Olympic champion Tatjana Smith said she still does not feel safe competing under Swimming South Africa. She made the comments in an exclusive interview with IOL Sport.
Smith, South Africa’s most decorated Olympian, spoke after her comeback from retirement at the SA Short Course Championships.
“If I’m being honest, I don’t feel safe,” Smith said. “I think that is the whole thing … constantly having to fight with the system, not being supported, and athletes never being put first.”
At the championships, she swam A-qualification times in the 50m and 100m breaststroke. Those times qualify her for the World Short Course Championships in Beijing.
World Aquatics has provisionally suspended Swimming SA president Alan Fritz and CEO Shaun Adriaanse. The suspensions follow claims that they abused their power.
Smith told IOL Sport that problems in the federation remain, including claims that swimmers were bullied and harassed.
She said she did not return because things had improved. She said she came back because she now has the strength to fight for change.
“I definitely didn’t come back because everything was better; I just have a lot more fight in me,” she said. “The suspension just felt like this is the time where we do need to make a move, because this is the first time we’re actually moving into a direction where we can potentially see change.”
Smith said she wants to protect younger swimmers from the same treatment.
“I can’t imagine having any swimmer go through what I had to go through. And obviously, the things that have come out are only like the crumbs on the cake,” she said.
Her return follows a legal fight over $35 000, about R570 000, in prize money from the 2023 World Championships.
Swimming SA first held back the money under a €46 000 fine. The fine was for wearing a Speedo suit instead of the official Arena kit, IOL reported.
Smith got the prize money back with interest. Her legal team has now lodged a complaint with the Information Regulator under the Promotion of Access to Information Act.
The complaint aims to force Swimming SA to share its main agreement with Arena. Her team wants to know if the deal stops swimmers from earning their own sponsorship money.
“At the end of the day, athletes are always affected by these decisions,” she said. “If we’re not getting anything out of their contracts, I don’t see how we cannot represent brands that actually give us financial support so that we can pay for our rent and our food.”
Smith called the current athlete representation a “tick-box exercise”. She said the interim Swimming SA leadership has made no attempt to talk to swimmers.
She also said the federation’s constitution threatened swimmers with suspension if they looked for legal help.
To help athletes, Smith started the Lighthouse Sport Foundation. She said it will act as an independent watchdog and a safe place for swimmers.
“Everyone in the system wants change, but we’re all just so scared,” Smith said. “I wanted to create a safe space where we fight for a system where athletes come first.”
Source: this article is based on reporting by IOL Sport. Image: IOL Sport. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice Sports desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Tiyani Mathebula writes about sport for Tzaneen Voice. Tiyani covers Bafana Bafana, the Springboks, the Proteas and the PSL, along with athletics, tennis and local club sport. Match reports and previews focus on results, team news, fixtures and what each game means for South African teams and fans.