JOHANNESBURG - Tatjana Smith's decision to swim under the Netherlands flag has shocked many South Africans.
However, she is not the only swimmer to take their talents elsewhere.
South Africa's sporting administration is in shambles, with no end in sight.
Smith has been involved in a legal dispute with Swimming South Africa over $35,000 (R578,000) in prize money from the World Aquatic Championships that the federation withheld.
A year after it was supposed to be paid to her, saying she wore a personal sponsor's costume (Speedo) instead of the federation's sponsor (Arena).
READ: World Athletics vs ASA | SA sporting administration in shambles
Swimming SA has since apologised after facing legal demands and parliamentary scrutiny and paid the prize money plus R75,000 in interest, after they had previously claimed the interest was a "management fee".
They are also embroiled in a legal battle with athletes, including a R7.2-million lawsuit threat from artistic swimmers Laura Strugnell and Jessica Hayes-Hill over sanctions and a disciplinary process, as well as an ongoing tit-for-tat friction with Water Polo South Africa.
Tired of the administrative nightmare.
Here are other swimmers trying their luck elsewhere:
Darian Townsend
Was a competition swimmer who swam for the University of Arizona and a 2004 Athens Olympic gold medalist in the 4x100 meter freestyle relay who competed for South Africa.
He became a U.S. citizen in 2014 and has subsequently represented the United States in international events.
Jessica Pengelly
Competed as South Africa's youngest swimmer at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, then emigrated to Australia and represented Australia at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Tatjana Smith
South Africa's most decorated Olympian (four Olympic medals including two golds) announced in November 2026 that she is switching her sporting nationality to the Netherlands (her father's birth nation) ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Sarah Poewe
The South African-born breaststroke swimmer won an Olympic bronze medal for South Africa in 2004, but later swam for Germany, her family's native country and where she grew up/competed.
Matt Sates
The two-time South African Olympian and African record holder pursued Australian citizenship to represent Australia leading into LA 2028, reflecting similar frustration with governance and self-funded tour requirements under Swimming South Africa.
Keri-anne Payne
Keri-anne Payne
Great Britain Johannesburg-born open-water and freestyle specialist who moved to the UK at age 13 and won an Olympic silver medal for Great Britain at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Swimming SA has been embroiled in a lot of controversy. In August, World Aquatics provisionally suspended Swimming South Africa's president Alan Fritz and Chief Executive Officer Shaun Adriaanse.
The duo was suspended for potential violations of the World Aquatics Integrity Code, including abuse of power and the provision of false information and fake documents.
Fritz has served on the executive at Swimming South Africa since 2004, while Adriaanse has been CEO for more than 20yrs.
Swimming SA also has a Special Investigative Unit (SIU) investigation to worry about. This is with regard to the corrupt allocation and abandonment of a high-performance training center in Franschhoek.
More than R50 million in funding from World Aquatics, the National Lotteries Commission, and the Sports Trust went into the project, which stalled into a vandalised site with sewage-filled pools.