Happy anniversary to Jamaica’s most successful swimmer and one of the world’s best. Eight years ago today, Jamaican swimming sensation Alia Atkinson placed herself and her country in the history books, when she set a world record in the 100m breaststroke with a blistering time of 1:02.36 seconds. The historic feat occurred at the 12th FINA World Swimming Championships at the Hamad Aquatic Centre in Doha, Qatar.
The victory was the first for a female black woman and any Jamaican male or female swimmer.
Atkinson told CNW in an exclusive interview this year that the world record was “fantastic because you never knew that you were at world record status.” Admitting that she was not going for the milestone, she said, “I wanted to be my best and do my best. It was more of, let me see what I can do.”
Describing the feeling of being the fastest female swimmer at the distance and how it happened, Atkinson said: “I had just been touched out in the 50. I remember coming in and reaching for the wall, but she did a short stroke. So, in my head, I said I won this. I looked, and I didn’t. It was so much like that pit feeling again. It was like, really, Alia, Really? You had expected to win, thought you did, and you didn’t (her eyes opened wide). So, it was trying to get over that feeling. I needed to refocus because I had two more races.
I remember going into the finals and was like, No Alia you can’t just put someone down as first! That makes no sense. You’re going into the race not only to do your best but to win. You are going to give it your best shot! Make sure you have given it your all at the end of the race. Not just physically but mentally.
A lot of people give it their all physically, but do they believe it? It was changing that mentality and mindset. So I went in, touched the wall, and it was the same touch as the 50. I was like, really Alia? You get out-touched again? So, I turned around to look for my name at second, and I didn’t see my name. I was like, ha! I know I didn’t get 3rd. So I looked at the wall and saw my name at first. I was like What! It actually happened! I was like yeah! So, I came out of the water, looked at the scoreboard, and said wow, It happened! This is not a dream. It is not going away. Then I saw that I had equaled the world record.”
Alia Atkinson retired in 2020 and now sits on the board of FINA and is the chair of the organization’s Athlete’s Committee.
Read more about Alia Atkinson, The Jamaican Who Became One of the Most Successful Black Female Swimmers, part one and two.
