Tatjana Smith Breaks Silence on Swimming SA Concerns After Comeback Win: “I Still Don’t Feel Safe”

• Tatjana Smith returned from retirement to win gold at the SA Short Course Championships, qualifying for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing
• Smith spoke out about an ongoing legal dispute over R570,000 in prize money withheld by Swimming South Africa after the 2023 World Championships
• Smith revealed she launched a foundation to protect swimmers from what she described as a culture of fear and intimidation

Tatjana Smith has used her return to competitive swimming to issue a direct challenge to Swimming South Africa (SSA), stating that she still does not feel safe within the federation despite recent leadership suspensions.

Smith made her remarks in an exclusive interview with IOL Sport, published following her performance at the SA Short Course Championships, where she posted A-qualification times in both the 50m and 100m breaststroke for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing.

Smith's comeback driven by reform, not relief

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South Africa's most decorated Olympian was clear that improved conditions within SSA did not motivate her return.

"I definitely didn't come back because everything was better; I just have a lot more fight in me," she told IOL Sport.

"The suspension just felt like this is the time where we do need to make a move, because this is the first time we're actually moving into a direction where we can potentially see change."

World Aquatics has provisionally suspended SSA president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse over alleged abuse of power, but Smith argued that the broader culture of bullying and harassment within the federation remains unresolved.

"If I'm being honest, I don't feel safe," she said. "Constantly having to fight with the system, not being supported, and athletes never being put first."

**Prize Money Dispute and Sponsorship Transparency

At the centre of Smith’s ongoing dispute with Swimming South Africa (SSA) is $35,000 (around R570,000) in prize money she earned at the 2023 World Championships. SSA withheld the payment after issuing what Smith’s legal team described as an arbitrary €46,000 fine because she wore a Speedo swimsuit instead of the federation’s official Arena kit. Smith later recovered the prize money, along with accumulated interest, through legal proceedings.

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Her lawyers have since filed a complaint with the Information Regulator under the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA). The complaint seeks to force SSA to reveal its master agreement with Arena, with particular focus on whether the sponsorship arrangement restricts swimmers from obtaining independent deals while offering athletes no direct financial benefit.

Smith has argued that athletes are ultimately the ones affected by such commercial decisions. She questioned why swimmers should be prevented from representing brands that provide them with financial support when federation agreements do not directly benefit them. She said such sponsorship income can help athletes cover basic expenses, including rent and food.

Smith also criticised SSA's interim leadership for allegedly failing to engage with swimmers since taking charge. She further questioned the effectiveness of existing athlete representation structures, describing them as largely symbolic.

In response to these concerns, Smith established the Lighthouse Sport Foundation as an independent platform aimed at supporting swimmers who may be reluctant to speak publicly about problems within the sport. She said many athletes want change but remain fearful of speaking out, adding that intimidation can take both psychological and physical forms.

Source: Briefly News