Tatjana Smith hammered two world-class 100m breaststroke times in Gqeberha on Friday night and then disclosed she had competed at the national championships nursing a groin injury — against her doctor’s advice.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed the best local gala of her career, starting with a personal best in the 50m breaststroke, setting the world lead in the 200m breaststroke and twice posting the second-fastest 100m time on Friday.
After winning the two-lap race in 1 min 05.48 sec, comfortably beating Lara van Niekerk into second place, she said she had been diagnosed with what she called a grade-two strain.
She had arrived at the gala with a doctor’s note and had initially planned to swim only the heats of her events.
“It was advised that I did not swim nationals, but I went against that from my personal choice,” she said, saying a scan last week had shown the injury was better, though not healed.
However, her desire to race was too strong.
“Unfortunately, I love being competitive,” Smith said with a laugh. “So I'm very grateful that it hasn't flared up and I'm still feeling strong and my times were looking insane [considering] what the past three weeks have looked like in my life.”
Smith — South Africa's best chance of silverware at the Paris Olympics later this year — made the point that she didn’t want to use the injury as an excuse and insisted she had left everything in the pool, holding nothing back.
She was looking forward to taking the next week off “to put pressure off my leg”. “But otherwise it felt amazing, so it’s healed,” added the double medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, who had gone 1:05.41 in the morning heats.
Both times place her behind world leader Qianting Tang of China (1:05.27).
Aimee Canny became the ninth South African swimmer to clock an Olympic qualifying time, going 1:56.80 in the first leg of the 4x200m freestyle relay. “I’m super-happy with that swim,” said the US-based student who had missed the 1:57.26 standard in the individual race earlier in the week.
Erin Gallagher, powered on McDonald's fries, knocked 0.27 sec off her own African 100m butterfly record as she touched in 57.32, also an Olympic qualifier which lifted her to 12th on the world list for this year so far.
Eating from the fast-food chain has become a tradition for her before the 100m ’fly, to the point that she even had a tattoo on the sole of her one foot saying “Eyes on the fries”.
She hadn’t felt good before the morning heats and decided to hold back. “Went home, had some McDonald’s and I was ready to go this evening,” she said, adding the practice had started with the 100m freestyle.
Veteran Chad Le Clos, celebrating his 32nd birthday, and Matthew Sates delivered the tightest race of the gala so far, sharing the 100m butterfly title in a tie.
Sates reached the wall 0.36 sec faster than Le Clos, but they touched in 52.07, far off what they would need to be competitive in Paris.
“I'm quite a bit behind, but I have a plan. I still believe that a PB’s in the works for the Olympics,” said Le Clos, who won Games silvers in this event at London 2012 and Rio 2016, both of them in dead heats too.
Matthew Randle won the 100m breaststroke in 1:01.81.
Swimming
Tatjana Smith shines in 100m final then says she was nursing injury
Sports reporter
Image: Anton Geyser
Tatjana Smith hammered two world-class 100m breaststroke times in Gqeberha on Friday night and then disclosed she had competed at the national championships nursing a groin injury — against her doctor’s advice.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed the best local gala of her career, starting with a personal best in the 50m breaststroke, setting the world lead in the 200m breaststroke and twice posting the second-fastest 100m time on Friday.
After winning the two-lap race in 1 min 05.48 sec, comfortably beating Lara van Niekerk into second place, she said she had been diagnosed with what she called a grade-two strain.
She had arrived at the gala with a doctor’s note and had initially planned to swim only the heats of her events.
“It was advised that I did not swim nationals, but I went against that from my personal choice,” she said, saying a scan last week had shown the injury was better, though not healed.
However, her desire to race was too strong.
“Unfortunately, I love being competitive,” Smith said with a laugh. “So I'm very grateful that it hasn't flared up and I'm still feeling strong and my times were looking insane [considering] what the past three weeks have looked like in my life.”
Smith — South Africa's best chance of silverware at the Paris Olympics later this year — made the point that she didn’t want to use the injury as an excuse and insisted she had left everything in the pool, holding nothing back.
She was looking forward to taking the next week off “to put pressure off my leg”. “But otherwise it felt amazing, so it’s healed,” added the double medallist from the Tokyo Olympics, who had gone 1:05.41 in the morning heats.
Both times place her behind world leader Qianting Tang of China (1:05.27).
Aimee Canny became the ninth South African swimmer to clock an Olympic qualifying time, going 1:56.80 in the first leg of the 4x200m freestyle relay. “I’m super-happy with that swim,” said the US-based student who had missed the 1:57.26 standard in the individual race earlier in the week.
Erin Gallagher, powered on McDonald's fries, knocked 0.27 sec off her own African 100m butterfly record as she touched in 57.32, also an Olympic qualifier which lifted her to 12th on the world list for this year so far.
Eating from the fast-food chain has become a tradition for her before the 100m ’fly, to the point that she even had a tattoo on the sole of her one foot saying “Eyes on the fries”.
She hadn’t felt good before the morning heats and decided to hold back. “Went home, had some McDonald’s and I was ready to go this evening,” she said, adding the practice had started with the 100m freestyle.
Veteran Chad Le Clos, celebrating his 32nd birthday, and Matthew Sates delivered the tightest race of the gala so far, sharing the 100m butterfly title in a tie.
Sates reached the wall 0.36 sec faster than Le Clos, but they touched in 52.07, far off what they would need to be competitive in Paris.
“I'm quite a bit behind, but I have a plan. I still believe that a PB’s in the works for the Olympics,” said Le Clos, who won Games silvers in this event at London 2012 and Rio 2016, both of them in dead heats too.
Matthew Randle won the 100m breaststroke in 1:01.81.
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