At the 1999 Pan American Games in WinnipegManitoba, Janelle Atkinson was a three-time silver medalist, finishing third in each of the 200-, 400- and 800-metre freestyle events.
14 Facts About Janelle Atkinson
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Janelle 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.
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Janelle Atkinson was the first Jamaican swimmer to finish in the top four at an Olympic Games.
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Janelle 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.
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Janelle Atkinson competed in the 200-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle for the Jamaican team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
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Janelle Atkinson was named Jamaica's Swimmer of the Year seven consecutive times from 1997 to 2003.
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Contrary to popular belief, Janelle is not related to Alia Atkinson who coincidentally is a Jamaican swimmer.
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Alia Atkinson 8.
Janelle Atkinson 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 competition from 2001 to 2004.
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Janelle Atkinson graduated from Florida with a bachelor's degree in tourism and hospitality management in 2005.
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In 2014, Janelle Atkinson became the head coach of Swimming and Diving at Fairfield University.
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Janelle Atkinson served as the head coach of the Jamaican women's national team at the 2009 World Aquatics Championships.
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In 2017, Janelle Atkinson was named the head coach of the Stony Brook University swimming and diving team.
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Janelle Atkinson was fired from the program less than a year later after allegations of abusive behavior towards her swimmers.
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Janelle Atkinson, in turn, sued the university for gender and racial discrimination.