Jordan Crooks: Celebrating the Aquatic Triumph of CAC’s Male Swimmer of the Year

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19.90.

Jordan Crooks’s global record in the short-course meters 50 freestyle serves as sufficient evidence for him to claim the 2024 Swammy for Caribbean/Central American Male Swimmer of the Year, despite him having an impressive year beyond that singular event.

In a discipline that emphasizes breaking boundaries and lowering records, certain time milestones hold greater significance than others. The :20 threshold in the 50 freestyle stands out as one of those revered targets, a goal that has gained notoriety as the fastest athletes have narrowly missed shattering it. Caeleb Dressel infamously wore a 2008-era Speedo Fastskin LZR bodysuit while attempting to reach the mark in December 2020. However, following a demanding week of 70k training sessions, Dressel fell short, recording 20.4 on three occasions.

Prior to surpassing 20 seconds, Crooks issued a warning in the heats by breaking Dressel’s 20.16 world record with a time of 20.08. Thirty world records were set over the six days in Budapest, and the excitement of observing a world record began to diminish as the meet progressed. Nevertheless, Crooks astonished everyone and roused the Duna Arena audience during the semifinal as he became the first man to swim under 20 seconds in the event.

Courtesy: World Aquatics

Often, Crooks swims his best times during the championship heats or semifinals, and he maintained that trend in the 50 freestyle. His final time of 20.19 secured him the gold medal by .38 seconds as he successfully defended his title from the 2022 Short Course World Championships, where he first emerged on the global stage.

This achievement granted Crooks his second medal of the competition. Earlier, he improved upon his 2022 result in the 100 freestyle, securing bronze behind Jack Alexy and his training mate Gui Santos from Tennessee. In the heats of the 100 freestyle, Crooks shattered the championship record that Alexy had established while leading off the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay for the United States. Crooks clocked 44.95, closely challenging Kyle Chalmers’ world record of 44.84.

The pinnacle of Crooks’ international year occurred at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, yet he also had a commendable performance at his first Olympic Games in Paris. He improved his national record by over two-tenths during the heats with a 21.51. Ultimately, he qualified for the Olympic final, becoming the first Caymanian to achieve this in any event, where he finished eighth with a time of 21.64. Crooks also advanced to the semifinals in the men’s 100 freestyle, placing 13th (48.10).

Honorable Mentions:

• Mikel Schreuders, Aruba: Mikel Schreuders made his third Olympic appearance in 2024. Schreuders is a Missouri alum, and upon officially qualifying for Paris in June, he became the Tigers’ first three-time Olympic swimmer. He competed in the 50 and 100 freestyle at the Games, finishing 26th in both with times of 22.14/48.84. He swiftly returned to competition after the Games, participating in the entire World Cup circuit, and subsequently racing at the 2024 Short Course World Championships, where he achieved lifetime bests in the 50 freestyle (21.60) and 50 breaststroke (26.36), establishing Aruban records in both events. The 50 breaststroke was his highest placement in Budapest, where he finished 22nd overall. He also recorded a season-best 100 freestyle (47.47) for 30th.
• Lamar Taylor, Bahamas: After finishing 26th in the 100 freestyle at the Olympic Games with a personal best and Bahamian record of 48.84, NCAA DII champion Lamar Taylor moved on to the University of Tennessee for his fifth year of collegiate swimming. Taylor joined a strong sprint group in Knoxville that includes Crooks and Santos. It’s still early, but the transition has proven beneficial for Taylor at the 2024 Short Course World Championships. There, he achieved lifetime bests and national records in the 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke, and 50 butterfly. Taylor qualified for the semifinals in the men’s 100 freestyle, swimming 46.34 for a 13th-place result. His other national record performances in Budapest included 23.51 in the 50 backstroke and 23.24 in the 50 butterfly.
• Dylan Carter, Trinidad & Tobago: Dylan Carter may not have experienced the year he desired on the international swimming scene, but he remained one of the top swimmers from Caribbean and Central American nations this year. Carter placed 28th in the 50 freestyle (22.18) and 34th in the 100 freestyle (49.35) at the Olympic Games. Similar to Schreuders, he quickly returned to competition following the Games, returning to the short-course meters pool where he excels. After competing at the World Cup, Carter raced in Budapest, achieving ninth place in the 50 freestyle (20.82) and 50 butterfly (22.16). He also reached the semifinals in the 100 freestyle (46.63) but chose to withdraw.