Jillian Crooks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jillian Crooks
Personal information
Birth nameJillian Janis Geohagan Crooks
National teamCayman Islands Cayman Islands[1]
Born (2006-06-27) 27 June 2006 (age 15)[1]
Cayman Islands
Sport
SportSwimming
StrokesButterfly, freestyle
ClubHomer Mariners[2]
CoachGrant Fergusson[3]
Caleb Miller[2]

Jillian Janis Geohagan Crooks (born 27 June 2006) is a Caymanian competitive swimmer. She is the Cayman Islands record holder in the 50 metre butterfly and 100 metre freestyle.[1] She competed in the 100 metre freestyle at the 2020 Summer Olympics, placing 41st in the prelims heats.[1][4]

Career[]

2021[]

2020 Summer Olympics[]

See also: Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics

At the 2020 Summer Olympics, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in Tokyo, Japan, Crooks took 41st-place in the 100 metre freestyle, not advancing to the semifinals with her Cayman Islands national record setting time of 57.32 seconds.[1][4][5] She was the youngest competitor from the Cayman Islands at the 2020 Summer Olympics in any sport, as well as the youngest Olympian from the country across all previous editions of the modern Olympic Games her country competed at.[3][6] Prior to the start of competition, Crooks served as one of two swimmers turned flag bearers for the Cayman Islands at the opening ceremony Parade of Nations, which made her one of 86 swimmers to carry the flag for their nation.[7] Leading up to the 2020 Olympic Games, she was one of a number of swimmers to set Cayman Islands records at the Cayman Islands qualifying meet for the Olympic Games held in Clermont, United States.[8]

Foray to the United States[]

Crooks was born and raised in the Cayman Islands, and following the 2020 Summer Olympics in 2021 she temporarily moved to the state of Alaska in the United States when she was just 15 years old to compete scholastically for Homer High School for one season, winning two state titles and setting state records in the 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle events before leaving to rejoin the Cayman Islands national team for the Junior Pan American Games.[6] Crooks ended up in Homer, Alaska for a few months, including competing for the high school swim team, because she had a family friend who was a coach there and she wanted to test out swimming in the United States, and Alaska specifically, to see if she could win a few state tiles and set a few state records in the country, which she successfully did.[9] She was one of two Olympians to compete at the 2021 Alaska State High School Championship, the other being Alaska native, Alaska born and raised, and Olympic gold medalist Lydia Jacoby who won breaststroke and individual medley events.[6][10]

Foraying turns to staying[]

Following her enjoyment competing in the state of Alaska and the United States more generally, Crooks expressed her intent to stay in Alaska for the rest of her high school career, that is to permanently relocate to the United States.[2]

Personal best times[]

Long course metres (50 m pool)[]

As of 11 November 2021
Event Time Meet Location Date Age Notes
50 m freestyle 26.77 Bahamas National Championships Bahamas 27 June 2021 15
100 m freestyle 57.32 h 2020 Summer Olympics Tokyo, Japan 28 July 2021 15 NR
200 m freestyle 2:09.17 UANA Tokyo Qualifier Clermont, United States 30 April 2021 14
50 m butterfly 28.72 UANA Tokyo Qualifier Clermont, United States 29 April 2021 14 NR
Legend: NR – Cayman Islands record;
Records not set in finals: h – heat; sf – semifinal; r – relay 1st leg; rh – relay heat 1st leg; b – B final; † – en route to final mark; tt – time trial

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Jillian Janis Geohagan Crooks: Results". FINA. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Helminiak, Jeff (7 November 2021). "Pair of Olympics lead peninsula swimmers to state". Peninsula Clarion. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Jillian Crooks to become Cayman's youngest Olympian". Cay 03 Sports. 1 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Swimming CROOKS Jillian - Tokyo 2020 Olympics". .. Retrieved 2021-07-26.
  5. ^ "Crooks clocks new 100m free national record in Olympic heat". Cay 03 Sports. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  6. ^ a b c Rodenberger, Jordan (9 November 2021). "Athlete of the Week: Jillian Crooks — How the Cayman Islands' youngest ever Olympian made waves in Homer, Alaska". Alaska's News Source. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
  7. ^ Miller, Nicole (23 July 2021). "Over 80 Swimmers Carry Flags In Tokyo Olympics Opening Ceremonies (Full List)". SwimSwam. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  8. ^ Russell, Seaford Jr (7 May 2021). "National records broken during UANA Olympic Qualifier". Cayman Compass. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  9. ^ De George, Matthew (10 November 2021). "Lydia Jacoby Wins Two Titles, Goes 59.66 in 100 Breast at Alaskan State Champs". Swimming World. Retrieved 11 November 2021.
  10. ^ Reed, Josh (7 November 2021). "At Alaska's state high school swim meet, excitement for 2 Olympians competing on a different stage". Anchorage Daily News. Retrieved 11 November 2021.

External links[]

Olympic Games
Preceded by Flag bearer for  Cayman Islands
Tokyo 2020
with
Brett Fraser 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Retrieved from ""