Joel Smith Reacts After Wife Tatjana Smith Announces Netherlands Switch
- Joel Smith publicly supported his wife, Tatjana Smith, after she announced she would represent the Netherlands in international swimming
- The sports manager shared an emotional message under the Olympic champion's announcement, calling her a South African legend
- Smith's decision comes as she targets the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after returning from retirement
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Joel Smith has shown his support for his wife, Tatjana Smith, after the Olympic swimming champion announced that she would represent the Netherlands in the next chapter of her career.
Source: UGC
Joel, the brother of Rachel Kolisi, reacted to his wife's announcement with a heartfelt message on Instagram.
In a comment shared under the post, he wrote:
"SO PROUD OF YOU! A South African LEGEND! 🇿🇦❤️"
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His message comes after Tatjana, who won two Olympic gold medals for South Africa, confirmed that she would switch her sporting nationality ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
What did Tatjana Smith announce?
The 29-year-old announced on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, in an emotional video message addressed to South Africa.
She confirmed that World Aquatics had approved her change of sporting nationality and that she would represent the Netherlands in future international competitions. According to NBC Sports, Smith holds both South African and Dutch citizenship. Her father is Dutch, while her mother is South African.
The swimmer won the 200m breaststroke gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, held in 2021, before claiming the 100m breaststroke title at the Paris 2024 Games.
She also secured two silver medals, making her South Africa's most decorated Olympian with four Olympic medals.
Smith retired following the Paris Olympics but returned to competitive swimming in 2026 with the Los Angeles 2028 Games in mind.
Explaining her decision, she said representing the Netherlands would allow her to explore another part of her identity and heritage.
She also cited better high-performance support and the opportunity to build a more sustainable swimming career.
AFP reported that financial challenges also played a role in her decision.
How did Joel Smith and other fans react?
Joel's comment was among the messages of support shared under his wife's announcement.
Other Instagram users also expressed their support for the swimmer.
One commenter, @jacquesmeyer74, wrote:
"Behind you and this new endeavour! Always proud!đź‘Źđź‘Ź"
Another user, commenting under the verified handle @mmaponyane, said:
"It's heartbreaking knowing just how much SA means to you, but it's definitely what is best for you! Keep flying high!"
A further comment read:
"We are so proud of you, girl!"
Joel and Tatjana married on 4 November 2023 at Pat Busch Mountain Reserve near Robertson in the Western Cape. Joel is also known as Rachel Kolisi's brother, making Tatjana the former Springbok captain's sister-in-law.
According to TeamNL, Tatjana's first competition representing the Netherlands will be the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, China, from 1 to 6 December 2026.
Tatjana Smith's previous concerns about swimming costs
Briefly News previously reported that Tatjana Smith had spoken candidly about the financial sacrifices behind her swimming career, revealing that her parents and support network had invested approximately R10 million over 16 years to help her reach the top.
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Source: Briefly News
