Breakthrough at World Champs Earns Kaylene Corbett Swimming World African Female Swimmer of the Year Award
Between the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo and the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Tatjana Smith (nee Schoenmaker) defined herself as one of the premier breaststrokers in the world – perhaps the finest. During that stretch, Smith claimed four Olympic medals, three podium finishes at the World Championships and four medals from the Commonwealth Games.
The South African star cast a massive shadow in her specialty stroke, especially in her homeland. While Smith was her nation’s undisputed No. 1 breaststroker, Kaylene Corbett often went overlooked. Yet, keen observers recognized Corbett’s talent, which produced multiple achievements on the international stage.
Corbett’s biggest accomplishments arrived in 2025.
One year after advancing to her second consecutive Olympic final in the 200-meter breaststroke, the 26-year-old Corbett earned a bronze medal in her prime event at the World Championships in Singapore, where she tied Belarus’ Alina Zmushka for third place. It was a significant breakthrough, and the performance made Corbett the easy choice as Swimming World African Female Swimmer of the Year.
Prior to the World Championships, Corbett’s top showing in a major competition was a bronze medal in the 200 breaststroke at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She was also the silver medalist in the 100 breaststroke and 200 breaststroke at the 2021 World University Games. At the 2025 World Champs, Corbett took a big step forward.
While American Kate Douglass registered a wire-to-wire victory over Russia’s Evgeniia Chikunova at the front of the field, Corbett engaged in a dramatic finish for the final spot on the podium. Sitting in fourth place through 150 meters, Corbett battled past Great Britain’s Angharad Evans over the last length and finished in 2:23.52, a mark that was matched by Zmushka.
Not surprising, Corbett was elated with the outcome. More, she was the lone African woman to earn a medal in the pool at the World Championships.
“I don’t think I have the vocabulary to explain how this medal feels,” Corbett said at the World Champs. “I’ve been fortunate enough to swim under pressure next to (Smith) my whole career, so it’s really special to be able to win this medal. I just wish (Smith) was on the podium with me. It’s been a hectic year and it just feels like it really came together when it should. I gave everything I had. I’m really proud of that performance.”
