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WATCH: Jordan Crooks Emotional Celebration After Swimming 17.9 50 Free

2023 SEC SWIMMING & DIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Jordan Crooks made history at the SEC Championships by becoming the 2nd man ever to break 18 seconds in the 50 free. Watch his (and his teammates’) full reaction after the breathtaking performance.

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Tracy Kosinski
1 year ago

Wow I love this guy, lol. That’s the kind of spirit you want to see. I can’t wait for 2024 and the bro-down between all these great swimmers.

Adam Depmore
1 year ago

It’s redundant to try and predict this guy and his *trajectory* (shout out to Coach Matt Kredich.) I’m going to enjoy watching him continue to develop as he’s made some pretty significant/solid drops.17.9 for a guy isn’t even 21 years old yet…

Congrats Jordan!

Seth
1 year ago

I wonder what his LCM times are. I would love to see him race for an Olympic medal in 2024!

Hank
Reply to  Seth
1 year ago

They’re not in contention. He needs to drop a second. He’s a SCY-SCM swimmer.

Demarrit Steenbergen
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

Ok but let’s be real, anyone that fast with such a good start will still probably crack 22

Lion’s Crest
Reply to  Demarrit Steenbergen
1 year ago

Crooks went 22.20 LC in Budapest last year. He finished 19th and didn’t make semi-finals. Neither did Dylan Carter (22.19), for that matter. Some swimmers just aren’t cut out for LC.

Demarrit Steenbergen
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

But look how much he improved since last year, he can drop more LC

blueandgold
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

I think it’s a little early to be writing him off as a LCM swimmer….he’s a student of the sport by the sounds and I’m sure he’ll be working on it.

Bud
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

But Crooks was 18 years old in Budapest, it’s quite possible for him to drop some time by the time he’s 20…
22.20 as an 18 year old is pretty good

Math Is Hard
Reply to  Bud
1 year ago

He was 20 years old and 1 month in Budapest. His DOB is May 2, 2002.

Hank
Reply to  Demarrit Steenbergen
1 year ago

I agree he can break 22. He may go 21.8-21.9. I don’t like his stroke for long course. He slaps the water too much with that overhead straightarm style. It works in short course because he just needs to preserve his momentum for 10 yards after the breakout, but in long course he won’t get far with that stroke over 35 meters of open water.

Mako
Reply to  Hank
1 year ago

This. LCM depends on speed over the water and his technique is working against him.

NoFastTwitch
1 year ago

Great team spirit

uwk
1 year ago

Love the intensity. This kid is special. And he’s only gonna get better esp with so many people doubting him. Just today Brett Hawke on his podcast was basically sh*tting on him and saying hes not a technically proficient swimmer.
Rooting for this kid to prove everyone wrong

That guy
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

If he’s not technically proficient bros going 17 flat lmao. Brett can suck a fat one

Chris
Reply to  That guy
1 year ago

17 flat?

That guy
Reply to  Chris
1 year ago

17.00

Mark
Reply to  That guy
1 year ago

But he went 17.90, not 17.00? If he does ever go 17.00 that will be something to see.

That guy
Reply to  Mark
1 year ago

Yea the point was that if Brett says he is not technically proficient and he went 17.9, assuming he reaches a technically proficient point, he could go 17 flat (17.00)

Mark
Reply to  That guy
1 year ago

Agreed, your first post was just a little confusing.

Math Is Hard
Reply to  That guy
1 year ago

Not really, because his underwaters are really amazing, and technique isn’t as important in yards compared to LC swimming.

If you actually bothered to watch Hawke’s livestream, you would know that he said Crooks would struggle in the second half of a LC 50 free race, as the effects of his start/underwater would be completely gone once he got past 25 meters. Heck, he even said that Crooks would be ahead of someone like Bruno Fratus in the first half of the race, but then Fratus’s technical superiority over the water would pull him ahead.

swimapologist
Reply to  Math Is Hard
1 year ago

Yeah obviously, because the Technical Superiority of Brett Hawke’s guys are always going to be better than the Technical Superiority of not-Brett Hawke’s guys [/s].

But it does bring up a good debate: who y’all got at Worlds this year? Bruno Fratus, who went 21.83 at 33 and missed the final, or Jordan Crooks who went 22.20 at barely 20 and missed the semis? I know Bruno had surgery…do we think that makes him better or worse next season?

