Lubhalwe nguRazeen Gutta
Umbhukudi waseNingizimu Afrika, uTatjana Smith, usekwamukele ukuthatha umhlalaphansi ngemva kokuphetha umsebenzi wakhe ngezindondo ezimbili kuma-Olympics ase-Paris.
Ngemuva kokuwina kwakhe izindondo ze-breaststroke kule midlalo, lo mbukudi oneminyaka engu-27 ubudala usethatha umhlalaphansi emsebenzini wakhe.
Enezela kwindondo yegolide neyesiliva aziwina kuma-Olympics e-Tokyo ngo-2020, uSmith uwine eyegolide ku-100m neyesiliva ku-200m njengoba esethatha umhlalaphansi umsebenzi wakhe usahamba phambili.
Ekhuluma emcimbini obuse-Sandton ngoMsombuluko, uSmith uthe: “Empeleni kuyahlekisa ngoba nginqume ukuthatha umhlalaphansi ngise-Paris.
“Bengicabanga ukuthi ngisazoqhubeka. [Kodwa] ngivele ngazi enhliziyweni yami ukuthi kungenzeka ngingaphinde ngibhukudele iNingizimu Afrika.
“Isinqumo sami sigqugquzelwe ezezimali.”
I-Swimming South Africa ibe nesikhathi esinzima kwezezimali, njengoba isihlabani somdlalo we-backstroke uZane Waddell naye ukhunjulwe ngokuthatha umhlalaphansi ngaphambi kwesikhathi. Ngo-2020, eneminyaka engu-22 kuphela, wathatha umhlalaphansi emsebenzini wakhe ngenxa yezinkinga zemali.
USmith wengeze ngokuthi ujabule futhi ukwamukele ukuthi akwazi ukuthatha umhlalaphansi ngokwemibandela yakhe.
“Nginenhlanhla enkulu ukuthi ngikwazi ukungenela umqhudelwano kuzo zonke izinhlangothi ngazi ukuthi bekuwumdlalo wami wokugcina.
“Bekujabulisa futhi ukuthi ngikwazi ukwabelana lo mzuzu nomndeni wami.”
Esithombeni esingenhla: UTatjana Smith
Umthombo: @coronafrica