Jordan Crooks speaks after record-breaking US swim

Cayman’s most decorated athlete, Jordan Crooks, is back in the pool, breaking the US Open record in the 50-metre backstroke and sweeping the 50-metre freestyle and 50-metre butterfly races at the 2026 University of Virginia Pro Am Meet.

Crooks clocked 20.48 for a dominant victory in the 50-metre freestyle on 16 Oct., finishing just over a half-second shy of his own world record of 19.90. In the 50-metre butterfly, Crooks finished in 22.07 to edge out Tyler Ray (22.29), while Caeleb Dressel placed third in 22.67.

A day earlier, Crooks swam a personal best of 22.60 in the men’s 50-metre backstroke, breaking the US Open record of 22.65. He also captured the 100-metre freestyle in 45.98.

The meet marks Crooks’ return after more than a year away from competitive swimming, with his last appearance coming at the 2025 NCAA Championships.

His return to international competition was announced in June, when it was revealed that his goal was to compete in the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics.

Speaking with the online media outlet SwimSwam after the meet, Crooks said, “This was kind of just a test to see if the past four and a half months have been working because we’ve been trying a couple of different things,” adding that he spent time making decisions about what his return to the pool would look like.

His primary focus remains on the 50-metre freestyle, but he also wants to build enough stamina to carry him through the 100 metres. Crooks said he has been doing several things differently, including adding butterfly to his roster and taking a more tactical approach to racing the backstroke.

He said although there is still plenty of room for improvement, the meet was a good example that his plan is on track.

Impressive achievements

Crooks has compiled an impressive list of achievements, including a world record and multiple Cayman Islands records.

He made global headlines by becoming the first swimmer in history to break the 20-second barrier in the short-course 50-metre freestyle, clocking a world-record 19.90 on his way to winning a world championship gold medal.

He further cemented his legacy during his final collegiate season, reclaiming his NCAA title in the 50-yard freestyle and breaking Dressel’s 100-yard freestyle record to become only the second man to swim the event in under 40 seconds.

On the Olympic stage, Crooks made history at the 2024 Paris Games, becoming the first Caymanian swimmer to advance to an Olympic final.