The Cayman Islands Jordan Crooks continues to raise the bar for the University of Tennessee and the CARIFTA , Caribbean and CCCAN regions. Crooks , a junior for the Volunteers is the best ever for the school and from the region in the 50 and 100 yard freestyle events and the 100 yard butterfly . Yesterday at the 2024 NCAA Division I Championships at IUPUI Natatorium, Indianapolis, Indiana he added the 200 yard freestyle to his impressive list of accolades.
Jordan Crooks 200 yard freestyle Tennessee and regional record breaker. Photo courtesy of Tennessee swimming and diving
At the beginning of the season his PB was was 1:32.07. That was broken twice at the 2024 SEC Championships first to 1:31.45, then a Bronze medal winning effort of 1:31.17. In the heats of the event he unleashed the fastest time ever done by a Volunteer of 1:30.41. That bettered the regional mark of 1:30.95 set by Trinidad and Tobago legend Dylan Carter. He recorded that time leading off the University of Southern California Trojans at the 2017 NCAA . That team placed fifth in a time of 6:10.97. The new top three reads Crooks 1:30.41, Carter 1:30.95 and Aruban star Mikel Schreuders 1:31.27. Mikel set that mark winning the 2019 SEC Championships.
Dylan Carter
Texas Invite
Photo courtesy of Walt Middleton/usctrojans.com
ANALYSIS OF THE REGION’S FASTEST PERFORMERS
Mikel Schreuders
That earned him a place in the final. It also saw a return by the region to the medal race. Schreuders had placed eighth in 1:32.75 after posting 1:32.15 in the heats.Crooks produced the best Volunteer finish since 1990 and the best for the region since 2011 with a sixth place performance of 1:31.03. That is also the best time by a regional swimmer in the 200 yard freestyle final,.
Cayman Islands Swimming legends
Shaune and Brett Fraser
Photo courtesy of Cayman Compass
CAYMAN ISLANDS EXCELLENCE
The Cayman Islands can again boast about their swimmers performance in this race at the NCAA Division I Championships. They now have three men who have made the finals ,the Fraser siblings and Crooks. In 2009 Shaune won the 2009 crown in a University of Florida and regional standard setting time of 1:31.70. His brother Brett took the 2011 crown in a time of 1:32.21 . Again the Cayman Islands have the fastest swimmer in the region thanks to Crooks.
Crooks raising his hand in victory and to be counted of the CARIFTA region’s all time greats
Photo courtesy of Tennessee Swimming and Diving
Jordan in his last CARIFTA in 2019 in Barbados he won the 15-17 title in a then PB of 1:57.20 (split 57.20).Jordan again serves as an inspiration for the regional swimmers in what can be achieved through hard work
Indian River State’s Jamaican freshman Kito Campbell continues to build his own swimming legacy when he won his first collegiate title yesterday. He won a decisive victory in the 50 yard breaststroke. Competing at Anne Wilder Aquatic Complex at his home pool in Fort Pierce , Florida he also again set the Jamaica best in the event.
Kito Campbell with teammate at the 2024 NJCAA Championships. Photo courtesy of Kito Campbell
Campbell came to the 2024 National Junior College Athletic Association swimming championships with the leading time in the nation of 25.14, the Jamaica best mark. In the heats yesterday the Calabar high school graduate underscored his top billing with the fastest heats time of 25.33. With lane four secured in the final it would be a chance to make history . Jamaica’s fastest breaststroke swimmer would not disappoint . The athlete conditioned by the legendary Jamaican Olympian Sion Brinn took the Gold in a new PB and Jamaica best of 24.78.
Scoreboard at NJCAA Champs. Photo courtesy of Duwayne Campbell
That broke new ground for his nation as he became the first sub 25 seconds breaststroke performer. It also ends the Gold medal drought for the Pioneers . The last victory for the Brinn led team was in 2019 when Eric Veit won in 25.30. The podium was dominated by the Pioneers as the Silver medal was won by Italian Riccardo Pandin ina PB of 25.25. The Bronze was earned by Australian Louis Ainley in 25.37 of Barton Community College .
Alia on her way to 50 metre Gold in Berlin Photo courtesy of World Aquatics
This is the first major individual collegiate title for Jamaica since another legend Alia Atkinson won the NCAA Division I title in 2010. Competing for Texas A&M she won the 200 yard breaststroke crown in a time of 2:07.38 .
The last Jamaican man to win a title was none other than his coach Brinn for the Pioneers . In 1993 Brinn took the freestyle treble as he took the 50 in 20.58, 100 in 49.90 and the 200 in 1:39.49. That made it four career titles for Brinn as he had won the 50 a year earlier in 20.74.
Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace
Photo courtesy of pinterest
Campbell also joins the elite CARIFTA region team of individual title winners that include Trinidad and Tobago’s George Bovell III (Auburn) , Bahamians Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace (Auburn) , Lamar Taylor (Henderson State NCAA Division II) , from the Cayman Islands the Fraser brother Shaune and Brett (Florida), Barbados Bradley Ally (Florida) and Alex Sobers (Emmanuel College NCAA Division II), Surinamese icon Anthony Nesty ( Florida) and from Curaçao Hilton Woods (Oakland University NCAA Division II) and Perry Lindo (St Thomas University NAIA).Brinn coached Lindo at his time with the Pioneers and Nesty was instrumental in the title success of the Frasers and Ally.
Kito Campbell
Campbell continues to lower his Jamaican standards in yards and LCM. His nationals marks are 24.78 and 28.36. The nation will look forward to see what he can do in SCM . Those World Championships will run from December 10-15, 2024 inside the Duna Arena, the same facility that played host to the 2017 and 2022 Long Course World Championships.
In 2022 Bermuda’s Elijah Daley finished the season in the 50 scm butterfly with a PB of 25.27. The year 2023 would be year he announced himself as the one of the best CARIFTA junior butterfliers the 25 metre pool.
Elijah Daley. Photo courtesy of swimcloud.com
Swimming for his club Etobicoke at their home pool he would lower his PB at the Age Group International in early November 2022. Daley recorded a time of 25.10. In the final he would crash through the 25 seconds barrier with a time of 24.46. That earned him the Bronze in the 17 and over category. He maintained a podium position having won the 15-16 with his then PB of 25.27.
There would be even more on offer at the Ontario Age Group International at the Toronto Pan Am Sport Centre Competition Pool . In the heats he would again break more ground on Bermudan speed . Daley rocketed to a time of a 24.28.That got him in the Championship final. In 2022 he was 26th in 25.89.
Elijah Daley. Photo courtesy of Bernews
Then in the final came the historic moment. Elijah was even faster with a time of 24.15!
What is the impact of that swim?
Daley had his highest placing ever at the meet finishing sixth in the meet for 18 and under swimmers.
It was a new Etobicoke club open record. It lowered the 2012 club record of 24.45 by Wil Wright.
It ranks as the second fastest 15-17 time in Canada for 2023
Roy Burch
Photo courtesy of repreatingislands.com
It bettered the Bermuda open record of 24.26 set by Olympian Roy Allan Burch in 2014. Burch set the national mark at the World Short Course Championships that year in Qatar.
It is the second fastest CARIFTA junior time ever. The best regional junior mark was recorded by Suriname’s Kenzo Simons. Kenzo went on to represent the Netherlands. He set the Dutch junior record in 2019 at their national Championships in 2019 at 23.08.
This major performance goes along with the CARIFTA junior marks he set in the 100 and 200 scm butterfly of 53.56 and 1:59.14.
Daley having taken control of all the Bermuda scm butterfly records has the opportunity to do the same in the Olympic sized pool.
In the 50 lcm butterfly Burch is the national standard bearer with his 24.77 from the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games. That placed him ninth in Veracruz that year. Daley has that time in his sights with his 2023 PB of 24.87
Video of Daley ‘s 50 lcm PB
In the 100 lcm butterfly Daley is the third fastest Bermudan performer of all time with a 2023 lifetime best of 57.35. In second place is Jesse Washington with his 2017 World Juniors PB of 57.23. The record is held by another Olympian Stephen Fahy whose record stands at 56.31 from the heats of the 1999 PAN AM Games. Fahy would place fourth in the B final in 56.41.
Shaune Fraser
Daley already holds the 200 LCM record with a 2:04.54.It was also the fastest CARIFTA junior time for 2023That time is faster than the 2010 CARIFTA Championship record of 2:05.83 held by the aforementioned Bellance . The English speaking CARIFTA junior best is held by Olympian Shaune Fraser at 2:01.58. The overall CARIFTA junior best is by Mathias Marsau of Guadeloupe/France with his 2015 mark of 1:58.96.
ELIJAH’S BUTTERFLY BESTS
The year 2024 will see the region looking to Daley for even faster times in both the scm and lcm pools.
Before his move to the World Aquatics training centre with the Cercle Des Nageurs d’Antibes in Antibes in France Saint Lucian standout Jayhan Oldum -Smith had taken the lead in the EC( Eastern Caribbean) 100 LCM free rankings for 2023. He had a sensational Central American and Caribbean Games B final this summer in El Salvador. He was sixth at the 50 mark in 25.00. Then he provided the best last 50 metres of the field in 26.29 . Jayhan chased and passed the field to win a new PB of 51.29. That brought him in two way tie with countryman and Olympian Jean Luc Zephir for the third fastest performers in EC history. Zephir had swum the same time at the 2018 CAC in Colombia in the heats.
