Taatie for Tatjana: Schoenmaker sets another record
|Published
RECORD MAKER: Tatjana Schoenmaker
South Africans went taatie for Tatjana Schoenmaker yesterday after she set her second Olympic record of the Tokyo Games, looking to chase down an elusive gold medal.
Having swam a competition-leading 1:04.82 in the 100m breaststroke heats earlier this week, the 24-year-old won her 200m breaststroke heat 4 in a time of 2:19.16 – just 0.05 off the world record.
In the 100m final, Schoenmaker wasn’t able to replicate her best performance and had to settle for a silver medal on Tuesday.
But yesterday, she powered into today’s 5.01am semifinal a whole second ahead the rest of the last-16 competitors, which includes SA’s Kaylene Corbett.
She will know that she will have to bring her A-game again should she have booked her place in tomorrow’s 200m final.
Also in the pool yesterday, the SA women’s 4x200m freestyle relay team set an African record of 8:01.56 in heat 1, but their time wasn’t good enough to progress to the final. Meanwhile, the women’s water polo side were beaten 21-1 by Canada in Group A action.
In Rugby Sevens action yesterday, the Blitzbokke claimed fifth in the tournament with wins over Australia (22-19) and USA (28-7), while the men’s hockey side were klapped 5-0 by the Netherlands.
David Notoane’s U23 football team’s journey also came to a disappointing end yesterday.
Their 3-0 defeat to Mexico means they have lost all their Group A matches and end the tournament without a point after skipper Tercious Malepe’s 58th-minute sending of.
El Tri sliced SA open with ease, with Alexis Vega’s tap-in and Luis Romo’s deflected strike before Henry Martin’s clinical finish sealed their fate.
Tatjana tweets
Shaun Pillay @windiesalways: “TatjanaSchoenmaker you beauty... Thanks for bringing some glitz for us #TokyoOlympics2020.”
A Dog That Bites @SkepeMatsebane:
“Tatjana Schoenmaker went to the Olympics for these records. She broke the 200m breaststroke heat in 2:19.16. She is only 0.05sec off the world record set in 2013. She must get us gold this time.#TeamSA #TokyoOlympics.”
Thando @Tidoz1:
“Our golden girl is on track Tatjana Schoenmaker.”
Maryan Umara @goodgalrirwi:
“Tatjana Schoenmaker this lady is unbelievable, I’m praying she brings gold this time which she’s capable of #TeamSA #TokyoOlympics.”