Atkinson to be inducted into Texas A&M Hall of Fame

Olympian Alia Atkinson is one of 10 sports Hall of Fame inductees to be honoured in September at the Burgess Banquet in College Station, home to the main campus of Texas A&M University. The Texas A & M alum was a four-year winner for the college's swimming and diving programme. Throughout her four years, Atkinson received 19 All-American honours,which ranks fourth-best in the  programmes history.

The 2010 NCAA champion in the 200-yard breaststroke, Atkinson was a three-time Big 12 champion in the 100 breaststroke and the 200 breaststroke. She also garnered 12 champion titles in the 400 medley relay, 200 medley relay and the 200 freestyle relay.

She currently ranks sixth in the programme’s history in the 100-yard breaststroke and in the 200-yard breaststroke, both of which she set in 2009 as a junior. In 2010, Atkinson received her Bachelors of Science Degree in Psychology.

The four-time Olympian set the 100-metre breaststroke world record in 2014, and won at the Short Course World Championship in Doha, becoming the first black woman to win a world swimming title.