Gotta think Crooks has a 21-something in him. Even if he’s always going to be a better SCY swimmer than LCM swimmer, 17.93 has to mean a 21-something, if the Tennessee coaches have any idea what they’re doing.

Lion’s Crest
Reply to  That guy
1 year ago

In 2004, Brett Hawke went 22.07 in the Olympic semi-final. As of now, Crooks’s LC PB is still only 22.20.

That guy
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

When was the last time Brett went 17.9? Or 41.1? I must’ve missed it

Meow
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

How’s that relevant at all?

SomeOtherPeopleMustBeProficient
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

Not sure what the down vote was for. Brett literally says “He’s not technically proficient” in his most recent podcast at 34 mins….

BigCarotTop
Reply to  SomeOtherPeopleMustBeProficient
1 year ago

if hes not technically proficient then hes got a hell of a upside

JimSwim22
Reply to  BigCarotTop
1 year ago

I remember so many coaches saying the same thing about Janet Evans way back when.

Lion’s Crest
Reply to  JimSwim22
1 year ago

Ah yes, and she was so well known for her sprinting prowess.

Lion’s Crest
Reply to  BigCarotTop
1 year ago

Didn’t work out so well for Hanser Garcia.

Stephanie
Reply to  Lion’s Crest
1 year ago

I remember Brazilian Swimswam readers predicted Hanser Garcia to win 2016 Olympics 😁

Andrew
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

Not to be a contrarian, but Brett does have a point. You would seldom find a swimmer that benefits more from explosiveness and underwaters than Jordan Crooks (there’s nothing wrong with that).

I figured more people would take his word considering he’s coached Fratus, Targett, Cielo, all the auburn guys, etc.

swimapologist
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

I mean that’s great in a vacuum, but, this is Brett’s MO. Athletes who train with Brett, who ask Brett for his input, who give Brett what he wants are geniuses. Everyone else is trash.

Jordan probably declined an interview with him or refused to decline all swimswam interviews so now Brett is trying to blackball him. If he goes to train with Brett, goes 18.0, then Brett will talk about how great he is.

daeleb cressel
Reply to  swimapologist
1 year ago

Clout chaser brett

NoFastTwitch
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Dressel?

uwk
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

But Crooks is already a world champion and legit WR threat in the 50 scm. Its true that he has a lot of room for improvement above the water but you simply cannot do what he’s doing without some level of “technical proficiency”. So many great underwater kickers could only dream of going his times and its not like he’s THAT MUCH better than them underwater (think Ryan Hoffer, Dylan Carter, etc).

WarWeasel
Reply to  Andrew
1 year ago

Brett likes to hear Brett talk…that’s what ppl are downvoting

phelps swims 200 breast rio
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

I’ve got to check this out. I’m asking what is he doing differently and better?

VA Swim Fan
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

Technically proficient or not…he’s getting the job done.

Such unbridled JOY brought tears to my eyes.

Enjoy the moment Jordan. You deserve it.

IndividualMedleyEnjoyer
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

Honestly I hope he isn’t technically proficient because that means he’ll get faster and we all love faster

Demarrit Steenbergen
Reply to  IndividualMedleyEnjoyer
1 year ago

Slow down the video. His entry isn’t fantastic for shoulder driven free, the bottom part of his pull seems a bit off and the arms are not quite opposite of each other. Additionally, we see some of the best straight armers actually put a bit of a bend in the elbow (per James Gibson). Also, while his underwaters are great, his hands and arms move a lot which could be slowing him down a bit vs if he could find a way to get the same power with out the hand movements.

chazoozle
Reply to  uwk
1 year ago

I mean he does not swim like Popovici. But, Dressel also doesn’t

Bossanova
Reply to  chazoozle
1 year ago

He doesn’t need to be the next David Popovici or Caeleb Dressel, he simply needs to be the first Jordan Crooks.

YourLocalD3Swimmer
Reply to  Bossanova
1 year ago

Corny at this point

Emily Se-Bom Lee
Reply to  YourLocalD3Swimmer
1 year ago

even more than the original quote

Bossanova
Reply to  YourLocalD3Swimmer
1 year ago

The set up was too good

Mr. Hurtz
1 year ago

Somewhere, the late Ray Bussard is smiling. Ditto the great David Edgar. Together, they started the UT sprint tradition.

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