LONDON, CMC – Jamaican Alia Atkinson won her preliminary round heat here today but then needed a swim-off – the first of its kind at an Olympic Games – before she could reach Monday’s final of the women’s 100 metres breaststroke.
The 23-year-old clocked one minute, 7.39 seconds as she stormed to victory in heat two, ahead of South Africa’s Suzaan van Biljon (1:07.54) and Morocco’s Sara El Bekri (1:08.21).
With the win, she lowered her national women’s 100m breaststroke record of 1:08.45.
Atkinson then returned to clock 1:07.48 which was only good enough for joint fourth in the first semi-final with Canadian Tera Van Beilen.
Atkinson was forced to agonisingly sit and watch the second semi-final, hoping that not more than three swimmers would beat her time. When this did not happen, she was forced into a swim-off with Van Beilen.
She dominated from the outset to secure her place in the final where she will start as the slowest qualifier.
“I am much more confident going into the finals,” Atkinson said.
She pointed out that in the semi-finals she made a slight mistake by going out too hard and suffering as a result.
“I controlled it more in the morning and it was better coming back, so I have more knowledge for tomorrow which is just to relax,” she said.
She swims in the final at 8:15 pm (3:15 pm Eastern Caribbean time).
In the same event, St. Lucian Danielle Beaubrun finished sixth in the second preliminary round heat and failed to make the final with her time of 1:11.12.
In men’s action, there was more disappointment for Barbadian Bradley Ally who won a heat for the second straight day but still failed to advance.
Swimming in the men’s 100 metres backstroke, Ally won heat one in 56.27 seconds but the time was only good enough to leave him 40th overall.
On Saturday, Ally suffered a similar fate in the 400 metres individual medley.
Trinidadian George Bovell, meanwhile, joined Ally on the sidelines after he too failed to qualify for the semi-finals despite winning his heat.
Bovell captured heat two in 55:22 seconds but was only 29th overall, though he managed to lower the national record of 55.65.
The 29-year-old, who won bronze in Athens eight years ago, was using the race as a tune-up as he prepares for his main event, the 50, freestyle.
“I think I showed some good speed in the first half, so my 50m should be alright,” he said.
Bovell swims in the 100m freestyle on Tuesday and the 50m freestyle on Thursday.
