Tatjana Smith’s Decision to Retire After Winning Two Paris 2024 Medals: Here’s Why

• Tatjana Smith has narrated the reason behind her decision to call time off her professional career in swimming after successful outing in Paris
• The South African swimmer won two medals at two different events at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France
• The 27-year-old's decision to retire from swimming came as a surprise to several fans due to her age and what she could still achieve

South African swimmer Tatjana Smith has explained why she decided to retire after winning two medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in France.

Smith won gold in the Women's 100m breaststroke and a silver medal in the 200m event, ending the competition as Team South Africa athlete with the most accolades in Paris.

The swimmer announced her retirement from the sport after her victorious outing at the Games, a move that surprised many.

Read also

How Antonio Conte forced Mikel Obi out of Chelsea for participating at Rio 2016 Olympics

Tatjana Smith on Why she retired after Paris 2024

In an interview with SportsBoom, Smith explained why she decided to call time off swimming despite being South Africa's most decorated Olympian.

The 27-year-old confirmed that financial issues led to her early retirement as she was earlier reliant on her parents for funds.

"The pressure was coming (to retire) from the financial side. I was fortunate to make swimming my career when I returned from Tokyo. Before that, I was still very much reliant on my parents; I wasn't getting the funding I needed to live by myself," Smith told SportsBoom.

Smith admitted that she had made the decision to retire in Paris, as she hadn't had it in her plans before the games started.

"I decided to retire within Paris. The decision is never easy. I put 22 years into swimming," she added.

Read also

Eliud Kipchoge addresses critics and social media trolls after Man United visit

"I was fortunate enough to end up winning a gold medal. Going to Paris was never the plan; I was going to carry on swimming. It was between my 100 and 200 that I just felt really convicted in my heart."

What you need to know about Tatjana Smith

Tatjana Smith is the first South African woman to win two Olympic gold medals since Penny Heyns did so in Atlanta in 1996. The Olympic swimmer is married to Joel Smith, Rachel Kolisi’s brother, and the couple wed at the Pat Busch Mountain Reserve in the Western Cape in 2023.

Tatjana, previously known by her maiden surname Schoenmaker, hails from Johannesburg and holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree in financial services from the University of Pretoria (UP). She made her Olympic debut in Tokyo, becoming only the third South African woman to win an Olympic swimming title, after Joan Harrison in Helsinki in 1952 and Penny Heyns.

Read also

Erik ten Hag defiant despite heavy Manchester United defeat to Liverpool

Coached by Rocco Meiring, Smith trains alongside World Championships medalist Pieter Coetze, Olympic finalist Kaylene Corbett, and national record holders Erin Gallagher and Matthew Sates.

Walaza narrates his experience in Paris

Briefly News also reported that Bayanda Walaza narrated his experience at the 2024 Olympic Games which was held in Paris, France.

The teenager was part of the 4x100m relay team that won silver at the games.

The South African sprinter confirmed that he didn't expect to be selected for the 4x100m relay race as there were others better than him in the team.

Source: Briefly News