Alia Atkinson

Alia Shanee Atkinson, СD (born 11 December 1988) is a Jamaican five-time Olympian and a former competitive swimmer whose international competition career spanned 19 years, 2003 to 2021 inclusive, at the senior level. At short course World Swimming Championships, she is a ten-time medalist in individual events, including four gold medals, four silver medals, and two bronze medals. She won a total of 124 medals, of which 74 were gold medals, at Swimming World Cup circuits over the course of her career. She won 14 total medals in individual events, 11 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze, from her first three Central American and Caribbean Games, in 2006, 2010, and 2018.

In 2014, Atkinson became the first Afro-Jamaican to win a world title in swimming, winning the short course 100-metre breaststroke at the 2014 World Swimming Championships with a world record time of 1:02.36. In 2016, she tied her world record in the short course 100 metre breaststroke on 26 August before setting a new world record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke on 26 October. Two years later, on 6 October 2018, she set her second new world record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke, marking her fourth world record time in an individual event. At the 2012 Summer Olympics, she became the second Jamaican swimmer to place in the top four at an Olympic Games, finishing fourth in the 100-metre breaststroke.

Background Atkinson calls Roehampton, Jamaica her hometown. At three years of age, she started swimming. In 2000, when she was approximately 12 years old, her family permanently relocated to the United States, moving to Florida. When she was 13 years old, she focused her swimming on breaststroke. Before then she mostly swam freestyle and butterfly. She was coached by Chris Anderson from 2001 through to her retirement in 2021. She mostly trained with the South Florida Aquatic Club swim team in Pembroke Pines, Florida in an Olympic-size swimming pool. In college, she majored in Psychology, earning her Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in 2010, where she also competed as part of the Texas A&M Aggies swim team under Hall of Fame coach Steve Bultman.Avanzato, Marissa (22 July 2019). "Alia Atkinson Selected to Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame". Texas A&M University. Retrieved 16 July 2021. In international swimming competitions, she represented Jamaica.

Atkinson stated her swimming mission in her SwimSwam bio as, "To place Jamaica on the world map of swimming; to agitate for the improvement of the infrastructural support for swimming in Jamaica so as to be able to take it to the next level; and to realize my full potential for myself, my parents, and my country.""Alia Atkinson - Bio". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 July 2021. She has also been vocal about not being related to Janelle Atkinson, who was the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four at an Olympic Games.Berg, Aimee (20 November 2018). "Alia Atkinson: Jamaica's Tour de Force". FINA. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

Career 2004–2011 Atkinson was 15 years old and a high school junior at the time of her Olympic debut at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. She competed in the 50-metre freestyle, ranking 44th overall, and the 100-metre breaststroke, ranking 32nd overall."Athletes: Alia Atkinson". International Olympic Committee. Retrieved 16 July 2021. In March 2006, Atkinson competed at her first Commonwealth Games, the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia.Keith, Braden (3 April 2018). "Alia Atkinson Named to Carry Jamaican Flag at Commonwealth Games". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 July 2021. She carried the flag for her Jamaica at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she set the Jamaican record in the 100-metre butterfly with a time of 1:02.40.Texas A&M Aggies (18 July 2007). "A&M Freshman Qualifies for Second Final at Pan American Games". Texas A&M University. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

In the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China she finished 25th in the women's 200-metre breaststroke. She also competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India in October."Jamaican Alia Atkinson advance to finals". Jamaica Gleaner. 4 October 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2021. She placed first in the 200-yard breaststroke at the 2010 NCAA Championships, swimming for Texas A&M. Her swim made her the second NCAA champion in swimming for Texas A&M after Julia Wilkinson. At the 2011 Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, Atkinson won the silver medal in the 200-metre individual medley.

2012 2012 Summer Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, Atkinson competed in three individual events. She qualified for the 2012 Olympics 100 m women's breaststroke final after defeating Canadian rival Tera van Beilen with a time of 1:06.79 in a head-to-head swim-off for a spot in the final. She subsequently placed 4th in the final of the 2012 Olympics 100 m women's breaststroke finishing with a time of 1:06.93. This made Atkinson the second Jamaican swimmer to place in the top four of a swimming event at an Olympic Games behind Janelle Atkinson who achieved the feat at the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 400-metre freestyle.

In the 200-metre breaststroke, Atkinson ranked 27th in the prelims. She also competed in the 50-metre freestyle where she placed 37th overall.

