Swimming World has named Jamaican swimmer Alia Atkinson “Swimmer of the Week” for an impressive and history-making accomplishment. Atkinson managed to do something that is difficult enough to do once, let alone twice, but at the first 2016 FINA World Cup Circuit competition in Paris, France, she tied the world record time in the 100-meter breaststroke for a second time. She swam the distance at the Paris meet in 1:02:36 seconds. She first matched this time in 2014 at the Short Course World Championships in Doha. Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania set the original world record in 2013 at the World Cup in Moscow. Atkinson finished in seventh place at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, clocking 1:06”72 in the event. Her best international finish was in 2014 in Doha where she won a gold medal and tied the world 100-meter breaststroke record the first time. With her performance at Doha, Atkinson became the first black woman to win an individual world championship title.

Source: Swimming World
Photo Source: Alia Atkinson Instagram