FLASH! Jordan Crooks Visits Uncharted Territory; Blasts WR and Goes Sub-20 in 50 Freestyle
In early 2023, Jordan Crooks joined a special club when became just the second man in history – along with Caeleb Dressel – to break the 18-second barrier in the 50-yard freestyle. Now, Crooks is in even more exclusive company, thanks to his effort in the semifinals of the 50-meter freestyle at the World Short Course Championships in Budapest.
Hours after he set the world record in the event in prelims, the Cayman Islands swimmer became the first person to crack the 20-second barrier in the short-course meters version of the 50 freestyle. Racing at Duna Arena, which has seen its share of world-record swims this week, Crooks blasted to a time of 19.90. The time improved the 20.08 that Crooks delivered in the morning heats and set him up as the top seed for Sunday’s championship final.
An NCAA champion at the University of Tennessee, Crooks was mesmerizing en route to his sub-20 showing. He fired off the blocks to take an immediate lead over the opposition. That initial momentum remained, as he powered over the water, executed a sharp turn and nailed the finish. Crooks will be the overwhelming favorite for the gold medal in the final, with the primary question of the race whether he can take the world record ever lower.
“It means a lot to break (the 20-second barrier),” Crooks said. “It’s been a long time coming. I definitely learned a lot in my years of competitive swimming. I have been to these meets before. Sometimes, I have had my ups and down, missing (semifinals)…I hope it shows that anyone out there who might be going through a rough patch or not performing the way they expect, with time and dedication and putting in the effort, can turn things around. It can work out.”
After his world record in the prelims, did he think that he could go sub-20? “I wasn’t sure, I was hoping for it,” he said. “I wanted to take a little bit away from what I went from this morning’s swim and try to improve on that and try and set myself up for a better swim tonight.”
Of the WRs, he said: “It’s a lot of work with coaches, this is my family helping me with everything, believing in me and sticking by my side. I wouldn’t be here without them”
With two world records in as many races, Crooks has his sights on winning back-to-back titles following victory at Melbourne 2022. His plans are to “rest, prepare, get the mind right and the body right and stay in process.”
Crooks covered the first length of the race in 9.55, the fastest split in the field by .32, and he came home in 10.35, which was also the fastest back-half split. It all added up to a defining swim that will go into the books as special.
The champion in the 100 freestyle earlier in the meet, American Jack Alexy secured the second seed for the final, behind a swim of 20.51. He was followed in the third and fourth spots by Brazil’s Gui Caribe (20.59) and Dutchman Nyls Korstanje (20.63).
