The Cayman Islands Aquatic Sports Association (CIASA) announced that sibling swimmers and regional powerhouses - Jordan Crooks and Jillian Crooks – have been selected to represent the Cayman Islands at the 19th FINA World Championships taking place in Budapest, 18 June – 25 June 2022.
Jordan, 20 and Jillian, 15 grew up training here in Cayman in a 25m pool – both now train predominantly in the US with access to both short course (25m) and long course (50m) pools.
A rising Sophomore at the University of Tennessee, Jordan made a big splash in both the SEC Championships, and then the NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving Championships (SCY) in his freshman year, placing third in the 50 free. Jordan achieved a FINA World Championships qualifying B time in the 100 Freestyle with the time of 50.25 (B time is 50:48). “I am excited to represent my country,” said Jordan about his first FINA World Championships event.
Meanwhile sister Jillian – who is home schooled and currently training in Florida – made a statement at the recent CARFTA Swimming Championships with a haul of seven medals, three Cayman Islands CIASA and three Cayman Islands National records and one CARIFTA relay record: “I shall proudly represent my country. I am honoured to be a Cayman Islands Swim Team member for the 19th FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary – and it is an honour to be on the same team as my brother Jordan.”
Technical Director Coach Jacky Pellerin is accompanying the swimmers as head coach and is looking forward to working with the brother and sister swimmers.
“It will be interesting to accompany Jordan and Jillian to the next long course world championships (50m). I’m curious to see where Jordan will be in the world rankings. After his fantastic results in the NCAA Finals, I will not be surprised if he makes it to the 50m freestyle semi-finals, and then… who knows what happens next. Jillian proved at the CARIFTA Swimming championships that hard work pays off. I look forward to seeing how she will swim when racing the best swimmers in the world. The competition should help her lower some of the CIASA and National records she set at CARIFTA.
The Budapest swimming pool, which hosted the 2017 World Championships, is a modern and fast swimming pool which should allow our swimmers to compete in the best conditions.”
CIASA President, Steve Broadbelt will virtually attend the FINA Congress being held in conjunction with the championships.
CIASA is the recognised national governing body of all Aquatic Sports (comprised of competitive swimming, open water swimming, diving, high diving, water polo and synchronised swimming) in the Cayman Islands and is an affiliated member of FINA, PanAm Aquatics, CCCAN, Island Games Association of the Cayman Islands, CARIFTA and the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee. For more information email ciasaboard@gmail.com or visit the CIASA website at www.ciasa.ky.
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