Famous Jamaican Swimmers
10 Notable Swimmers from Jamaica

Famous Jamaican Swimmers | Alia Atkinson (source: Loop Jamaica)

By Venesha Johnson | Associate Writer

Jamaica has produced several notable swimmers who have achieved success at both national and international levels. Here are some famous Jamaican swimmers:

Alia Atkinson

With her triumph in the 100-meter breaststroke in 2014, Alia Atkinson hit many historical milestones. She became the first black female world swimming champion. She matched the 1:02.36 world record for the short course that Lithuania's Ruta Meilutyte set in 2013 to become the second black woman in history to hold the title. Enith Brigitha of the Netherlands was the first to accomplish this accomplishment, and that was forty years ago. She won the first gold medal in the history of the global swimming championships for Jamaica.

Janelle Atkinson

Janelle, who is unrelated to Alia, also made her mark in swimming before Alia's rise to fame. Janelle won silver medals three times in the 200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle events at the 1999 PanAm Games in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Although she narrowly missed out on a 400m freestyle medal at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, she finished 9th in the 800-meter freestyle. Janelle also earned bronze medals in the 400m and 800m freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, England. Notably, Janelle was named Jamaica's Swimmer of the Year for seven consecutive years, from 1997 to 2003.

Jevon Atkinson

The younger brother of Janelle, Jevon had his moment of glory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He broke his national record in the 50m freestyle with a time of 22.83 seconds, but unfortunately, it was not sufficient to advance to the semi-finals. Jevon remains the national record holder in the 50m freestyle (22.75 seconds) and the short course 100m freestyle (50.57 seconds).

Timothy Wynter

He is a Jamaican swimmer known for his success in backstroke events. He has represented Jamaica in multiple international competitions, including the Olympic Games and World Championships. Wynter has set several Jamaican national records and continues to compete at a high level. He participated in the 2016 Summer Olympics' men's 100-meter backstroke competition. He majored in psychology and competed on the USC swim team. Additionally, in 2016 he broke the 50- and 100-meter backstroke national records for Jamaica.

Sion Brinn

Brinn represented Jamaica at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia, finishing 12th in the 100m freestyle. He made history as the first Jamaican to win a swimming heat at the Olympic Games, triumphing in both the 50m and 100m heats. Brinn later competed for Great Britain in the 2000 Olympic Games in Australia, participating in the 400m medley relay team (finishing eighth) and the 400m freestyle relay team (finishing ninth).

Angela Chuck

For Angela, the sprint freestyle events were her area of expertise as a former swimmer from Jamaica. In total, she won two medals in the 2002 Central American and Caribbean Games in San Salvador, El Salvador: gold in the 200 m freestyle (2:07.81) and bronze in the 100 m freestyle (58.91). Chuck competed in the Olympics twice, in 2000 and 2004. 

Brad Hamilton

Brad Hamilton surprised local swimming fans in March 2012 by announcing his retirement from the sport, even though he had qualified for the 100m butterfly at the upcoming London Olympics. Hamilton cited a lack of financial support as one of the reasons for his decision. Before his retirement, he had won several regional titles and held national records in multiple events, including the 50m and 100m breaststroke, the 50m, 100m, and 200m butterfly, and the 400m and 800m freestyle relays.

Keanan Dols

Keanan Dols is a Jamaican swimmer who excels in breaststroke and individual medley events. He has represented Jamaica in various international competitions, including the Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships. He competed in the men's 200-metre individual medley and men's 200-metre butterfly at the 2020 Summer Olympics. Dols has achieved success at the regional level and continues to showcase his talent in the pool.

Kendese Nangle

She showcased her talent at the CARIFTA Games, where she competed for seven years, earning multiple medals and setting records. She received the title of Swimmer of the Meet on several occasions. Nangle represented Jamaica at various international competitions, including the Central American and Caribbean Games, Caribbean Island Swimming Championships, Central American and Caribbean Swimming Championships, Commonwealth Youth Games, the 13th FINA Swimming World Championships in Rome, Italy in 2009, and the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore. 

Paul Nash

He was a participant in the 1968 Olympics and the 1966 and 1970 Commonwealth Games, made his mark in swimming. He was honoured as Sportsperson of the Year in 1969. Nash, who also represented Jamaica in water polo, happens to be the father of former West Indian cricketer Brendan Nash.

These are just a few of the famous Jamaican swimmers who have made significant contributions to the sport. They have helped put Jamaica on the map of the swimming world and have inspired future generations of swimmers in the country.

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References & Sources For Famous Jamaican Swimmers

1. Olympic swimmers for Jamaica - FamousFix.com list. (n.d.). FamousFix.com. https://www.famousfix.com/list/olympic-swimmers-for-jamaica
2. 8 Top Jamaican Swimmers Throughout The Years —. (2015, July 23). diG Jamaica. http://digjamaica.com/m/blog/8-top-jamaican-swimmer-throughout-the-years/

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