Tatjana Smith, South Africa's only gold medal winner at the Paris Olympics so far, hints at retirement.

Listen to this article 3 min Listen to this article 3 min Olympic champion Tatjana Smith is ready to retire after the Paris Games, with the South African saying on Wednesday that she no longer wanted to be defined by her achievements even as she seeks a second gold medal at La Defénse Arena.

Smith won the 100m breaststroke on Monday and the 27-year-old looks well set for the double after topping the time charts in the 200m heats. She is defending the crown she claimed in Tokyo, where she said "life really changed" for her.

advertisementDon't want to see this? Remove adsSmith won the 200 gold and the 100 silver in Tokyo, but set Olympic records in both events which shot her to superstardom, putting added pressure and expectations on her shoulders.

"It forced me to think for my character as well, there were some ups and downs, but it really came down to the mental side," Smith told reporters.

"I feel like I'm in a much better space than I was in Tokyo, in terms of just really enjoying swimming for what it is. It's not my identity and it's not who I am - it's just...