Tatjana Schoenmaker wins silver in the women’s 100m breastroke!
Tokyo, Japan (27 July 2021) – Tatjana Schoenmaker has made South Africa proud once again, by bringing home the Silver in the Women’s 100m breaststroke!
The South Africa swimmer won the silver medal in 1:05,22, with the gold medal going to 17-year-old American Lydia Jacoby. Schoenmaker, who had been the fastest qualifier and had lowered the Olympic record to 1:04.82 in the heats, had led at halfway. She touched the wall in 1:05.22 with the American finishing strongly to win gold in 1:04.95.
Schoenmaker entered the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan as the number one seed and predicted winner of the 200-metre breaststroke. She also entered the 100-metre breaststroke as the number four seed. In the prelims of the 100-metre breaststroke, Schoenmaker ranked first out of all heats, advanced to the semifinals, and set a new Olympic record and a new African record in the event with her time of 1:04.82.
Schoenmaker demonstrated amazing courage and determination, pushing herself to the limit to win the spot on the podium and the honour of earning South Africa’s first silver medal at the Tokyo Olympic Games. This achievement is the fulfilment of a long-held ambition and the culmination of countless hours of hard work and preparation.
The COVID-19-delayed games have been especially difficult for South Africa. South Africa has been the African country hardest struck by coronavirus recently, according to WHO data, with over 65,000 deaths and more than two million confirmed cases since the beginning of the year.
These Olympic Games is undoubtedly unlike any other. Regardless of the obstacles, South Africa’s Schoenmaker demonstrated that tremendous athleticism and, maybe, more importantly, the triumph of the human spirit can and will be found.
South African athletes have won 86 (this one makes it 87) medals in total, with athletics, boxing, and swimming producing the most medals.
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