Jamaica’s swimming sensation Alia Atkinson is hoping to cap off a superb season with her first Olympic medal at the Games in Rio later this month.

Atkinson, 27, who qualified for her first Olympic Games at the age of 15 years old, has since made appearances at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Games. The latter was her most successful, as she just missed a spot on the podium after finishing fourth in the 100-metre breaststroke final.

Since then, she has gone on to achieve the World Short-course Championships 100-metre breaststroke record of 1:02.36 minutes in 2014, and clocked her best time ever of 1:05.93 minutes over the Long-course 100m breaststroke last November.

With the close shave of 2012 etched in the back of her mind, the decorated swimmer has been effectively sharpening various facets of her technique in a vigorous preparation phase. Over the past months, she has recorded fairly satisfactory times on the circuit at Arena Pro swim meets.

In January in Austin, Texas, she clocked 1:07.47 minutes, followed by 1:06.84 minutes in Arizona in April and 1:07.81 minutes in Charlotte a month later.

At the Speedos Sectional Championships in Orlando last month, she effortlessly clocked 1:06.80 minutes, and at the same meet, set a new national record of 29.78 seconds in the 50m backstroke.

“Preparations have been going very well indeed. In fact, my coach Chris Anderson said that I am much more consistent in practice now than I was preparing for the last Olympics in London. I am much stronger and much more familiar with the breaststroke technique now having spent the last several months perfecting it,” she told the Jamaica Observer in a recent interview from her base in Florida prior to joining the team in Brazil.

“I have been working on my start, pull out, turn and finish. Of course, during the swim itself I am conscious that I have to move my head forward after completing the stroke rather than coming straight up as I have done in the past,” she added.

Pleased with how her season has progressed so far, Atkinson is confident in her chances of making the podium. However, she was quick to add that it will come down to the “perfect execution”.

A medal would not just simply place her name in the history books once again, but would have to be a culmination of the significant level of hard work and dedication that have gone into her impressive career.

Atkinson’s journey is ardently being supported by Rainforest Sea Foods, GraceKennedy Money Services (Western Union/Money Gram), Speedos UK and the prayers and well-wishes of numerous fans locally and in the diaspora.

“I feel as if I am fully prepared to execute what I deem as a perfect race to come going into the Games. Perfect in the sense that when I come out of the water I don’t look back and think that I could have done better in this area or in that area. And, this all comes down to preparation which has gone very well,” she noted.

Atkinson also expressed delight about having Timothy Wynter and diver Yona Knight-Wisdom joining her in the pool for her fourth appearance at the modern Olympic Games.

“I am very happy that two swimmers made the ‘B’ cut for the Olympics, but it is disappointing that both were not chosen on the team. I have to congratulate Timothy Wynter and it is also amazing that we have a diver on the squad. It only shows that with determination and hard work you can achieve whatever you want to in life,” she said.