Former Olympic Champion Roland Schoeman Defends His South African Heritage Online
- Roland Schoeman, Olympic gold medalist, faced backlash online over his national and cultural roots
- The Pretoria-born swimmer asserted his lineage and connection to South Africa, stirring conversation
- Schoeman’s comments triggered reactions across social media, highlighting his prominence beyond the pool
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Former swimmer and Olympic champion Roland Schoeman was involved in a heated online exchange as he defended his South African heritage against a critic who questioned it.
Source: Getty Images
Schoeman, a decorated South African Olympian, is best known for his versatility in freestyle and butterfly events. He won gold in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 2004 Athens Olympics, along with silver in the 100m freestyle and bronze in the 50m freestyle at the same Games.
Over his career, he claimed five Olympic medals, numerous World Championship titles, and several Commonwealth Games honours, setting national and world records in the 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly events.
See tweet below:
Schoeman claps back at online critic
The social media storm erupted on 27 September 2025 when Schoeman responded to an X (formerly Twitter) user, @AntoniaGumedeTonz, who questioned his South African identity.
“You say I don’t have citizenship or heritage? I was born here, raised here, and carry a South African passport that’s citizenship. My heritage is Afrikaner; my family has been in Africa for centuries, that’s ethnicity. You shouting ‘lost sheep’ doesn’t erase history or law, it just exposes your ignorance. And it is glorious,” he wrote.
His statement drew support from another user, @Mohlaodi7, who added:
“You are indeed a South African citizen. People are not South Africans by tribe but by citizenship. The right label was European South African, the way African Americans are labelled in the USA. You should be proud of your Dutch roots. Being proud of European heritage doesn’t make you less South African.”
The exchange reignited conversations online about heritage, national identity, and the nuances of belonging in South Africa.
Source: Getty Images
Life after swimming for Roland Schoeman
Schoeman was born in Pretoria on 3 July 1980 and discovered swimming at 13, initially to impress a girl. His passion grew quickly, and three years later he was competing at a national level.
He attended Willow Ridge High School, training under coach Gavin Ross, before moving to the University of Arizona in 1998 to continue both his academic and swimming pursuits.
Following his retirement, Schoeman became a licensed realtor in Arizona in 2021 and obtained United States citizenship in May 2022. In 2023, he joined the Enhanced Games athletes advisory commission.
As shown in the tweet below:
Schoeman remains a vocal public figure and government critic. Known for his strong presence on X, he has frequently commented on South Africa’s political and social issues, including calls for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign and criticism of EFF leader Julius Malema.
His remarks about “civilised nations” were widely interpreted as a jab at Malema’s radical rhetoric, including the controversial “Kill the Boer” chant.
Roland Schoeman comments on Charlie Kirk
Briefly News previously reported that former Olympic champion and swimmer Roland Schoeman found himself at the centre of a social media debate following his comments on the death of US conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk on 10 September 2025.
Kirk, a prominent ally of former President Donald Trump and founder of the youth-focused political organisation Turning Point USA, was shot on Wednesday, 10 September 2025, in an incident that shocked the international community.
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Source: Briefly News
