All three of South Africa’s swimmers in action at the Olympic Games in Paris on Wednesday night progressed to their respective finals, setting the stage for a thrilling culmination to their Olympic campaigns.

• Tatjana Smith moved a step closer to her quest for double gold in the French capital, while Kaylene Corbett and Pieter Coetzé also secured their spots in the finals.
• Tatjana, already the newly crowned 100m breaststroke champion, showcased her prowess in the 200m breaststroke semi-final.
• The excitement builds as Pieter’s 200m backstroke final is scheduled for 8:38pm on Thursday evening, while Tatjana and Kaylene are set to compete in the 200m breaststroke final at 9:11pm.
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Despite being narrowly beaten to the wall by American Kate Douglass, Tatjana finished second with a commendable time of 2:19.94. Reflecting on her performance, Tatjana expressed her satisfaction.

It was amazing…I’m so happy with that time so it doesn’t really matter where I came. It was such a good race, I think that’s a part of what sport is, pushing each other. It really just brings out the best version of me and I can only be happy.

// South African Professional Swimmer, Tatjana Smith

Kaylene Corbett, another Pretoria swimmer who shared the pool with Tatjana when she won gold in Tokyo three years ago, also made her way through to her second consecutive Olympic 200m breaststroke final. Kaylene finished second in her semi-final behind Dutchwoman Tes Schouten, clocking in at 2:22.87. Kaylene’s semi-final time was an improvement from her morning heat, leaving her thrilled with the outcome.

I was a little bit worried after this morning. I really am just happy that I could push through another set, another 200 breaststroke and I think it went really well tonight. This is the fastest I’ve been since Tokyo, so I’m very, very happy with that time, slowly but surely chipping away at what I want one day. There’s definitely still a lot of fuel in the tank for a longer career. It’s not necessarily fuel in the tank for tomorrow, but I’m just really happy that I get to share this moment [with Tatjana].

// South African Professional Swimmer, Kaylene Corbett

Tatjana advanced to the final as the second-fastest qualifier, while Kaylene secured her place as the fourth fastest. The anticipation for their performances in the final is high, with both swimmers demonstrating remarkable form and determination.

Meanwhile, Pieter Coetzé secured his spot in his second final of the Games by finishing second behind Switzerland’s Roman Mityukov in the 200m backstroke semi-final, with a time of 1:56.09. This achievement places him as the third-fastest qualifier for Thursday night’s final.

This morning was way more smooth and obviously some races are going to hurt more than others. I definitely felt it a bit tonight, but I think with the rest that I’ll get now before the final the body will recover and I’ll be ready tomorrow.

// South African Professional Swimmer, Pieter Coetzé

When asked about his expectations for the final, the 20-year-old Pieter emphasized the focus on winning rather than setting personal bests.

Everyone’s always talking about times, but I can promise you none of these swimmers care about their times. Maybe in the back of their minds they do, but they’d rather swim a slower time and win a medal than swim their PB. Speaking for myself, swim the PB and get fifth place, I would rather swim slow and get a medal. You just never know what to expect, I’m just going to let it happen.

// South African Professional Swimmer, Pieter Coetzé

These events promise to be a highlight of the Games, with South African fans eagerly awaiting the possibility of more medals. The swimmers’ performances so far have set a strong precedent, and their progression to the finals underscores their dedication and skill. With the culmination of their efforts imminent, all eyes will be on the South African swimmers as they aim to make their mark in the Olympic history books.

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