Tatjana Smith on her Olympic gold: I closed my eyes and said ‘let’s just go’

Locked in the heat of battle over the final metres of the 100m breaststroke at the Paris Olympics on Monday night, Tatjana Smith closed her eyes and told herself “let’s just go”.

The 27-year-old pulled off a great come-from-behind victory, turning fourth before torpedoing home over the final 50m to win in 1min 05.28sec, beating China’s Qianting Tang (1:05.54) and Mona McSharry of Ireland (1:05.59).

Smith had won silver in this event at Tokyo 2020, and this time around she was determined not to make the same mistake that potentially cost her gold then — searching for her rivals.

“Everyone just fights for everything, but my main goal was to not do what I did in Tokyo and look around. So literally the last 15m I was like, ‘no, close your eyes, let’s just go’.”

“I closed my eyes and when I touched the wall I had the red light on my [block],” said Smith, who will bid to defend her 200m breaststroke crown from Tokyo on Wednesday and Thursday.

At first she thought she hadn’t won a medal, let alone gold.

“I didn’t think I medalled because when I turned to my left the two blocks next to me both had lights on and it felt like someone else on the other side touched first.”

Organisers are using lights on the starting blocks to display the top three finishers.

The triumph made Smith the first South African to win gold medals at different Games in real time, and only the third South African in history to upgrade the colour of a medal.

The other two also went from silver to gold — 110m hurdler Sydney Atkinson (1924-1928) and 800m star Caster Semenya (2012-2016).

Smith said she didn’t know how far behind she was at the wall. She had touched in 30.62, well behind leader Tang in 29.94.

“I had no idea where I was literally most of the race.”

The victory should give her confidence ahead of the 200m race, her premier event, but she admitted feeling a little edgy.

“It’s a whole different race so I’m a little nervous because it’s obviously an extra 100 and we have to try to swim that three times as well if I’m lucky to make the finals.

“So, ja, I want to recover a while, rest tomorrow and take it day by day,” said Smith, who wore a T-shirt bearing the names of everyone she believed had played a role in her success.

“I'm wearing this T-shirt that represents my village with everyone’s names on the back.

“So it’s every single person who really, even if it was just a smile making coffee for me at Plato or something, it’s those people who impact me to make me a better person and to be able to stand behind the blocks with a massive smile and to know they still back me and they still love me.

“Hopefully my story will inspire someone at home as well, even if it’s only one person,” added Smith, who likes to describe herself as a random person from a random town in South Africa.

“That anyone can do it, you just really have to believe.”

Another gold in the 200m on Thursday night would make her only the second swimmer in history to win the breaststroke double at the same Games, after compatriot Penny Heyns.

It would also make her South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, with her three golds and silver ranking above Chad le Clos’ gold and three silvers.

But Smith insisted she didn’t chase such statistics.

“I never focus on that. It just has to happen if it’s supposed to happen.

“I know God has a plan for everything and I go out there and swim my best.

“And I know every time I dive in, I’m trying as hard as possible. That’s what I do every single race.”