South African swimming star Tatjana Smith has confirmed that she will compete for the Netherlands at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The Johannesburg-born athlete, widely regarded as South Africa’s greatest Olympic performer, holds dual South African and Dutch citizenship. She explained that the decision followed careful thought about her future in competitive swimming.

Smith believes the Netherlands can provide better high-performance support and create conditions for a longer, more sustainable sporting career. Despite the change, she will remain based in South Africa for training while representing her new country at international events.

The 28-year-old leaves behind an outstanding Olympic record. She collected four medals across two Olympic Games, winning gold in the 200m breaststroke at Tokyo 2020 and the 100m breaststroke at Paris 2024. She also secured silver medals in both events.

In her announcement, Smith described representing South Africa as a childhood dream. She stressed that changing sporting nationality would not take away her connection to the country or the memories created during her career.

Sports, Arts and Culture Minister Gayton McKenzie responded by describing the decision as regrettable. However, he made it clear that Smith had every right to choose where she wanted to compete.

McKenzie warned against using her decision for political arguments, saying South Africa had no ownership over the swimmer.

He also praised her contribution to the country's sporting history, noting that her medals, records and Olympic achievements would always remain part of South Africa's legacy.

Smith now begins a new chapter, with Los Angeles 2028 as her next major target.

Source

https://www.news24.com/sport/other-sport/mckenzie-rejects-blame-for-sa-olympian-smiths-switch-to-the-netherlands-20261111-0573