Elton Tucker, Assistant Editor - Sport

Jackie Walter - File PHOTOS

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:

National coach Jackie Walter is satisfied with the overall performance of Jamaica's four-strong swim team at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Jamaica, which was represented in swimming by a team comprising two males and two females, did not win a medal in the pool but the island's best swimmer, Alia Atkinson, reached three finals, including the women's 200 metres breaststroke, which was contested on the final day of the competition on Sunday.

"Our performance here has been good. We have had one national record broken twice and overall had three national records established here. Alia Atkinson made three finals which I am certainly very pleased with because in her last time at the Pan American level she only made the consolation finals.

"I am disappointed in her 100m breaststroke but with the new format of this meet the workload has been heavy," Walter said.

RECORD

Atkinson broke the 100m butterfly national record twice. She first set a new mark of 1:02.91 in the heats then lowered that to 1:02.40 in the semi-finals. The previous record, 1:03.95, was set by Tamara Swaby in 2003. Atkinson's second national record came in the 200m breaststroke where she clocked 2:37.61 in the heats to go under her own mark of 2:38.31 which was set last year.

The format here had swimmers competing in heats and semi-finals instead of the usual top eight from the heats and a consolation final.

"It's something we are going to have to consider (for future meets)," Walter said.

On Tuesday, July 17, Atkinson had a punishing schedule which saw her doing the 50m freestyle and 100m butterfly semi-finals in the morning session and the heats of the 100m breaststroke early in the evening session.

Walter added that Natasha Moodie, who did the 50m, 100m and 200m freestyle events and the 100m breaststroke, has time to develop.

"Natasha (Moodie) had a personal best in her 200m freestyle. She is on track because she is only 16," Walter said.

"Brad (Hamilton), if you look at him he has established a personal best and a national record in the 100m butterfly (57.07) and he was actually the second youngest in this event. He still has a lot to develop. An experience like this will put him in good stead for the future."

Jamaica's fourth swimmer at the Games was Jonathan Wong, who competed in the men's 200m freestyle.

IMPROVE

Walter said she expected Atkinson to also improve in the coming year.

"Alia (Atkinson) is in the right hands. She is at Texas A&M where she has a very good coach. She also had an excellent NCAA year and won the conference title in the 100m breaststroke. Her times at the conference meet put her in the top five in the USA in the 100m breaststroke so that's something she is going to work on along with her 50m freestyle."

Atkinson is looking at qualifying for the Olympics in the 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke events.

"I did not qualify at this meet but I have two more meets to do so before the end of the summer," Atkinson said after swimming in the 200m breaststroke final on Sunday.

Her first chance will be at the United States Nationals which comes up at the end of July and runs until August 4.

Left: Alia Atkinson ... broke her own national record in the 200m breaststroke. Right: Brad Hamilton