Jamaican swimmer Alia Atkinson won the gold in the women’s 100m breaststroke at the world short course swimming championships in Qatar. Atkinson beat Olympic champion Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania. CNN reports that by doing so, Atkinson “became the first swimmer black woman to claim a world title in the pool.” (sic)
The first black woman to hold a world record–though not a world title–in the pool was Enith Brigitha of the Netherlands. Brigitha took bronze medals in both the 100 and 200m freestyle events at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. She was the first black athlete to win a swimming medal in the Olympics.
Enith Brigitha, 1972, photo: Dutch National Archives, The Hague, Fotocollectie Algemeen Nederlands Persbureau (ANEFO)
