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After winning Olympic gold in 2021, Schoenmaker secured the first world title of her career in 2023, triumphing in the women’s 200 breast in Fukuoka. Current photo via Fabio Cetti
Short went from zero individual finals at the 2022 World Championships to winning three medals in 2023, including gold in the 400 free.
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In one of the best years in the pool we’ve seen in recent memory, McKeown emerges over fierce competition to be named Oceanian Female Swimmer of the Year.
After winning Olympic gold in 2021, Schoenmaker secured the first world title of her career in 2023, triumphing in the women’s 200 breast in Fukuoka.
Leonie Beck was victorious in both the 5k and 10k at 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, and also won the overall World Cup title.
December 19th, 2023
See all of our 2023 Swammy Awards here.
After opting to sit out of the 2022 World Championships, and following that up with a so-so performance (by her lofty standards) at the Commonwealth Games, Tatjana Schoenmaker relinquished the Swammy Award for African Female Swimmer of the Year after four straight wins last year, but reclaims it after a very strong 2023.
Schoenmaker had a consistent year that was highlighted by winning her first world title in the women’s 200 breaststroke, as the South African held off American Kate Douglass (2:21.23) to top the podium in Fukuoka in a time of 2:20.80.
Schoenmaker was also the silver medalist in the 100 breast, clocking 1:05.84 in the final after delivering her fastest swim of the year, 1:05.53, in the semis.
The 26-year-old, who was the only South African swimmer to win a medal at the World Championships, also placed 14th in the prelims of the 50 breast (30.70) before scratching out of the semi-finals.
Just this past week, Schoenmaker was back in action at the South African World Championship Trials in Durban, where she reeled off her fastest swim since setting the world record at the Tokyo Olympics (2:18.95) in the 200 breast in a time of 2:20.30.
Overall, the swim stands up as the 5th-fastest of Schoenmaker’s career, and ranks her 2nd in the world for the 2023 calendar year, trailing newly-minted world record holder Evgeniia Chikunova of Russia.
Schoenmaker also finishes the year ranked 6th in the 100 breast with her swim from the World Championships.
Slam dunk for Tatjana
Love her. She seems so genuinely fun and friendly. Love her stroke, she’s so powerful.
Hope she does well in Paris.
I always loved her reaction.
Even when she finished behind Jacoby in Tokyo.
James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …
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