Atkinson lands first medal for Jamaica in Glasgow

Photo: Alia Atkinson (Jamaica), Leiston Pickett (Australia), Corrie Scott (Scotland) receive their medals after the women’s 50m breaststroke (Getty Images)

Alia Atkinson landed her first ever Commonwealth medal and Jamaica’s first at the Glasgow edition when she finished second behind Australia’s Leiston Pickett in the women’s 50m breaststroke yesterday. Corrie Scott of Scotland finished third in the race.

Atkinson entered the race the overwhelming favourite after setting games records of 30.49 in the heats and 30.17 in the semis. But her 30.67 in the final was only enough for a silver medal after Pickett registered a time of 30.59.

A disappointed Atkinson told reporters after collecting her medal, “”I have been trying to think about that, but for the most part I cannot think of what went wrong. I just guess it was just a slower swim, everything was just slower, the dive, the pull-out, the swim, so I can’t really pinpoint one thing. So I guess it was just not my day.”

“I am excited as it’s my first medal, but looking into it I was a bit disappointed as I was leading with times coming in, and if I did any of those times, I would have won,” Atkinson said.

With two more individual races to go at the championships Atkinson still has her heart set on landing gold.
“It is what it is and it’s just one of those things. I have to now bounce back and get ready…I have two more races to go and I am looking forward to those.”

She returns to the pool today in the 200m breaststroke.