Rocco Meiring impressed by Tatjana Smith’s comeback

Meiring coached Smith to gold and silver medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. And their success earned him the National Coach of the Year award, while Smith was named Sports Star of the Year.

Smith surprised many when she returned to competitive swimming at the SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg, two years after announcing her retirement. 

However, Meiring is impressed with her return, saying she looks as if she never left the pool.

"I'm very happy for Tatjana and that's she's back in the pool and I'm impressed with how her comeback has been because it can be really difficult, but that just shows you what a champion Tatjana is, because people don't realise how difficult it is to make a comeback with so much pressure stacked against her. Her new coach and herself are doing a fantastic job, and I have a lot of respect for what they've done."

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While Smith’s return came as a surprise to many, Meiring says he was not shocked by her decision. 

The two-time South African Coach of the Year revealed that the Olympic champion had informed him about her plans before making the announcement public. 

"I wasn't shocked shocked at all because Tatjana shared with me quite a while ago that she'll be making a comeback and changing coaches, as well as moving to Cape Town, and I'm grateful that she gave me that heads up."

Smith made an impressive return to competitive swimming, winning the 50m breaststroke title in 29.50 seconds and recording two personal bests at the SA Short Course Championships in Pietermaritzburg.

Meiring says he has witnessed several athletes come out of retirement, but Smith’s high level of performance on her return stands out.