and to learn from her.”
Houlie will also return to the championships for the first time since 2018, entering the 50m and 100m breaststroke and 50m freestyle as he targets qualification for December’s World Short Course Championships in Beijing.
Short-course racing can turn the pool into a pinball machine of walls, pullouts and frantic transitions.
“Short course metres is a different type of racing, and we’re still in the early stages of preparing for Worlds in December. So with the increased frequency of walls, pullouts, transitions, there’s a different rhythm to it… and sometimes it takes a little time for everything to click,” Houlie said.
He wants the meet to provide hard evidence rather than fireworks for fireworks’ sake.
“I also really enjoy racing while under training load because it gives honest feedback about where I’m at. So with Pietermaritzburg, I’m looking for great feedback, information that I can take from the racing and use it to sharpen and refine my process heading toward the World Championships in December.”
Houlie also remembers the GC Jolliffe pool from 2016, when he first raced World Championship bronze medallist Giulio Zorzi.
“I remember coming to Pietermaritzburg in 2016 and swimming against [World Championship bronze medallist Giulio] Zorzi for the first time. He inspired me to keep on and he was also very generous with his time and his attention. He then went on to make the final at Worlds later that year. So it made a massive impression on me as a youngster, and I will never forget his input into my swimming career.”
Coetzee now has home-water advantage after moving to Pietermaritzburg a month ago to train with Seals Swimming Club under Wayne Riddin.
“It kind of brings a different energy to the meet. It is also nice to know that I’ll be comfortable racing in the pool since I train there every day. I’m also excited to see how I can perform in short course metres now that I’ve been training it every day,” she said.
Her preparation has been fierce.
“Training has been going exceptionally well. I have been here for about four weeks now, and I have already seen a lot of progress. I feel like I am giving my body the type of training it needs in order to get faster. I’ve been doing some of the hardest sets I have ever done, which has been really motivating and has also given me a lot of confidence in my swimming.”
Coetzee is entered in eight individual freestyle and butterfly events.
The supporting cast is hardly small fry: Commonwealth Games relay medallists Hannah Pearse, Georgia Nel, Guy Brooks and Chris Smith are set to compete, alongside Para swimmer Christian Sadie, fresh from his gold-medal performance in Glasgow in the S7 50m freestyle.
From 24 to 27 September, Pietermaritzburg’s 25m pool becomes a pressure cooker. Smith supplies the star power, Houlie brings unfinished business and Coetzee brings home-water momentum.
The stopwatch will have the final word. The water, as ever, keeps no secrets.
