#Netherlands

Tatjana Smith, South Africa's most decorated Olympic athlete, will now swim for the Netherlands. The 29-year-old breaststroker announced the switch on Tuesday in a tearful Instagram video, Al Jazeera reported. According to her statement, World Aquatics has confirmed the change of sporting nationality. Smith holds both South African and Dutch citizenship. Her first race in Dutch orange will be the World Aquatics Swimming Championships (25m) in Beijing, which run from December 1 to 6. In September she won the South African 50m breaststroke title at the national short course championships in Pietermaritzburg and set two personal bests, Daily Maverick reported. That result had already qualified her for Beijing. She will join the Dutch team for competitions and training camps but will keep training in South Africa with her current team. She has formally notified Swimming South Africa (SSA) and the Royal Dutch Swimming Federation. Smith acknowledged that "not everyone will understand or agree" with her decision, according to Al Jazeera. She said the financial and practical challenges of swimming were among the reasons her earlier career became hard to sustain. The Netherlands, she added, offers greater high-performance support and the chance to build a more sustainable career. Athletes need a system where they can "thrive, not just survive", she said. Smith also said the move lets her explore a part of her heritage she has never experienced through sport. She thanked South African fans and coaches and…