If this is it for Jordan Crooks in the world of elite swimming (and it’s way too early to tell if it truly will be), then what a career it has been.
Olympic finalist. Two-time world champion. World record holder and vanquisher of a sporting barrier few believed would ever be broken. Far too many collegiate accolades to list here. This young Cayman Islands native is one of the fastest swimmers the planet has ever seen.
If we never see him step behind the starting blocks again, none of those achievements can be taken away from him. Nor can the lasting legacy he has created both at home and further afield.
In Crooks, the next generation of swimmers here and across the world have an idol who is as upstanding and well-rounded a man off the metaphorical field of play as he is a fierce and formidable competitor on it.
He has and will continue to inspire countless up-and-coming athletes, who we – as sporting fans and celebrators of Caymanian success – can only hope may benefit from even better facilities and funding than Crooks has largely had during his own career, at least prior to his time at the University of Tennessee.
But, perhaps crucially to his decision to step away from competing, those years as a student in Knoxville are coming to an end.
College graduation is a significant milestone in anyone’s life, and the entirety of Crooks’ time on Rocky Top since his breakout freshman season has been spent with unimaginable pressure on his shoulders.
A little time away from the grind – especially in a sport that demands upwards of 20 hours of training a week, and essentially a year-long commitment to being in or near peak physical form – allows him to make the most of what remains of his final year, just as any regular college senior would. And, beyond that, it gives him the chance to – in his own words – “explore all that life has to offer”, as any 23-year-old should.
For all he has achieved for himself and these Islands, he is more than deserving of that.
It also gives Crooks the time and space to assess whether he really wants to go pro in a sport that demands so much from you, yet for many reasons presents so few opportunities to financially support yourself through it alone.
Staying committed to full-time training and competing in college, where the resources of an elite programme are at your fingertips, is one thing. Being able to give sport that same dedication when you also need to make a living, and simultaneously want to experience other aspects of life, is another challenge entirely.
Well-timed breather
There are three years before the 2028 Olympic Games. That’s a long time when you’ve been pushing to reach this level for more than a decade already, so you can understand Crooks’ desire for a well-timed breather now.
Should he decide he wants another run at glory in Los Angeles, it’s also still plenty far away enough that even an extended break from the competition circuit now is unlikely to hurt his chances. If anything, a hiatus – should this prove to be one, like other top swimmers have taken since Paris 2024, rather than a retirement – may even help him to return with a renewed drive to overcome that last unconquered hurdle: reaching an Olympic podium.
There’s also every chance he opts to close this exceptional chapter and hang up his cap and goggles for good.
I, selfishly, would miss watching one of our own compete on the world stage if that were to be the case. For some of his rivals, I’m sure the feeling would more so be one of relief.
But not one of us could fault him if that’s what Crooks ultimately chooses, especially with all the unprecedented successes he has already achieved and the worldwide recognition he has brought upon himself and his country.
In the meantime, we should all let Cayman’s greatest sportsperson enjoy some time off, preferably without a bombardment of questions about his future plans.
He has certainly earned it.
