Tatjana Schoenmaker, known professionally as Tatjana Smith, is a retired South African swimmer who specialized in breaststroke events.
She is a two-time Olympic champion and holds the title of the highest-achieving South African Olympic athlete in history.
Schoenmaker achieved significant success at the 2020 Olympic Games, winning a gold medal in the 200-meter breaststroke and a silver medal in the 100-meter breaststroke, setting Olympic records in both events. world record in the 200 meter breaststroke event.
Continuing her dominance, she won gold in the 100-meter breaststroke and silver in the 200-meter breaststroke at the 2024 Olympic Games.
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- Full name: Tatjana Schoenmaker
- Stage name: Tatjana Smith
- Date of birth: July 9, 1997
- Age: 27 years old
- Place of birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
- Nationality: South African
- Occupation: retired South African swimmer
- Height: 1.78 m
- Parents: Rene Schoenmaker and Renske Schoenmaker
- Siblings: Fabienne Schoenmaker
- Spouse: Joel Smith
- Children: Unknown
- Relationship: Married
- Net worth: 2 million USD
Early life and education
Tatjana Schoenmaker was born on 9 July 1997 in Johannesburg, South Africa, to Rene and Renske Schoenmaker. She has one sibling, Fabienne Schoenmaker.
Prevalent!!:
During her early schooling, she attended Laerskool Fairland before moving to Hoërskool Noordheuwel. At the age of 15, she transferred to TuksSport High School in Pretoria, a famous school focusing on high performance sports.
Schoenmaker pursued further education at the University of Pretoria, where she successfully balanced her swimming career with her studies.
In 2020, she graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm). Throughout her journey, she has shown determination both in the classroom and the swimming pool. She is ethnically Afrikaans and a devout Christian.
Career
Tatjana Smith’s swimming career took off after narrowly missing out on qualifying for the 2016 Rio Olympics, which only fueled her determination to improve. She excelled at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, winning gold medals in the 100 meter breaststroke (1:06.41) and 200 meter breaststroke (2:22.02).
In 2021, she set several South African records, including 1:05.74 in the 100 meter breaststroke and 2:20.17 in the 200 meter breaststroke at the National Championships, which gave her get a spot at the delayed 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
These achievements have helped her become a dominant force in the breaststroke events. Schoenmaker entered the Tokyo Olympics as a top contender, setting an Olympic record of 1:04.82 in the 100-meter breaststroke.
She ultimately won a silver medal in the event, becoming the first South African woman to win an Olympic swimming medal since 2000. In the 200 meter breaststroke, she broke the world record with a score of 2:18.95, winning the gold medal.
This made her the first South African woman since Penny Heyns in 1996 to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. Her teammate, Kaylene Corbett, also reached the final, marking a historic moment for South African women in the sport.
Following her success, Schoenmaker excelled at the South African National Championships and the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She won a gold medal in the 200 meter breaststroke and a silver medal in the 100 meter breaststroke event, showing his steadfastness.
At the National Championships, she qualified for the World Swimming Championships in multiple events, further cementing her place among the elite swimmers of her time.
In 2023, she maintained her dominance at the South African National Championships, winning national titles in the 100 meter and 200 meter breaststroke with World Championship qualifying times.
Her silver medal in the 50-meter breaststroke further highlighted her versatility. Later that year, she competed at the Paris Olympics, winning a gold medal in the 100-meter breaststroke and a silver medal in the 200-meter breaststroke, becoming South Africa’s most decorated Olympian.
Schoenmaker announced her retirement after a stellar performance at the Paris Olympics, where she was also the flag bearer at the closing ceremony.
Her career was celebrated for her record-breaking performances and inspired a generation of South African swimmers. Through resilience and consistent excellence, she cemented her legacy as one of the greatest athletes in the country’s history.
Awards and nominations
Tatjana Smith has received many awards and nominations throughout her swimming career:
Olympic medals:
- 200m breaststroke gold medal (2020, 2024)
- Silver medal in 100m breaststroke (2020, 2024)
World Championship:
- 200m breaststroke gold medal (2023)
- Silver medal in 100m breaststroke (2019, 2023)
Swammy Award:
- African Female Swimmer of the Year (2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
SA Sports Awards:
- Sports Star of the Year (2019, 2021)
- Sportswoman of the Year (2019, 2021)
- Forbes Africa Women’s Sports Awards (2022)
Social Media
- Instagram handle: @tatjanaschoen
- Facebook manager: Tatjana Schoenmaker
- Twitter name: @TRSchoenmaker
Personal life
Tatjana Smith is married to Joel Smith, a sports manager and brother of rugby star Rachel Kolisi. The couple confirmed their relationship in February 2023, quickly becoming a famous couple in the South African sports world. They got married on November 4, 2023 in a beautiful ceremony held in Robertson, South Africa.
Net worth
Tatjana Smith’s estimated net worth is approximately $2 million as of 2024. Her impressive earnings stem from her highly successful swimming career, which includes multiple Olympic medals and world records gender.
In addition to her achievements in sports, she has also secured lucrative endorsement deals with major brands, further enhancing her financial position.