Johannesburg – South African Tatjana Schoenamker said it felt “so unreal” after she smashed the long-standing women’s 200 breaststroke world record to win Olympic gold Thursday.
Schoenmaker timed 2:18.95 to better the 2:19.11 set by Rikke Moller Pedersen from Denmark in 2013.
This made her the first female South African to win an Olympic swimming gold since 1996, when Penny Heyns swept the women’s 100m and 200m breaststroke.
Schoenmaker wore a look of disbelieve as she looked up at the results board before breaking into tears as she was embraced by her rivals at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre.
“It’s still so unreal,” she said afterwards. “I think my emotions in the pool showed I was pretty shocked,” she said.
“If I could just make the final, that’s what I’ve said ever since I knew I was coming,” said Schoenmaker.
“I missed 2016 by a split second on the day at trials and it sucked and it wasn’t a very happy moment but everything happens for a reason and to be honest I wasn’t ready at that time.
“But I had a fall and my fall was quite big, so I had to start learning to love the sport again and knowing my goal was 2020.
“It’s so weird to actually be here. You’re so used to watching the Olympics on TV that it doesn’t feel real. You see the logos and stuff but it hasn’t sunk in and I’m glad it hasn’t because then I’d probably be crying more.”
