Janelle Atkinson

{{short description|Jamaican swimmer}} {{Infobox swimmer | name = Janelle Atkinson | image =  | image_size =  | alt = | caption = | fullname = Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson-McClave | nicknames = | national_team = {{JAM}} | strokes = Freestyle | club = Gator Swim Club (USA) | collegeteam = University of Florida (U.S.) | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|9|30|df=y}} | birth_place = Saint Andrew, Surrey, Jamaica | death_date = | death_place = | height = {{convert|5|ft|6|in|m|abbr=on}} | weight = {{convert|146|lb|kg|abbr=on}} | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's swimming}} {{MedalCountry | Jamaica}} {{MedalCompetition | Pan American Games}} {{MedalSilver | 1999 Winnipeg | 200 m freestyle}} {{MedalSilver | 1999 Winnipeg | 400 m freestyle}} {{MedalSilver | 1999 Winnipeg | 800 m freestyle}} {{MedalCompetition | Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalBronze | 2002 Manchester | 400 m freestyle}} {{MedalBronze | 2002 Manchester | 800 m freestyle}} }}

'''Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson-McClave''' (born 30 September 1982), née '''Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson''', is a Jamaican former competitive swimmer who won three silver medals at the 1999 Pan American Games. At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, she became the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four of any swimming event at an Olympic Games, placing fourth in the 400-metre freestyle.

== Early years ==

Atkinson was born in Saint Andrew, Surrey, Jamaica in 1982.

== International career ==

At the 1999 Pan American Games in WinnipegManitoba, Atkinson was a three-time silver medalist, finishing third in each of the 200-, 400- and 800-metre freestyle events. Atkinson represented Jamaica at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, where she finished fourth in the 400-metre freestyle and ninth in the 800-metre freestyle.<ref name=sroprofile>Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports, [https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/janelle-atkinson-1.html Janelle Atkinson] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123202104/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/at/janelle-atkinson-1.html |date=2009-01-23 }}. Retrieved 13 April 2012.</ref> She was the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four at an Olympic Games.<ref name="Berg20Nov2018">Berg, Aimee (20 November 2018). [https://www.fina.org/news/1908979/alia-atkinson-jamaicas-tour-de-force "Alia Atkinson: Jamaica's Tour de Force"]. ''FINA''. Retrieved 16 July 2021.</ref> Atkinson won a pair of bronze medals in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, England. She also competed in the 200-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle for the Jamaican team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.<ref name=sroprofile/> Janelle stills holds Jamaican national records in the 200 meter freestyle 2:01.11,400 meter freestyle 4:08.78,800 metre freestyle 8:34.51,1500 metre freestyle 16:22.21 and 200 metre butterfly 2:18.78. She was named Jamaica's Swimmer of the Year seven consecutive times from 1997 to 2003.Her brother,Jevon Atkinson is also an Olympic swimmer. He competed at the 2004 and 2008 Games.Contrary to popular belief, Janelle is not related to Alia Atkinson who coincidentally is also a Jamaican swimmer.

== College career ==

She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where she swam for coach Gregg Troy's Florida Gators swimming and diving team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 2001 to 2004.<ref name=ufmediasupp>''[http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/media/2011/supplement.pdf Florida Swimming & Diving 2011–12 Media Supplement] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521210530/http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/media/2011/supplement.pdf |date=2013-05-21 }}'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 62, 63, 75–76, 79 (2011). Retrieved 13 April 2012.</ref> As a Gator swimmer, Atkinson won three Southeastern Conference (SEC) championships (twice in the 500-yard freestyle and once in the 1,650-yard freestyle), and received ten All-American honors.<ref name=ufmediasupp/> She graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in tourism and hospitality management in 2005.<ref name=uconnprofile>UConnHuskies.com, Women's Swimming & Diving, Coaches, [http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/atkinson-wignall_janelle01.html Janelle Atkinson-Wignall] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120612102456/http://www.uconnhuskies.com/sports/m-swim/mtt/atkinson-wignall_janelle01.html |date=2012-06-12 }}. Retrieved 18 July 2011.</ref>

== Coaching ==

In 2014, Atkinson became the head coach of Swimming and Diving at Fairfield University. Before going to Fairfield, she was an assistant swimming coach for the UConn Huskies women's swimming and diving team at the University of Connecticut in Storrs, Connecticut.<ref name=uconnprofile/> For the four years prior to accepting the UConn job, she served as an assistant swimming coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.<ref name=uconnprofile/> She also served as the head coach of the Jamaican women's national team at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.<ref name=uconnprofile/>

In 2017, Atkinson was named the head coach of the Stony Brook University swimming and diving team.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://stonybrookathletics.com/news/2017/2/20/womens-swimming-and-diving-seawolves-name-janelle-atkinson-as-head-womens-swimming-diving-coach.aspx|title=Seawolves name Janelle Atkinson as head women's swimming & diving coach|website=Stony Brook University Athletics|date=20 February 2017 |language=en|access-date=2019-10-26}}</ref> She was let go in January 2018 due to allegations of abuse from several swimmers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/stony-brook-university-coaches-dismissed-athletes-allege-abuse/|title=Stony Brook University Coaches Dimissied After Athletes Allege Abuse|website=SwimSwam|date=26 January 2018}}</ref> Atkinson sued Stony Brook, claiming gender bias and that the university "overreacted."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/janelle-atkinson-suing-stony-brook-over-2018-dismissal-claims-gender-bias/|title=Janelle Atkinson Suing Stony Brook Over 2018 Dismissal, Claims Gender Bias|website=SwimSwam|date=7 January 2020}}</ref> The case had an out-of-court settlement of $385,000 and Stony Brook denied any wrongdoing, as part of the agreement.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://swimswam.com/janelle-atkinson-reaches-settlement-with-stony-brook-in-discrimination-lawsuit/|title=Janelle Atkinson Reaches Settlement With Stony Brook In Discrimination Lawsuit|website=SwimSwam|date=1 October 2021}}</ref>

== References ==

== External links ==

* [https://archive.today/20130124063720/http://web.gatorzone.com/swimmingdiving/women/bios.php?year=2003&bio=atkinson.html Janelle Atkinson] – University of Florid athlete profile at GatorZone.com

{{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Janelle}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:Jamaican female swimmers Category:Jamaican female freestyle swimmers Category:Florida Gators women's swimmers Category:Expatriate swimmers in the United States Category:Jamaican swimming coaches Category:Olympic swimmers for Jamaica Category:Pan American Games silver medalists for Jamaica Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Jamaica Category:Sportspeople from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Category:Stony Brook Seawolves swimming coaches Category:Swimmers at the 1999 Pan American Games Category:Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Category:Swimmers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Category:Swimmers at the 2003 Pan American Games Category:Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Category:Wright State Raiders swimming coaches Category:Commonwealth Games bronze medallists in swimming Category:Pan American Games silver medalists in swimming Category:UConn Huskies swimming coaches Category:Fairfield Stags swimming coaches Category:Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Category:Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games