Placing sixth in the 100-metre freestyle semifinals in a new national record time, Jordan Crooks has booked a lane in the event’s final (scheduled for 6:21am on 27 July) at the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan.
Crooks, 21, sliced more than a second off his previous personal best from this time last year during the qualifying heats, to first dip under Shaune Fraser’s 14-year-old Cayman Islands record, before dropping another few hundredths of a second in his semifinal heat on 26 July to clock in at 47.71.
The reigning world champion in the 50m short course freestyle will be in amongst a stacked field – one that includes world record holder David Popovici, and was described by American swimming commentator Rowdy Gaines as “the fastest in history” – when he steps behind the starting blocks for a finals appearance that will mark his, and Cayman’s, first at a major long course event.
Crooks’ appearance in the final also makes him the only Caribbean swimmer to advance to that stage, after Trinidad and Tobago’s Dylan Carter placed 16th overall.
The Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association’s technical director, Jacky Pellerin, explained that coming into these world championships, Crooks’ main goal was to earn an Olympic ‘A’ qualifying cut – a feat he achieved. In the semifinal, Pellerin said that Crooks again was focused not on his time, but on beating the top-seeded swimmer in his heat – American Jack Alexy – to try to qualify for the finals.
Pellerin added that with a few areas of improvement already noted in Crooks’ semifinal performance, both swimmer and coach are confident ahead of tomorrow’s final.
Before Crooks contests his 100-metre freestyle final on Thursday morning, however, his sister Jillian will hit the water for her first race in Fukuoka: heat five of the women’s 100-metre freestyle, scheduled for 8:42pm on 26 July.
| Swimmer | Event | Date | Time (Cayman Islands) |
| Jordan Crooks | 100m freestyle (final) | 27 July | 6:21am |
| 50m freestyle (heats) | 27 July | 9:30pm | |
| Jillian Crooks | 100m freestyle (heats) | 26 July | 8:42pm |
| 50m freestyle (heats) | 28 July | 9:09pm |
Every session of racing at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships is streamed live on subscription television service Peacock, while results and a full schedule of events can be found on the World Aquatics website.
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