Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson has been a mainstay on this year’s World Cup Series, scoring gold medal swims in Hong Kong, Beijing and Doha in the 100m breaststroke event. She racked up very respectable times in those efforts, clocking marks of 1:07.91, 1:07.39 and 1:07.83, respectively, but she blew that entire set away with her race today in Dubai.
See also: Jamaican Swimmer Alia Atkinson Creates History In Russia
Coming into the Dubai World Cup stop, Atkinson’s personal best was her national record-setting time of 1:06.21 she registered during the semifinals at this summer’s World Championships, demonstrating just a taste of what we all know this 26-year-old is capable of. At that meet, Atkinson went on to win the bronze in the 100m breaststroke event in a final time of 1:06.42.
Great swim from @AliAtki gets her the gold! #SWCDubai #swc2015 #swim #gold #congrats pic.twitter.com/eOknGJPgSc
— Swimming World Cup (@finaSWCdubai) November 6, 2015
But Atkinson took things to an entirely new level today, clocking the first sub-1:06 time of her career at 1:05.93. Atkinson took today’s race out hard, touching in 30.55 at the 50m mark, which in itself sits as the fastest 50m breaststroke time in the world this year. Atkinson finished the back half in 35.38 for her final time of 1:05.93 to win the gold and set a new Jamaican National Record.
Here are her 2 fastest times with splits compared:
From Kazan – 30.91, 35.30 = 1:06.21
From Dubai – 30.55, 25.38 = 1:05.93
Atkinson now ties with Danish swimmer Rikke Pedersen as the 16th-fastest performer of all time.