2012 World Swimming Championships

Following the 2012 Olympics, Atkinson competed in the 2012 World Swimming Championships conducted in short course metres and held in Istanbul, Turkey in December 2012. She won the silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 29.67 in the final.FINA (13 December 2012). "11th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m): Women's 50m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021. In the final of the 100-metre breaststroke, she swam a 1:03.80 and won the silver medal.FINA (15 December 2012). "11th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m): Women's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2014 2014 Commonwealth Games She won two medals at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the summer of 2014, silver in the 50 m breaststroke and bronze in the 100 m breaststroke. She also set two Commonwealth Games records in the heats and semifinal of the 50 m breaststroke. Her swim of 2:25.48 in the long course 200-metre breaststroke set a new national record for Jamaica in the event.Marsteller, Jason (26 July 2014). "Commonwealth Games: Fran Halsall Sets Textile Best in 50 Free; Tops 50 Fly Semis". Swimming World. Retrieved 16 July 2021."Alia Atkinson delivers Golden Independence gift for Jamaica". Caribbean National Weekly. 9 August 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2014 Swimming World Cup At the 2014 FINA Swimming World Cup stop in Singapore in November 2014, Atkinson won the short course 200-metre breaststroke, setting a new national record with her time of 2:17.84.FINA (2 November 2014). "FINA/MASTBANK Swimming World Cup Singapore 01-02 November 2014: Women's 200m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2014 World Swimming Championships

Atkinson won the 100-metre breaststroke at the 2014 Short Course World Championships in Doha, Qatar in December (equaling the record of 1:02.36 set by Rūta Meilutytė in 2013), becoming the first Afro-Jamaican woman to win a world swimming title.FINA (7 December 2014). "12th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m): Complete Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.Doha Worlds: Alia Atkinson earns historic Jamaica gold BBC Sport. 7 December 2014. Her swim was the second time a woman hit the 1:02.36 mark internationally after Meilutytė. Because Atkinson was the second woman to reach the world record time she was not awarded the $10,000 associated with setting a world record because she did not set a new world record, instead tying the pre-existing one Meilutytė set in 2013.Keith, Braden (26 August 2016). "Alia Atkinson Ties World Record in 100 Breaststroke in Chartres". SwimSwam. Retrieved 15 July 2021. In the 50-metre breaststroke she won the silver medal with a time of 28.91.

2015 2015 World Aquatics Championships

In August 2015 at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships in Kazan, Russia, Atkinson medaled in two individual events. She won the silver medal in the 50-metre breaststroke with a time of 30.11 in the final.FINA (9 August 2015). "16th FINA World Championships Kazan (RUS): Women's 50m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021. Her swim set a new national record for Jamaica in the 50-metre breaststroke.Byrnes, Liz (15 October 2020). "Alia Atkinson On Being The First Black Woman To Win A World Title, Manuel's Ascent And The ISL". Swimming World. Retrieved 16 July 2021. In the 100-metre breaststroke, she swam a 1:06.42 in the final and won the bronze medal.FINA (4 August 2015). "16th FINA World Championships Kazan (RUS): Women's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2015 Swimming World Cup At the 2015 FINA Swimming World Cup stop in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in November 2015, Atkinson swam a personal best time of 1:05.93 in the long course 100-metre breaststroke and set a new national record in the event. Her swim tied her for the 16th fastest swimmer in the event globally with Rikke Pedersen who was the world record holder in the long course 200-metre breaststroke at the time.Race, Retta (6 November 2015). "Alia Atkinson Goes Sub 1:06 For New Jamaican National Record". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2016 2016 Summer Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she placed eighth in the final of the 100-metre breaststroke, swimming a 1:08.10.

2016 Swimming World Cup At the 2016 FINA Swimming World Cup stop in Chartres, France in August 2016, Atkinson again tied the world record in the short course 100-metre breaststroke with a time of 1:02.36.FINA (26 August 2016). "FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2016 Paris-Chartres: Women's 100m Breaststroke Final Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021. She did not win the $10,000 prize money for a world record as it was not a new world record.

In October 2016, at the Swimming World Cup stop in Tokyo, Japan, Atkinson swam a 28.64 in the short course 50-metre breaststroke setting a new world record in the event.FINA (26 October 2016). "FINA/airweave Swimming World Cup 2016 Tokyo: Women's 50m Breaststroke Results". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2016 World Swimming Championships

In December 2016 at the 2016 World Swimming Championships in Windsor, Canada and conducted in short course metres, Atkinson medaled in three individual events. She won the gold medal in the 100-metre breastsroke ahead of Lilly King. In the 50-metre breaststroke, she swam a 29.11 in the final and won the silver medal in the event. For the 100-metre individual medley she won the bronze medal, swimming a 58.04 in the final.FINA (11 December 2016). "13th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m): Complete Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2018 2018 Swimming World Cup Atkinson competed for Jamaica at the 2018 FINA Swimming World Cup in Budapest, Hungary. In the 50-metre breaststroke she swam a 28.56, breaking her own world record in the event she set in 2016.Sutherland, James (6 October 2018). "Alia Atkinson Lowers Own SCM World Record In Women's 50 Breast". SwimSwam. Retrieved 16 July 2021.FINA (6 October 2018). "FINA Swimming World Cup 2018 Budapest: Results Book". Omega Timing. Retrieved 16 July 2021.

2018 World Swimming Championships