Saluting our women – 100 m swimming world record holder Alia Atkinson
Alia Shanee Atkinson (born December 11, 1988) is a Jamaican swimmer and Olympian.
She became the first black woman to win a world swimming title when she triumphed in the 100m breaststroke at the world short-course championships in Doha recently.
She also competed at the 2004 Olympics, and four years later in the 2008 Olympics she finished 25th in the Women’s 200 breaststroke.[1]
She carried the flag for her native country at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she set the Jamaican Record in the 100 fly; and the 2006 Commonwealth Games. She also competed in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
She placed first in the 200 Breaststroke at the 2010 NCAA Championships, swimming for Texas A&M.
She also qualified for the 2012 Olympics 100m women’s breast stroke finals after defeating Canadian rival Tera van Beilen in a head to head race for the final position. She subsequently placed 4th in the finals of the 2012 Olympics 100m women’s breast stroke finishing with a time of 1:06.93. [1]
Read more about Alia at http://www.aliaatkinson.com/