BY SHERDON COWAN

Observer staff reporter

cowans@jamaicaobserver.com

Following her gold medal exploits in the women’s 50m breaststroke, Jamaican sensation Alia Atkinson was named among the top performers at the fifth instalment of the 2016 FINA/airweave World Cup Series in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday.

Atkinson ended the two-day meet with one gold, two silver and one bronze and was named swimmer of the meet for posting the closest time to a world record.

On Tuesday’s first day, the breaststroke specialist clocked the fifth fastest time of 1:07.83 minutes in qualifying for the final of the 100m event.

She returned later to go three places better when she clocked 1:03.32 minutes for silver behind American rival Katie Meili (1:03.26) with Russia’s Yulia Efimova (1:03.43) further back in third.

In the 200m individual medley (IM), she posted 2:15.63 minutes as the fourth fastest qualifier from the heats and maintained that position in the final despite lowering her time significantly to 2:13.30 minutes.

The event was won by the Hungarian “Iron lady” Katinka Hosszu in 2:05.87 minutes ahead of compatriot Zsuzsanna Jakabos (2:07.34) and Efimova (2:07.82).

Atkinson also took part in the 50m backstroke where she was the fifth fastest qualifier in 28.60 seconds. However, she opted to scratch from the final.

The second and final day was a lot more fruitful for the reigning world short course champion in the 100m breaststroke, as she contested and secured podium finishes in the 50m breaststroke, 100m IM and 50m butterfly.

Atkinson wasted little time in making a splash on the day, as she topped the qualifiers in the 50m breaststroke with a fast 29.48 seconds and renewed rivalry with Meili (31.26) and Efimova (30.25), who were expected to come closer in the final.

However, Atkinson with a reaction time of 0.63, was not to be denied as she sped to an even faster 29.02 seconds, just outside the record of 28.80 seconds held by American Jessica Hardy. Efimova (29.27) was second with Meili (29.85) third.

After clocking the third fastest qualifying time of 1:00.66 minutes in the 100m IM, Atkinson went one better in copping silver in 58.55 seconds and spoiling the Hungarian party of Hosszu (58.09s) and Jakabos (1:00.23) who were first and third, respectively.

Atkinson then closed the meet on a high when she produced a bronze medal performance in in the 50m butterfly. In the heats, she posted the second best time of 26.60 seconds behind favourite Jeanette Ottesen (26.47s) of Denmark.

Ottesen (25.16) obliged in the final with Hosszu (25.99) taking silver and Atkinson with a slower than usual reaction time of 0.66 closing well for third in 26.14 seconds.

Prior to her exploits in Dubai, Atkinson produced four top-class performances in Beijing, China, where she ended third overall and is currently ranked among the top 12 in the overall standings of the World Cup series.

Atkinson’s strong showing in Beijing included two gold medal performances in the 50m and 100m breaststroke and two bronze medals in the 100m and 200m IM.