Atkinson is the first competing Olympic athlete appointed to the role Caribbean.
“The role of Champion Ambassador for Special Olympics defines the power of real purpose,” Atkinson told the Jamaica Gleaner.
“Special Olympics athletes meet the challenge each day to realize their full potential, and I’m honoured to have the chance to learn from them, and to share our experiences together as we strive for inclusion for those with intellectual disabilities.”
The Jamaican took to Instagram and wrote, “It’s funny. Looking back, the years went by so fast and before I realized it, I was looking at the end of it. A question that was asked after my swim today was: Would I give it all up for an Olympic medal? And honestly, I wouldn’t trade this journey for anything. All the ups and downs has made me who I am today (though at times it feels like there are more downs than ups), but it taught me how to get up and God taught me how to smile through it all."
Atkinson, who made her Olympic debut in 2004, finished third in heat 3 of the Women’s 100m Breaststroke but only just missed out on a semifinal spot. She recorded a time of 1:07:70, which was the 17th fastest, meaning she finished just outside of the qualifiers, with only 16 places up for grabs. It was her only event of the Games.
“My x5 Olympic journey ends here, but the Olympic medal is still waiting for some Jamaican girl/boy to claim it. I know you can, so keep pushing," she wrote.
The 31-year-old has not won an Olympic medal for Jamaica, but one of her most notable performances was at the Olympic Games. At London 2012, she finished fourth in the 100m Breaststroke. She beat Canada’s Tera van Beilen in a swim-off to make it to the final after the two were tied in the semifinal. She then went on to clock 1:06:93 in the final to become the second Jamaican to finish in the top four of an Olympic swimming event.
She ended her Instagram post by writing, “To the future Jamaican Olympic swimming medalist: “I hope the road was/is less rocky for you. If so, then I have indeed succeeded. We have waited a long time for you, so thank you for staying true and carrying the fly high."
Atkinson has indicated that she has not retired fully from swimming and this is just the end of her Olympic journey.
Competing in Heat 3, the Jamaican swimming sensation clocked 31.48 seconds in her first 50m and held a slight lead over the field at the halfway point. She, however, faded in the last few metres and returned to touch the wall third, with a time of 1:07.70 seconds. Atkinson’s second leg split was timed at 36.22.
The heat was won by 19-year-old Lithuanian Kotryna Teterevkova who clocked 1:06.82 to touch first, in the process securing her spot in the semifinals with one of the top 16 fastest times. German swimmer Anna Elendt also qualified from the heat after finishing second with a time of 1:06.96.
Atkinson was competing in a remarkable fifth straight Olympics.
The fastest time of the round was recorded by South African Tatjana Schoenmaker who smashed American Lilly King’s five-year-old Olympic record, clocking 1:04.82 to win heat five.
The semifinals will get underway on Monday at 8:50 pm.
The athlete’s sojourn at the Games, which began as a 14-year-old high schooler at the 2004 Atlanta Olympics, ended last week after she failed to advance from the heats of the 100m breaststroke.
It wasn’t the fairytale ending that most would have wanted, especially considering the fact that Atkinson had come so close to achieving her dream eight years ago. It was at the 2012 Olympics, that she seemed destined to finally adorn herself with elusive Olympic precious metal, only to narrowly miss out on the medals after finishing fourth in the 100m Breaststroke.
Despite never quite managing to take that final step, however, very few would consider the swimmer’s Olympic career to be one where she failed. Missing out on the medal podium will never stain her legacy.
A quick look at the swimmer's CV shows that she has put together quite an accomplished career, which includes a long list of firsts.
In 2014, she became the first black woman to hold a world record in swimming after clocking 1:02.36 in the short course 100-metre breaststroke, tying the world record in the event.
In 2016, Atkinson set a new world record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke. Two years later, in 2018, she broke her own record in the short course 50-metre breaststroke. She is also the first Afro-Jamaican to win a world title in swimming. Overall, she has earned 12 World Championship medals, four of which have been gold.
Those accomplishments, however, only tells half of the story. The second, perhaps more critical, part of her legacy is what she has meant to a new generation of swimmers that have closely studied her every accomplishment.
Even among her peers, Atkinson, ever the stateswoman, has courted admiration and respect in every corner of the sport and much wider society. That was quite obvious based on the outpouring of support, thanks, and congratulations that poured in once she had announced the decision to call time on her Olympic career. So, while she may never have stood on any of the three official blocks of honour, Atkinson has been elevated much higher than many who have had the privilege.
