Alia Atkinson Edges Own Jamaican Record in 50 Breast

At the 2015 Kazan World Championships, Alia Atkinson had more to cheer about besides winning a silver medal in the 50 breast finals. Her time of 30.11 was also a new Jamaican national record, eclipsing her old mark of 30.17 which was swum at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Atkinson was very quick in prelims of this event, going 30.27 to qualify 2nd behind world record holder Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. She was slightly off in semifinals, going 30.78 to qualify just 6th into the final.

In the final, however, Atkinson blazed to a silver medal with her new Jamaican record of 30.11, placing 2nd to Sweden’s Jennie Johansson. Interestingly enough, Atkinson beat both Meilutyte and Russia’s Yulia Efimova, the favorites to win this race.

Atkinson now owns two medals from these World Championships. In addition to her silver today, she won bronze in the 100 breast behind Efimova and Meilutyte. She is the Jamaican record holder in 8 different individual events.