Cayman Islands’ standout swimmer Jordan Crooks was overwhelmed with gratitude as his return home from a successful outing at the World Aquatics Swimming Championships was met with fanfare.
Crooks, who won gold and bronze at the championships in Budapest, Hungary, along with his sister Jillian, were greeted by hundreds in the arrival halls at Owen Roberts International Airport earlier this week.
While he welcomed the attention, Crooks, who also clocked a 50m freestyle world record at the event, believes the celebration is not just about the medals or the records but about the collective spirit of a nation that stood behind him and fuelled his confidence and drive.
“I’m not the biggest social media person; I’m not super active, and I’m pretty bad at responding to messages, but I could see and feel the support,” he said.
The 22-year-old credited the unwavering support from his home nation as a driving force behind his success.
“It definitely played a huge role in not just being confident, but remaining confident because to go from the semis and then to finals, you have to have confidence, and it takes a lot of mental power. So, just knowing that the whole island was behind me and supporting me, it’s really cool to rely on,” he noted.
At the championships, Crooks’ electrifying performances saw him rewrite the world record in the 50-metre freestyle twice—first clocking 20.08s and then an unprecedented 19.90s—before clinching his second world title in the event on December 15.
That 19.90-clocking saw him become the first swimmer ever to go sub-20 seconds in the event, and Crooks admitted that his achievements is still yet to really sink in.
“I definitely think it is an amazing experience; it is hard to put into words,” he declared.
“There were times, when I was younger, I thought I wasn’t going to be swimming anymore, so the main thing that I can feel throughout all of this—getting on the podium, getting a record, and even getting back home and feeling the support from the Cayman people—I’m just grateful,” Crooks ended.