Historic splash for Atkinson at World Short Course Championships

Photo: Alia Atkinson (Getty Images)

Alia Atkinson continues to rewrite the history book with some fine displays at the World Short Course Swimming Championships in Doha, Qatar; December 3-7, 2014. She pocketed a silver medal on Thursday in the 50 metre breaststroke finals.

Atkinson in the process clocked 28.91 to break the national and her personal record of 28.94 She also won the Silver medal in the event two years ago in Istanbul, Turkey when she had clocked 29.67.

The Gold medal was won by her arch rival, teenage swim sensation Ruta Meilutytė of Lithuania, who clocked 28.84, a difference of a mere 0.07 of a second. Meilutyte clocked a world leading 28.81 seconds to break her own meet record of 29.44 seconds on her way to winning the semi-final showdown.

Atkinson had to settle for fourth spot in the 100 metre individual medley just about half of hour after competing in the 100 metre breastroke semifinal. She entered the final with a time of 58.66. She came home in a time of 58.58 followed by Ruta Meilutyte who touched in a time of 58.73. She also stroked her way to fourth in the final of the 2012 edition of the Championships in 58.85. Katinka Hosszu took the event in a time of 56.70 beating her previous mark of 56.86 which she set earlier this year.

Atkinson qualified second in a time of 1:03.59 for the finals of the 100 metre breaststroke event which comes up tomorrow. Atkinson was well off her seasons best of 1:02.54 which she posted just over a month ago. Meilutyte was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 100 breaststroke finishing in a time of 1:02.43 taking over the top spot in the world rankings. She broke her own competition record of 1:03.52 and was only seven one-hundredths of a second away from her world record of 1:02.36.

On the opening day of the championship Jamaica’s two other competitors Jevon Atkinson, the brother of former swimmer Janelle, and young Nico Campbell failed to advance in the men’s 200m freestyle. Campbell produced 1:49.63 to end 47th out of 100 competitors while Atkinson stopped the clock at 1:53.60 to finish 69th over-all.

Nico’s standard breaking form would continue in the 100 metre butterfly. He cracked his personal and Jamaica best time of 56.56 to register a time of 56.37 in Men 100 metre butterfly heats but he failed to advance, finishing in 62nd position.