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| Elinah
PHILLIP |
| Sport |
Swimming |
| NOC |
British Virgin Islands
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| Gender | Women |
| Born | 03 Apr 2000
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Sport Specific Information |
Club / Team |
Florida International University: Miami, FL, USA |
General Interest |
Injuries |
She sustained a knee injury in late 2012. She has also suffered from shoulder problems and shin splints during her career. (bvibeacon.com, 13 Apr 2015) |
Famous relatives |
Her older sister Amarah has also represented the Virgin Islands, British in swimming, and competed at the 2015 World Championships in Kazan, Russian Federation. Her father Elsworth has been president of the British Virgin Islands Swim Federation [BVISF], and has coached the national swimming team, while her mother Tracy Bradshaw has served as secretary of the BVISF. (SportsDeskOnline, 11 Aug 2018; bviplatinum.com, 16 Apr 2014; bbc.co.uk, 04 Apr 2014; bviolympics.org, 03 Dec 2013) |
Sport Specific Information |
Why this sport? |
"I absolutely love the feeling of the water all around my body. When I race I love the feeling of the adrenaline rushing through my veins as I stand behind the blocks. It always reminds me of why I love what I do so much." |
When and where did you begin this sport? |
"Originally, my sister and I took swimming lessons at a very young age. When we first moved to Bristol [England] we continued taking swimming lessons, but I didn't enjoy it. I sat on the side of the pool and watched with all of my gear on for about one year. When my mother threatened to stop paying for me to go, only then did I get into the water. I was five at that time." |
Further Personal Information |
Occupation |
Athlete, Student |
Languages |
English |
General Interest |
Sporting philosophy / motto |
"Work hard, have dedication, stay focused, and remember to practise, practise, practise. Then everything will fall into place." (virginislandsnewsonline.com, 06 May 2013) |
Other information |
LIVING OVERSEAS
Born in Puerto Rico, she moved to England in 2005 when her mother Tracy began studying law at the University of Bristol. After relocating to the Virgin Islands, British in 2009, the family moved back to England to live in Hatfield in 2012. "Moving to the UK definitely affected my swimming career in a positive way." In 2019 she relocated to the United States of America to study at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey. In 2020 she transferred to Florida International University in Miami to study natural and applied sciences on a pre-dentistry track. (swimswam.com, 11 Jul 2021; Instagram profile, 29 Sep 2021, 09 Jun 2021; bishopsstortfordcollege.org, 2021; bvibeacon.com, 13 Apr 2015; bbc.co.uk, 04 Apr 2014; Rutgers Swimming and Diving Facebook page, 03 Jul 2019; islandsun.com, 22 Oct 2018) |
Awards and honours |
She was named flag bearer for the Virgin Islands, British for the opening ceremony of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (Florida International University Facebook page, 24 Jul 2021)
While competing for Florida International University in the United States of America, in 2021 she was named Conference USA Newcomer of the Year. (fiusports.com, 13 Apr 2021)
While competing for Rutgers University in the United States of America, in 2020 she was named Co-Freshman Swimmer of the Year by the university. (islandsun.com, 21 May 2020)
In 2018 she was presented with the Wilkinson Sword award by the Hertfordshire Amateur Swimming Association in England. (ukboardingschools.com, 25 Jul 2018) |
Sport Specific Information |
Name of coach |
Randy Horner [club]; Brien Moffitt [club] |
General Interest |
Milestones |
She became the first athlete to represent the Virgin Islands, British in swimming at the Olympic Games when she competed in the 50m freestyle at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. At age 16 years and 131 days in Rio, she also became the youngest athlete to represent the Virgin Islands, British in any sport at the Olympic Games. (SportsDeskOnline, 20 Jul 2021) |
Hero / Idol |
US tennis player Serena Williams. (scarletknights.com, 01 Jan 2020) |
Further Personal Information |
Residence |
Miami, FL, USA |
Olympic Games |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| 34 |
2021 |
Tokyo, JPN |
50m Freestyle |
25.74 |
| Heats |
2016 |
Rio de Janeiro, BRA |
50m Freestyle |
26.26 |
World Championships |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| Heats |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
50m Butterfly |
28.51 |
| Heats |
2017 |
Budapest, HUN |
50m Freestyle |
26.85 |
| Heats |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
100m Freestyle |
1:00.79 |
| Heats |
2015 |
Kazan, RUS |
50m Butterfly |
29.29 |
World Championships Short Course |
| Rank |
Year |
Venue |
Event |
Result |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
100m Butterfly |
1:06.77 |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
50m Butterfly |
DNS |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
100m Freestyle |
59.30 |
| Heats |
2014 |
Doha, QAT |
50m Freestyle |
26.74 |
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