South Africa’s most successful Olympian will represent the Netherlands in future

South Africa’s most successful Olympian will represent the Netherlands in future

Four-time Olympic medallist Tatjana Smith has announced that she will represent the Netherlands in the next chapter of her international swimming career.

 

[Heisenborg]

Well done ANC.

 

[Zellephant]

All the best to her. They are lucky to have her, and SASCOC doenst deserve her.

 

[FiestaST]

Yup.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2120193769404506157

 

[Fulcrum29]

Our politicians don't care; all they want is to use our athletes to get a ticket to a holiday at the taxpayer's expense and also steal the athlete's limelight. It is not about our athletes; it is about them. I can say the same about this on a smaller scale, where certain clothed politicians only want to be in the buzz but are absent everywhere else in the process.

 

[Corelli]

When swimmers have to cry on national TV begging for Gayton to actually do his job, and then simply get told, that swimmers should cover all their expenses when representing the country themself, then its a no brainer.

My kids swim and train in SA, with an Olympic coach, but they swim for China going forward as per their scholarship agreements.

 

[Priapus]

Yup.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2120193769404506157

Do we know why she’s done this?

 

[Heisenborg]

Do we know why she’s done this?

Yes we know

 

[Priapus]

Yes we know

Okay, so why? Did she give a statement?

 

[Tman*]

I remember this sort of thing used to happen during Apartheid.

 

[lexity]

Okay, so why? Did she give a statement?

She did more than that.... she gave an interview....

 

[TheMightyQuin]

Do we know why she’s done this?

She was visiting here a year ago with mutual friends, and I convinced her.

 

[Tman*]

Okay, so why? Did she give a statement?

South African gold medallist threatened with a R856,000 fine and was not paid her winnings for a year

Tatjana Smith, South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, was threatened with a substantial fine and had to fight for money owed to her after her gold medals.

newsday.co.za

 

[lexity]

Question.....

Does swimming SA have to meet race quotas, like the SA rugby administrators?

 

[Priapus]

Yup.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2120193769404506157

Our politicians don't care; all they want is to use our athletes to get a ticket to a holiday at the taxpayer's expense and also steal the athlete's limelight. It is not about our athletes; it is about them. I can say the same about this on a smaller scale, where certain clothed politicians only want to be in the buzz but are absent everywhere else in the process.

South African gold medallist threatened with a R856,000 fine and was not paid her winnings for a year

Tatjana Smith, South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, was threatened with a substantial fine and had to fight for money owed to her after her gold medals.

newsday.co.za

Okay now that we have facts. I’m going to say this has nothing to do with our sport minister. The issues started a year before he was elected. Shortly after he was elected, this athlete was paid what was owed (minus the interest though).

Make of that what you will but as useless as the minister is, I think this one isn’t he’s doing.

Having said that I’m not surprised she’s decided this isn’t for her and changed teams. I don’t think it’s any better now to be fair and that part can be blamed on the minister potentially.

 

[wallace1]

Okay now that we have facts. I’m going to say this has nothing to do with our sport minister. The issues started a year before he was elected. Shortly after he was elected, this athlete was paid what was owed (minus the interest though).

Make of that what you will but as useless as the minister is, I think this one isn’t he’s doing.

Having said that I’m not surprised she’s decided this isn’t for her and changed teams. I don’t think it’s any better now to be fair and that part can be blamed on the minister potentially.

Swim Sa and Athletics SA and probably most other sports bodies have been rotten to the core for many many years

 

[lexity]

'Shambolic Swimming SA'

Euphemism much?

 

[wallace1]

This really is sad. Watch her star for the Dutch now

 

[Fulcrum29]

Okay now that we have facts. I’m going to say this has nothing to do with our sport minister. The issues started a year before he was elected. Shortly after he was elected, this athlete was paid what was owed (minus the interest though).

Make of that what you will but as useless as the minister is, I think this one isn’t he’s doing.

Having said that I’m not surprised she’s decided this isn’t for her and changed teams. I don’t think it’s any better now to be fair and that part can be blamed on the minister potentially.

I never talked about the minister; I talked about all the politicians. This country needs to do more to retain its Olympians. Pro sports are a whole other thing. Regardless, both have grassroots, but there is no point in having grassroots when the grass gets mowed.

Athletes here aren't the best-treated people, and the smaller the sport, the less room you have to breathe. I can say the same about small business owners, among others.

Still, personal decisions are a thing, and although they can be emotional, they can also be practical.

 

[Tman*]

Okay now that we have facts. I’m going to say this has nothing to do with our sport minister. The issues started a year before he was elected. Shortly after he was elected, this athlete was paid what was owed (minus the interest though).

Make of that what you will but as useless as the minister is, I think this one isn’t he’s doing.

Having said that I’m not surprised she’s decided this isn’t for her and changed teams. I don’t think it’s any better now to be fair and that part can be blamed on the minister potentially.

I suspect that the top liked comment on this article disagrees that Gayton has not been complicit in some way.