THE GOLDEN GIRL OF SA

SPECTACULAR: SMITH SWIMS THE PERFECT RACE TO GRAB OLYMPIC TITLE

- Wesley Botton

Alan Hatherly also makes history with a bronze medal in the mountain bike cross country race.

Tatjana Smith earned the nation's first gold medal on a spectacular third day of competition for Team SA yesterday, with the national squad raking in two more podium places as they continued their impressive start to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Smith won the women's 100m breaststroke final last night to secure her third career Olympic medal.

The 27-year-old star launched a gutsy chase in the closing stages of the race, after turning in fourth position, snatching the lead at the death to secure victory in 1:05.28. Qianting Tang of China was edged into the runner-up position in 1:05.54.

Just minutes before Smith entered the water, 20-year-old Pieter Coetze put up a fight but settled for fifth place in the men's 100m backstroke final.

Coetze was in superb form, touching the wall in 52.58 seconds to break the African record of 52.63 he had set in the semifinals the night before. He was 0.19 outside a place in the top three.