Atkinson, representing Jamaica, grabbed her dramatic comeback victory in a world record-matching time of 1:02.36 to out-touch 2012 Olympic Champion Rūta Meilutytė of Lithuania. Atkinson's time tied Meilutytė's world record of 1:02.36 from the Moscow stop of the FINA World Cup and broke the Short Course Worlds' meet record of 1:02.43 set by Meilutytė on Friday.
“That was amazing,” said Texas A&M head coach Steve Bultman, who coached Atkinson from 2007-10. “Seeing her win a world championship and set a world record is just outstanding. It's an incredible accomplishment and I could not be prouder of Alia.”
Atkinson was a four-year letterwinner for the Aggies, and she won the 2010 NCAA crown in the 200 breaststroke. She finished her career as A&M's school record holder in the 100- and 200-yard breaststrokes, and she earned a whopping 19 All-America citations during her career.