Swimming boss calls Tatjana Smith's switch to Netherlands sad

Tatjana Smith, South Africa's most decorated Olympian and a double Olympic champion, announced that she will switch her competitive allegiance to the Netherlands. Smith holds dual citizenship because her father is Dutch, and she explained that the move offers better high-performance support and a more sustainable career path. Zikie Molusi, the acting CEO of Swimming South Africa, admitted that the governing body should not have withheld prize money from Smith following the 2023 World Championships due to conflicting sponsorship agreements. Molusi acknowledged that inadequate funding and ecosystem issues within South African sport contributed to the loss of the star athlete.