Pool to politics: Who is Roland Schoeman?

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Former Olympic swimmer Roland Schoeman is making headlines over his outspoken views about racism, crime, and corruption in South Africa.

Now a naturalised American citizen, the 44-year-old has backed controversial figures like US President Donald Trump, Pretoria-born Elon Musk, and former AfriForum head Ernst Roets.

SPREADING MISINFORMATION?

On his X account, Roland Schoeman has been accused of spreading “misinformation” and being an “Apartheid apologist” about South Africa by high-profile people like sports personalities Robert Marawa and Andile Ncube, investigative journalist Redi Tlhabi, TV personalities Siv Ngesi and Dan Corder, author Khaya Dlanga and comedian and medical doctor, Riaad Moosa.

The retired swimmer has tweeted about farm murders, allegations of a “white genocide,” and “race-based laws.”

ROLAND SCHOEMAN: WHO IS OUTSPOKEN RETIRED SWIMMER?

Here are a few facts about Roland Schoeman…

Roland Schoeman has previously urged US authorities to intervene in political affairs in South Africa.
Images via X:
@ronaldschoeman

Awards and accolades

Roland has won a series of gold, silver, and bronze medals at the Olympics, Common Wealth Games, and World Championships.

According to his biography, he has many prestigious accolades, including…

African Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World in 2004, 2005 and 2006
South African Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2006.
South African Sports Star of the Year in 2004
Inducted into the South Africa Sports Hall of Fame, University of Pretoria Hall of Fame, and Arizona Hall of Fame.
South African Presidential Award Order of Ikhamanga in Silver in the field of swimming.

Doping scandal

In 2020, FINA [now World Aquatics] announced that Roland Schoeman had tested positive for a banned substance. He was subsequently banned from swimming competitively for a year.

Roland later claimed that he had “accidentally ingested” the substance from a “tainted supplement.” He also claimed that two further tests had come back negative.

‘Racist’ scandal calling Indians ‘monkeys’

In 2010, Roland Schoeman courted controversy after he referred to an Indian spectator as a “monkey” at the Commonwealth Games.

Defending his “slur,” Roland said: “It wasn’t meant to be a racist remark — in South Africa when someone calls you a monkey, they mean hooligan.”

“The comment was aimed at only one individual who was acting like a hooligan.”

Volunteering to become Minister of Sports

In 2021, Roland wrote an open letter addressed to President Cyril Ramaphosa, volunteering himself to become the next Minister of Sport.

In his ambitious proposal, Roland suggested that he could tackle “years of empty promises and people who are only there for their own gain”.

On the topic of transformation, he said: “It is not about Caucasian or any other race, not about politics. This is about giving every single South African athlete the ability to become the very best they can. That is what I am committed to”.

Move to the USA

Roland Schoeman splits his time between SA and the US, where he works. He recently received his license to become a real estate agent.