Tatjana Smith NOT the only swimmer lost to South Africa

Tatjana Smith’s decision to pursue a future Olympic career representing the Netherlands is not the first time a prominent South African swimmer has had change of sporting allegiance.

As first reported by The South African in June this year, two-time South African Olympian Matt Sates is reportedly seeking Australian citizenship, in a development that could also see him represent that country at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

The 22-year-old’s situation emerged during the 2026 Australian Swimming Trials in Sydney in June, when broadcaster Mat Thompson revealed that Sates was pursuing Australian citizenship with the intention of representing the country internationally.

The development followed years of expectations surrounding the talented swimmer, who represented South Africa at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

Matt Sates linked with Australian switch

Sates established himself as one of South Africa’s most promising swimming talents while still a teenager.

He enjoyed considerable success in short-course swimming, winning gold in the 200m individual medley and bronze in the 400m individual medley at the 2022 World Short Course Championships.

He also holds several South African short-course records and won the 500-yard freestyle title at the 2022 NCAA Championships in the United States.

His Olympic performances, however, were less successful.

At Tokyo 2020, Sates finished 14th in the 200m individual medley and 32nd in the 100m butterfly.

At Paris 2024, he placed 35th in the 100m butterfly, 20th in the 200m butterfly and 21st in the 200m individual medley.

His reported Australian citizenship pursuit was viewed as an opportunity to revive his long-course career ahead of LA 2028.

Tatjana Smith’s Netherlands plans

Tatjana Smith’s situation is different, but the potential implications for South African swimming are significant.

The four-time Olympic medallist announced this week that she intends to represent the Netherlands at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Smith won two medals at both the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.

At Tokyo 2020, she claimed gold in the 200m breaststroke and silver in the 100m breaststroke. At Paris 2024, she won gold in the 100m breaststroke and silver in the 200m breaststroke.

Meanwhile, other South African swimmers who switched allegiance include Darian Townsend (US), Jessica Pengelly (Australia), Sarah Poewe (Germany) and Keri-anne Payne (Great Britain).