// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Tearful Smith switches allegiance to Netherlands
Tatjana Smith won a gold and silver medal at each of the past two Olympics
South Africa's most decorated Olympian Tatjana Smith was in tears as she announced that she has switched allegiance to the Netherlands.
The 29-year-old won four Olympic breaststroke medals, including two golds, before retiring after the Paris 2024 Games.
She came out of retirement in September and hopes to compete in the 50m breaststroke as the event makes its Olympic debut at the 2028 Games in Los Angeles.
Smith, whose maiden name was Schoenmaker, wiped away tears as she read a letter addressed to South Africa, saying that "dreams can change as we grow".
Smith has dual citizenship because her father is Dutch.
She said she has "always been Dutch and South African" and that this is an opportunity to "explore another part of my identity and heritage that I've never experienced through sport".
She said it also offers her "greater high-performance support and the potential to build a more sustainable career" because the "financial and practical challenges of swimming were among the reasons my previous career became difficult to sustain".
Smith has previously said that financial worries, which included a dispute with Swimming South Africa over prize money, contributed to her decision to step away from the sport.
Swimming South Africa has been approached for comment.