Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson-McClave (born 30 September 1982), née Janelle Anya Monique Atkinson, is a

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

n former competitive swimmer who won three silver medals at the

1999 Pan American Games The 1999 Pan American Games, officially the XIII Pan American Games or the 13th Pan American Games, was a major international multi-sport event that was held from July 23 to August 8, 1999, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and surrounding towns and ...

. At the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...

in Sydney, she became the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four of any swimming event at an

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a vari ...

, placing fourth in the 400-metre freestyle.

Early years

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

International career

At the

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

in Sydney, Australia, where she finished fourth in the 400-metre freestyle and ninth in the 800-metre freestyle.Sports-Reference.com, Olympic Sports
Janelle Atkinson
. Retrieved 13 April 2012. She was the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four at an

.Berg, Aimee (20 November 2018)
"Alia Atkinson: Jamaica's Tour de Force"
''

FINA FINA (french: Fédération internationale de natation, en, International Swimming Federation, link=yes) (to be renamed as World Aquatics by ) is the international federation recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administer ...

''. Retrieved 16 July 2021. Atkinson won a pair of bronze medals in the 400-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle at the

2002 Commonwealth Games The 2002 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XVII Commonwealth Games and commonly known as Manchester 2002 were held in Manchester, England, from 25 July to 4 August, 2002. The 2002 Games were to be hosted in the United Kingdom to coin ...

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. She was named Jamaica's Swimmer of the Year seven consecutive times from 1997 to 2003. 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 The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...

in Gainesville, Florida, where she swam for coach

Gregg Troy Gregg Troy (born December 19, 1950) is an American professional and Olympic swimming coach. As of April 2021, he is the head coach for the Cali Condors, which is part of the International Swimming League. Until 2018, he was the head coach of the ...

Florida Gators swimming and diving The Florida Gators swimming and diving program represents the University of Florida in the aquatics sports of swimming and diving. The program includes separate men's and women's teams, both of which compete in Division I of the National Coll ...

team in

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges ...

(NCAA) competition from 2001 to 2004.
Florida Swimming & Diving 2011–12 Media Supplement
'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 62, 63, 75–76, 79 (2011). Retrieved 13 April 2012. As a Gator swimmer, Atkinson won three

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities o ...

(SEC) championships (twice in the 500-yard freestyle and once in the 1,650-yard freestyle), and received ten All-American honors. She graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in tourism and hospitality management in 2005.UConnHuskies.com, Women's Swimming & Diving, Coaches
Janelle Atkinson-Wignall
Retrieved 18 July 2011.

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 The UConn Huskies (or Connecticut Huskies) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Connecticut, located in Storrs. The school is a member of the NCAA's Division I and the Big East Conference. The university's foo ...

women's swimming and diving team at the

University of Connecticut The University of Connecticut (UConn) is a public land-grant research university in Storrs, Connecticut, a village in the town of Mansfield. The primary 4,400-acre (17.8 km2) campus is in Storrs, approximately a half hour's drive from H ...

in Storrs, Connecticut. For the four years prior to accepting the UConn job, she served as an assistant swimming coach at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She also served as the head coach of the Jamaican women's national team at the

2009 World Aquatics Championships The 2009 World Aquatics Championships ( it, Campionati mondiali di nuoto 2009) or the XIII FINA World Championships were held in Rome, Italy from 18 July to 2 August 2009. The 2009 Championships featured competition in all 5 aquatics disciplines ...

. In 2017, Atkinson was named the head coach of the Stony Brook University swimming and diving team. Atkinson was fired from the program less than a year later after allegations of abusive behavior towards her swimmers. Atkinson, in turn, sued the university for gender and racial discrimination. The university settled, not clearing Atkinson of the abuse allegations and "expressly denied any wrongdoing."

References

External links

Janelle Atkinson
– University of Florid athlete profile at GatorZone.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Atkinson, Janelle 1982 births Living people Jamaican female swimmers Jamaican female freestyle swimmers Florida Gators women's swimmers Jamaican swimming coaches Olympic swimmers of Jamaica Pan American Games silver medalists for Jamaica Commonwealth Games bronze medallists for Jamaica People from Saint Andrew Parish, Jamaica Stony Brook Seawolves swimming coaches Swimmers at the 1999 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2002 Commonwealth Games Swimmers at the 2003 Pan American Games Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Wright State Raiders swimming coaches Commonwealth Games medallists in swimming Pan American Games medalists in swimming UConn Huskies swimming coaches Fairfield Stags swimming coaches Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games Medallists at the 2002 Commonwealth Games