Jamaica is given two “universality” roster spots, one for each gender, for their 2021 Olympic roster. Heading right into the start of the Olympics, Keanan Dols and Alia Atkinson have been named to the 2021 Jamaican Olympic team.
Rising Penn senior Keanan Dols was selected for the Jamaican male Olympic universality spot following his FINA B cut time of 2:02.15 in the 200 IM, swam at the Mission Viejo stop of the 2021 Pro Swim Series. No other Jamaican male had nabbed a FINA A or B cut. The swim also took down his 2018 national mark of 2:03.66. Dols’ qualification makes him the first Penn swimmer to make an Olympic team since American Robert Lewis Cragg Jr.‘s 1976 berth for the Montreal Olympics.
Dols also holds the LCM 200 back national record at 2:03.05 as well as four SCM records, all set at the 2016 World Championships: 100 back (55.39), 200 back (1:59.43), 100 IM (57.45), and 200 IM (2:02.06). 1:07.06 at the 2019 FINA World Cup meet in Jinan, China, which clears the FINA “A” standard and earns her an automatic invite.
The second universality Olympic spot, representing the women’s side, will be multi-time Olympian Alia Atkinson. The SCM sprint breaststroke world record-holder was last spotted at the SOFLO Last Chance OLY Trials Qualifier in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where she hit 1:08.76 in the 100 breast. Her best time during the qualifying period is a
In the FINA document that outlines qualifications for the 2021 Olympics, it states, “[nations] with no men or women with an “A” or “B” time standard will be allowed to enter their highest ranked men athlete or highest ranked women athlete in one individual event, based upon the FINA Points Table (2021 edition), through a performance in an approved FINA Olympic qualifying event (including the FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019).” Since no male Jamaican has been invited to the meet, Dols is attending as a Universality swimmer.
QUALIFICATION SYSTEM – GAMES OF THE XXXII OLYMPIAD – TOKYO 2020. UNIVERSALITY PLACES (UNQUALIFIED ATHLETES)
27-year-old Jamaican native Michael Gunning took to his personal blog after not being selected to the 2021 Olympic team. In his blog post, titled “My Tokyo Olympic Conundrum, Destiny & Final Ruling”, Gunning opened by expressing, “I was hit by some heart-breaking news that has unfortunately left me feeling shocked, gutted and extremely emotional”.
Throughout his post, Gunning pointed out the change in FINA’s point system that reduced his 200 fly total by 17 points. Gunning also wrote about his COVID-19 restrictions from training at British facilities and being unable to compete in FINA-qualifying competitions both in Great Britain and abroad. As a result, Gunning was training without a coach or proper facility for nearly 28 weeks.
Gunning’s first attempt an Olympic qualification since the pandemic wasn’t until the beginning of this June in Glasgow. There, Gunning swam 56.97 in the 100 fly and 2:04.38 in the 200 fly, both well off his personal bests of 54.18/1:58.55. Despite his trials, Gunning closed his post with, “I would have loved to create history this Summer and be the first openly gay Caribbean swimmer at the Olympics, but… I will be watching the Olympics and my friends, teammates and training partners in awe, as they do us all proud.”
Further note from ASAJ VP Georgia Sinclair “Even though the article makes reference to Alia’s 100m breaststroke time of 1:08.76 at the SOFLO’s Last Qualifier meet, Alia swam a 1:07.06 on August 10, 2019 at the Swimming World Cup in China which was an Olympic Qualifying Standard…that is the A standard.”
Note from ASAJ Vice President (Swimming) – Georgia Sinclair: “Just want to make some corrections to this post. Alia Atkinson did not gain a universality place. Her A standard in the 100m breaststroke made her an automatic qualifier. Additionally, Keanan Dols was not the only Jamaican male swimmer to have a FINA B cut. Michael Gunning also had a B standard in the 200m butterfly but accumulated less FINA points to Keanan’s 200IM time and hence Keanan’s universality selection.”
Alia has the A cut in the 100 metre breaststroke 1:07.06 from the FINA World Cup August 2019.
This is a confusing. It appears Jamaica was not entitled to universality places due to having swimmers with A and B cuts. I don’t understand how Gunning hoped to be offered a place once Dols did the B cut?
Anyway I will say the information about how Gunning was locked out of facilities and coasching for 28 weeks due to Covid illustrates the difference between being part of the elite British team and not being during the lockdowns. Anyone not in the inner circle already probably had a tough time getting in any kind of shape for trials.
The standard that seems to be applied is that a country can’t have any A cut swimmers or invited B cut swimmers.
In practice, there are very, very few B cut swimmers invited.
In the FINA document that outlines qualifications for the 2021 Olympics, it states, “[nations] with no men or women with an “A” or “B” time standard will be allowed to enter their highest ranked men athlete or highest ranked women athlete in one individual event, based upon the FINA Points Table (2021 edition), through a performance in an approved FINA Olympic qualifying event (including the FINA World Championships Gwangju 2019).” Since no Jamaican has swum under the FINA A cut this Olympic cycle, the two universality places will go to the athletes with the FINA B cut.
So why did Jamaica need universality spots if they had B cuts? The way FINA and countries do this is confusing, but it… Read more »
In the FINA document, universality spots are selected before the B-cuts
Yeah Keanan!! Go Quakers!!
Nick, what event did Dols qualify? It gives times, but not event. Thanks