11 months ago
29
LIKE HER idol Alia Atkinson did before her, Jamaican Olympian swimmer Sabrina Lyn is hoping her exploits in the pool can prove an inspiration for the next generation of Jamaican swimmers.
Lyn, who competes for Louisiana State University (LSU), made her Olympic debut last year at the Paris Games in the women’s 50m freestyle.
With her time of 26.08 seconds, Lyn placed 29th overall from a field of 79 swimmers.
She described the experience as a dream come true when she walked out to the pool to compete.
“To become Sabrina the Olympian has been a dream of mine, so being able to reach that dream was a pretty great feeling,” she said.
“It became a reality for me right before my race,” she continued. “As I had walked out to the pool to go behind the blocks and heard the cheering, I said ‘Wow, I’m actually at the Olympics’.”
Now as she looks ahead to her 2025 season, she hopes her achievement can inspire the next generation of swimmers to aspire towards becoming Olympians.
Lyn is the first Jamaican female swimmer to compete at the Games following the retirement of five-time Olympian Atkinson in 2021.
She is aiming to help boost the growth of the sport and believes Jamaica has the ability to produce even more world-class swimmers.
“It is a very big motivator for me. I try to be an inspiration for these younger swimmers because I do want to see the sport of swimming in Jamaica continue to grow. To help push that growth, I feel that is something that keeps pushing me in swimming,” she explained.
“I’m hoping that other swimmers can see what I have done, and then use that as inspiration to reach the same heights.”
Lyn, who is also pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, said she wants to compete in the sport for as long as possible.
She has set her target on qualifying for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and feels should she achieve that aim, she can also push for the 2032 cycle in Brisbane, Australia.
“I really want to just keep on swimming for as long as I can. Swimming is not just for the Olympics because I love swimming as a sport. I do it for the love of it but I am hoping to reach the cycle in 2028 and then from there, I will be able to make the decision on if I can make it to 2032.”
English (US) ·