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Schoenmaker takes gold for South Africa with world record

TOKYO, JAPAN - JULY 29: Tatjana Schoenmaker of Team South Africa competes in the Women's 200m Breaststroke Semifinal on day six of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on July 29, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)

TOKYO, July 30 (Reuters) - Tatjana Schoenmaker won the women's 200m breaststroke on Friday in a world record time of 2:18.95 to deliver South Africa's first gold medal of the Tokyo Games.

By Simon Evans

U.S. swimmers Lilly King and Annie Lazor took the silver and bronze medals.

Schoenmaker, who had already claimed silver in the 100m breaststroke on Tuesday, powered to the finish 0.97 seconds ahead of King.

The 24-year-old’s victory marked the second African gold medal in the pool following Tunisian Ahmed Hafnaoui’s success in the men’s 400m freestyle on Sunday.

King led until the 150m turn when Schoenmaker went in front and then delivered a powerful final length to smash the world record and grab gold.

(Reporting by Simon Evans; Editing by Peter Rutherford )

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