Andrew Stone with Hon Bernie Bush, MP at a previous event
Jillian Crooks continues to make a splash
The Cayman Islands athletes continued their superb performance at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago. Up to Tuesday they had won two gold medals, five in total. The week-long Commonwealth Youth Games ended on Thursday.
Caymanian Andrew Stone shattered the Games long jump record, taking gold with a leap of 7.70 metres. Stone erased the eight-year-old games record of 7.67m, set by Ghana’s Richard Seklorwu in 2015.
He broke the record on his final attempt, after nearing it on his third with 7.63m. The 17-year-old youngster told Newsday he felt “really great” and basked in the energy of the crowd. He said: “In Trinidad, it’s really amazing. It’s not like they’re cheering only for their country, they’re cheering for everybody.”
On being the record-holder, he said, “It’s really good. I’m just trusting my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ.” Stone is making impressive progress. He won the CARIFTA long jump in April with a leap of 7.54m.
The first gold medal came from Jillian Crooks, Monday evening, in the 100m freestyle with a national record time 55.18 seconds, 14 seconds faster than her time from the 2023 World Aquatics Championships. Crooks’ victory came after her bronze medal in the 100m backstroke on Sunday. She also won bronze in the 50m backstroke. The 16-year-old swimmer is aiming for an Olympic berth at next year’s Paris Games.
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