Tokyo 2020, Africa Day 6: Schoenmaker 1st RSA Female Olympic Champ Since 1996

2020 TOKYO SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES

• When: Pool swimming: Saturday, July 24 – Sunday, August 1, 2021
  • Open Water swimming: Wednesday, August 4 – Thursday, August 5, 2021
• Where: Olympic Aquatics Centre / Tokyo, Japan
• Heats: 7 PM / Semifinals & Finals: 10:30 AM (Local time)
• Full aquatics schedule
• SwimSwam Event Previews
• Entry Lists
• Live Results

Day 6 Finals Recap

History was made for South Africa as 24-year-old Tatjana Schoenmaker became the nation’s first Olympic champion since Penny Heyns‘ 100/200 breast sweep in Atlanta 1996, which happened one year before Schoenmaker was born.

Schoenmaker won the final with a personal best time of 2:18.95, breaking the world record along with her own African continental record. She now brings her Olympic medal collection to two individual medals, including silver from the 100 breast final. South Africa now leads the African medal table with two medals to Tunisia’s lone gold medal from Ahmed Hafnaoui.

Placing fifth in her first Olympic final was RSA teammate Kaylene Corbett, who notched 0.02s off her semifinals lifetime best at 2:22.06.

Into the men’s 100 fly, Egypt’s Youssef Ramadan highlighted four African national records during the preliminaries, placing 14th in semifinals at 51.67. During that round, Ramadan finished in 16th at 52.27.

Two-time Olympic silver medalist in this event, South Africa’s Chad le Clos, completely missed the men’s 100 fly semifinals, placing 18th in prelims at 51.89. Earlier in the meet, le Clos failed to medal in the 200 fly for the second consecutive Olympics after winning the London 2012 title. RSA teenager Matthew Sates also missed semifinals, placing 32nd in prelims at 52.34.

CONTINENTAL & NATIONAL RECORDS ON DAY 6

• Women’s 200 Breast: World/Africa/South Africa — Tatjana Schoenmaker, 2:18.95
• Men’s 100 Fly: Egypt — Youssef Ramadan, 51.67
• Men’s 100 Fly: Ghana — Abeiku Jackson, 53.39
• Men’s 100 Fly: Senegal — Steven Aimable, 53.64
• Men’s 100 Fly: Angola — Salvador Gordo, 55.96

AFRICAN MEDAL TABLE THROUGH DAY 4