South Africa has won its first gold in the ongoing Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Tatjana Schoenmaker achieved her first world record by breaking women’s 200 m world record, beating Americans Lilly King and Annie Lazor who both came second and third respectively.
The 24 year old touched the wall in a time of 2:18.95. The previous world record was held by Rikke Moller Pedersen at the World Championships in 2013 and was 2:19.11 South Africa’s Kaylene Corbett finished 5th in a time of 2:22.06.
Schoenmaker makes history by becoming the first South African woman swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal since Penny Heyns at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games.
Her win takes Team SA’s medal tally in Tokyo to three after she won silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke earlier this week, while surfer Bianca Buitendag also won a silver medal on Tuesday. South Africa are number 23 in the medal tally.
