CAC Male Swimmer of the 12 months — Jordan Crooks

See all of our 2024 Swammy Awards right here.

19.90.

Jordan Crooks’s world document within the short-course meters 50 freestyle is justification sufficient for him to win the 2024 Swammy for Caribbean/Central American Male Swimmer of the 12 months, although he’s had a powerful yr exterior that singular splash-and-dash.

In a sport that’s all about surpassing limits and pushing information decrease and decrease, a while boundaries loom bigger than others. The :20 barrier within the 50 freestyle is a kind of hallowed marks, and it’s one which’s grown in legend because the quickest swimmers in historical past have come up simply wanting punching by. Caeleb Dressel famously donned a 2008-era Speedo Fastskin LZR bodysuit to chase the mark in December 2020. However after a tough week of 70k exercises, Dressel got here up quick, hitting 20.4 3 times.

Earlier than cracking 20 seconds, Crooks fired off a warning shot within the heats, breaking Dressel’s 20.16 world document with a 20.08. Thirty world information have been damaged over the six days in Budapest, and the novelty of seeing a world document started to put on off in direction of the top of the meet. However Crooks shocked the world and introduced the Duna Enviornment crowd to their toes within the semifinal as he turned the primary man to swim sub-20 seconds within the occasion.

Courtesy: World Aquatics

Crooks usually swims his quickest time in a championship within the heats or semifinals, and he adopted that sample within the 50 freestyle. His 20.19 within the remaining nonetheless earned him gold by .38 seconds as he defended his title from the 2022 Quick Course World Championships, the place he first broke out on the worldwide stage.

It gave Crooks his second medal of the meet. Earlier, he moved up from his 2022 end within the 100 freestyle, claiming bronze behind Jack Alexy and his Tennessee coaching associate Gui Santos. Within the heats of the 100 freestyle, Crooks lowered the championship document Alexy had set main off the boys’s 4×100 freestyle relay for america. Crooks clocked 44.95, scaring Kyle Chalmers’ 44.84 world document.

The spotlight of Crooks’ yr on the worldwide stage got here on the 2024 Quick Course World Championships, however he had a powerful outing at his debut Olympic Video games in Paris as effectively. He lowered his nationwide document by over two-tenths within the heats with a 21.51. He ultimately certified for the Olympic remaining, changing into the primary Caymanian to take action in any occasion, the place he took eighth in 21.64. Crooks additionally made the semifinals within the males’s 100 freestyle, ending Thirteenth (48.10).

Honorable Mentions:

• Mikel Schreuders, Aruba: Mikel Schreuders made his third Olympic look in 2024. Schreuders is a Missouri alum, and when he formally certified for Paris in June, he turned the Tigers’ first three-time Olympic swimmer. Schreuders raced the 50 and 100 freestyle on the Video games, ending twenty sixth in each, clocking 22.14/48.84. He was again within the water rapidly after the Video games, competing on all the World Cup circuit, then racing on the 2024 Quick Course World Championships, the place he swam lifetime bests within the 50 freestyle (21.60) and 50 breaststroke (26.36), setting Aruban information in each occasions. The 50 breaststroke was his highest end in Budapest, as he touched twenty second general. He additionally logged a season-best 100 freestyle (47.47) for thirtieth.
• Lamar Taylor, Bahamas: After ending twenty sixth within the 100 freestyle on the Olympic Video games with a private greatest and Bahamian document of 48.84, NCAA DII champion Lamar Taylor headed to the College of Tennessee for his fifth yr of collegiate swimming. Taylor joined a deep dash group in Knoxville that features Crooks and Santos. It’s early, however the transfer paid dividends for Taylor on the 2024 Quick Course World Championships. There, He swam lifetime bests and nationwide information within the 100 freestyle, 50 backstroke, and 50 butterfly. Taylor certified for the semifinals within the males’s 100 freestyle, the place he swam 46.34 for a Thirteenth-place end. For his different nationwide document swims in Budapest, Taylor clocked 23.51 within the 50 backstroke and 23.24 within the 50 butterfly.
• Dylan Carter, Trinidad & Tobago: Dylan Carter might not have had the yr that he hoped for on the worldwide swimming stage, however he was nonetheless one of many strongest swimmers from the Caribbean and Central American nations this yr. Carter completed twenty eighth within the 50 freestyle (22.18) and thirty fourth within the 100 freestyle (49.35) on the Olympic Video games. Like Schreuders, he was again in competitors rapidly after the Video games, returning to the short-course meters pool the place he actually shines. After competing on the World Cup, Carter raced in Budapest, the place he completed ninth within the 50 freestyle (20.82) and 50 butterfly (22.16). He additionally certified for the semifinals within the 100 freestyle (46.63) however withdrew.