By James Sutherland on SwimSwam
Two-time world champion and current world record holder Jordan Crooks is making a return to competitive swimming.
According to a report from the Cayman Islands Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture, and Heritage, Crooks is coming back to the sport after a brief time away with the goal of competing at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
The now 24-year-old announced he was taking a break from the pool in May 2025, though he stopped short of using the word retirement.
“I am grateful I had the opportunity over the past several months to complete my studies and plan for my future,” Crooks said, according to the Cayman Islands Ministry of Youth, Sports, Culture, and Heritage. “I am excited to return to swimming at a professional level and represent the Cayman Islands.”
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A former superstar at the University of Tennessee, Crooks last competed at the 2025 Men’s NCAA Championships, where he won the national title in the 50 freestyle while leading the Vols to two relay victories in the 200 and 400 free relay.
He led Tennessee to a new NCAA and U.S. Open Record in the 400 free relay at NCAAs (2:42.30), while in the 200 free relay, the Vols won the title in a time of 1:12.84, narrowly missing the NCAA and U.S. Open Record of 1:12.80 they set one month earlier at the SEC Championships.
Crooks also set a new NCAA and U.S. Open Record in the 100 free at that meet, clocking 39.83 in the prelims to break Caeleb Dressel‘s mark of 39.90 set in 2018. Crooks went on to place 2nd in the final to Florida’s Josh Liendo (39.99) in a time of 40.06.
Internationally, Crooks represented the Cayman Islands on the senior international stage for the first time at the 2019 World Championships, and continued to do so through to the end of 2024.
At the 2022 Short Course World Championships in Melbourne, he won the world title in the men’s 50 free while also making the final of the 100 free. His victory in the 50 free made him the first athlete from the Cayman Islands to win a world title in any sport.
At the 2023 World Championships (LC), he took a big step by making the final of the 50 free (6th) and 100 free (7th), and then followed up by making his Olympic debut for the Cayman Islands in Paris in 2024, placing 8th in the 50 free and 13th in the 100 free.
In December 2024, at the Short Course World Championships in Budapest, Crooks made history multiple times. First, he broke Dressel’s world record during the prelims of the 50 free, clocking 20.08 to lower Dressel’s previous mark of 20.16 set in 2020.
Crooks then became the first man ever under the 20-second barrier in the SCM 50 free, throwing down a time of 19.90 in the semis to obliterate his hours-old record by nearly two-tenths of a second. He finished the job in the final, winning gold in a time of 20.19 to successfully defend his title.
In the 100 free, he nearly took down the world record by firing off a time of 44.95 in the prelims, and ultimately went on to win bronze in the final in 45.48.
In long course, Crooks’ best times and Cayman Islands Records stand at 21.51 in the 50 free and 47.71 in the 100 free, making him a podium threat by the time the LA Olympics roll around in the 50 and a possible finalist in the 100.
Isaac Rankine, the Cayman Islands Minister for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage, said: “The entire Cayman Islands is incredibly proud to see Crooks return to training at the professional level. We have followed your journey with admiration and celebrated the remarkable achievements you earned throughout your collegiate career. Your dedication, perseverance, and commitment to excellence have inspired so many young people across our islands.”
The report did not specify if Crooks will return to the University of Tennessee for training, if he’ll stay local in the Cayman Islands, or pursue a different pro group.
“As you embark on this exciting new chapter as a full-time professional athlete, we will be cheering you on every step of the way,” Rankine said. “We look forward to watching you represent Cayman with pride on the international stage as you pursue your dream of competing at the 2028 Olympics. Your success is a testament to what can be achieved through hard work, determination, and belief in oneself.”
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