Say what you want but this year’s Tokyo Olympics is nothing short of a thriller. Especially considering the events of the last two years, mankind as a whole needed a reason to come together and rejoice. The world needed a ‘pick me up’ and this year’s Summer Games in Japan is serving up to be just that.

We’ve seen epic moments of human triumph in the last week or so. Saturday was no different. All eyes were on South African swimmer, Tatjana Schoenmaker, who etched her name in record books after winning gold in the women’s 200m breaststroke event. What made her feat more impressive was that she broke the world record with a timing of 2:18.95, finishing ahead of Team USA’s Lilly King.

The previous record stood for 8 years before Schoenmaker’s epic display in Japan. But her fellow countrymen had a surprise in store for her upon her return to the Tokyo Olympic village.

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Tatjana Schoemaker shatters women’s 200m record at Tokyo Olympics

Tatjana Schoenmaker helped end South Africa’s 21-year medal drought in the swimming events. She comfortably outswam her American counterpart and was given a hero’s welcome upon her return to the Olympic village earlier this week.

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In fact, even SA President Cyril Ramaphosa personally had a word with the starry-eyed swimmer after her heroics in Tokyo.

“Congratulations. You have lifted the country. When I saw your performance in the first race, where you won silver, I knew that you were keeping something in store. Thank you so much. It was just unbelievable. You have done this for the country and for yourself and we honour you…we are really delighted to have seen this unbelievable performance,” President Ramaphosa said via News 24.

In doing so, the 24-year old won the first gold medal for a South African. Fellow countrywoman, Kaylene Corbett, also reached the finals. This made it the first time since Sydney 2000 that two South African women reached the finals of the same event. Schoenmaker also won silver in the women’s 100m breaststroke at this year’s quadrennial showpiece.

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