Four swimmers are representing the Cayman Islands at the 15th FINA World Swimming Championships (25m) in Abu Dhabi, which run from 16-21 Dec.
Alison Jackson, James Allison, Lauren Hew and Liam Henry are hitting the 25-metre pool against some of the world’s swimming elite at the Etihad Arena.
“After two long, pandemic-impacted years, [the] Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association is delighted to see its swimmers once again representing the Cayman Islands internationally,” CIASA stated in a press release.
Jackson, 19, is taking part in the 100m freestyle and 100m individual medley; Allison, 15, the 100m and 200m free; Henry, 20, the 50m and 100m butterfly; and top Caymanian sprinter Hew, 22, the 50m free and 50m backstroke.
“I’m really excited about this opportunity to represent Cayman,” Hew said in the release. “I am looking forward to experiencing another World Championships with the rest of the Cayman team and giving it our all in the pool.”
Jordan Crooks is not among the athletes representing Cayman, despite being the only one to qualify for the event (the others were selected by CIASA).
Association president Steve Broadbelt told the Cayman Compass that due to Crooks recently competing at the 2021 Junior Pan American Games, it was decided he should sit out this event.
“The meets are too close,” Broadbelt said. “Jordan is the fastest current male swimmer that we have and if [the] Pan Ams had stayed in July, our decision would be different. Manchester United sometimes put Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench.”
The decision made by CIASA has caused Jordan’s mother, Faith Crooks, to speak out on her Facebook page, expressing her disapproval.
“On behalf of my swimmers I made it clear and went on record with CIASA that I was not in agreement with the decision,” she wrote. “My swimmers have worked hard and recorded top times to be considered and potentially earn a spot to represent their country internationally, I will NOT sit quietly by as they are displaced. No one should expect that, and the Federation should not encourage this.”
Seven Mile Swimmers coach Darren Mew, along with CIASA’s technical director Jacky Pellerin, are with Cayman’s swimmers in the United Arab Emirates.
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It is shame that this “controversy” has to be written about. It is a storm in a teacup as Ms. Faith already knows that is it basically impossible to perform at a high level in two swim meets that are basically adjacent on the calendar. The Junior Pan Am’s ended at the start of December and the Short Course World’s started less than 2 weeks later.
It would be difficult enough to handle if both meets were held locally, but throw in the international travel that is made significantly more difficult by Covid-19 and consider time zone changes. Two good performances so close to each other are not going to happen it isn’t going to happen.
Our Cayman athletes are not robots and those making the selection have the duty to consider additional factors beyond who may have the best time on paper. Given all the factors it is obvious that the best choice was to give a place in one of the two meets for another swimmer besides Jordan. That is exactly what has happened.
Considering the extra time away from college it would have meant for her son at the end of term, one has to question if this was about what is best for him as a student and athlete or the thrill and ego boost she gets from seeing the family name in the paper and online.