Elton Tucker, Assistant Sport Editor

Alia Atkinson ... poised for medal breakthrough. - File

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil:

ALIA ATKINSON will attempt to give Jamaica its first medal at the XV Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro when she swims in the final of the women's 100 metres butterfly this morning at 10:37 (8:37 Jamaica time).

On a day of mixed fortunes in the pool, the brightest light for Jamaica was 18-year-old Atkinson who, after breaking the 100m butterfly national record on Monday, lowered it even further in yesterday's semi-finals.

Atkinson first did 1:02.91 to obliterate the 1:03.95 set by Tamara Swaby at the 2003 Pan Am Games. In yesterday's semi-final she clipped another 0.51 second off that mark to get down to 1:02.40 and third in semi-final two. Her time was sixth fastest overall, behind a best of 59.50 seconds by gold-medal favourite, American Kathleen Hersey.

Earlier, both Atkinson and Natasha Moodie, 16, failed to get beyond the semi-finals of the women's 50m freestyle. Atkinson was 11th overall after placing fifth in semi-final two in 26.74 seconds. Moodie (26.85), a former Mona Prep and Campion College student who migrated to the United States five years ago, was seventh in the same semi-final and 14th overall.

Atkinson, who now holds a whopping eight individual national swim records, was surprised at going below the mark twice in the 100m butterfly as, according to her, she did the fly as a warm-up and "just to get a feel of the water" ahead of her best event, the 100m breaststroke.

Now she hopes to swim even faste the morning final is unusual.

"The rest overnight will help but I just have to see what I feel like tomorrow," the Florida-based Atkinson said.

Last night, Atkinson reached her third semi-final of the Games when she clocked a conservative 1:12.25 for third in heat two of the 100m breaststroke and seventh overall. Her heat was won in a Games' record 1:07.78 by Annamay Pierse of Canada. Moodie, who is also based in Florida, did not advance

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IN ACTION TODAY

FOOTBALL

Women

9:15 a.m: Jamaica vs Canada

Men

10:30 a.m: Jamaica vs Argentina

SWIMMING

Women

8:34 a.m: 100m butterfly final - Alia Atkinson

5:09 p.m: 200m freestyle heats

Natasha Moodie9:15 a.m 100m breaststroke semis - Alia Atkinson

Men

5:22 p.m: 200m freestyle heats Jonathan Wong

Note: The times listed are Jamaican.