Over the weekend in France at the 15e Meeting des Hortillons he better that mark . In the heats his splits were 25.06 and 26.02 to make the C final in 51.08. In that final he equalled that time with splits of 25.10 and 25.98 to place fourth. Jayhan had the second fastest last 50. Only the winner Corentin Pouillart 50.46 was better with 25.78.
What is the impact of that performance?
Odlum-Smith has now broken the tie and stands in third best EC performer of all time. Second on the list Antigua and Barbuda Olympian Stefano Mitchell at 50.98 (2021). The all time leader is countryman Olympian Jordan Augier at 50 .79 (splits 24.68 and 26.51) from the now defunct Caribbean Islands Swimming Championships. Augier swam to that mark in the 18 and over heats.In the final he won the Bronze in 50.82.Silver was won by Surinamese Olympian Renzo Tjon A Joe in 49.70 and the Gold went to Trinidad and Tobago Olympian Dylan Carter in 49.33.
Jordan Augier .Photo courtesy of theakimernst
Augier has the most EC sub 51 seconds performances at four. Smith continues to gain ground on overtaking this mark.
RELAY POSSIBILITES.
Tristan Dorville .Photo courtesy of Brian Charles
The Saint Lucian swim team now has three members under the 52 seconds barrier. Along with the aforementioned Odlum -Smith the Bolles duo of Tristan Dorville and Antoine Destang.
Antoine Destang, Photo courtesy of Antoine Destang
Training at the Jacksonville, Florida based institution that has helped to develop the likes of Olympians and present and former100 LCM national freestyle records George Bovell III of Trinidad and Tobago, Damian Alleyne of Barbados, Shaune Fraser of the Cayman Islands and Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace of The Bahamas we can expect more from the them in 2024
D’Andre Blanchard.Photo courtesy of Indian River State College
. Another swimmer to keep an eye on is D’Andre Blanchard based at the Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, Florida. His time drops in the 100 yard freestyle show that he will be much faster than his PB of 53.11 that he posted this year’s CAC Games. He is being conditioned by another regional sprint legend Jamaican Olympian Sion Brinn. Coach Brinn still holds the Jamaican national marks in the 100 for both SCM and LCM.
TEAM SAINT LUCIA 4 X100 LCM FREESTYLE ANALYSIS
That time can be put to at least 3:25.76.
Where would that put them ?
That would be fourth place at this year’s CAC Games.
Let that sink in.
Team Saint Lucia also has other swimmers in their ranks who will be looking to join these top four and even further enhance the nation’s relay prospects
Jayhan Odlum-Smith .Photo courtesy of the Saint Lucian Aquatics Federation
Jayhan Odlum-Smith’s new PB and continued improvement is a signal for even faster next year and a Powerful Paris Performance from the EC.
It had been on the cards for a while given the obvious talent and output by Elan Daley but now it has finally happened. Competing at the 2022 Junior Pan Pacific Championships Daley formerly of Bermuda now representing Canada has become the fastest ever age group girl from the region in the 200 metre freestyle. She recorded a personal best of 2:00.52 in the heats of the event in Honolulu, Hawaii. That overtook the mark of 2:01.11 set by Jamaican Olympian Janelle Atkinson in 1999. In the final she would again be under 2:01.00 placing sixth in 2:00.87.
200 FREESTYLE BESTS BY DALEY
In a press release by Swimming Canada she gave her thoughts on the race “I’m really happy with this performance. I was stuck at 2:01 for a little bit so it was really nice to break that. I think in my race, my front end went really well. My first and second 50 were good and that’s the fastest I’ve been out in a 200 free.”
Medallists in the 200 metre freestyle
from left to right
Zoe Anthony of Trinidad and Tobago Silver medallist Gold medallist and championship record holder Daley and Bronze medallist Jillian Crooks of the Cayman Islands
Photo courtesy of Sports of Jamaica
Fans in Jamaica will remember Daley for the master class she put on at CARIFTA 2018 in the 11-12 age group where she won the high point trophy for the second year in a row. In Jamaica she won a staggering 12 medals 11 Gold and One Bronze for a career total at that point of 24 medals. She still holds the 11-12 CARIFTA record in the 200 metre freestyle at 2:10.26 set in Jamaica. The 13-14 standard also belongs to her at 2:06.13 registered in 2019.
Janelle Atkinson .Photo courtesy of Janelle Atkinson
Atkinson, who was the previous standard bearer, made her mark at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg Canada. There she won the Silver. It was one of three Silver medals for Janelle at the Games. She was on the podium in the 400 metre freestyle 4:10.83 and 800 metre freestyle 8:39.51. Atkinson was the first CARIFTA region swimmer to medal in the race. No other woman has medalled since.
Shaune and Brett Fraser displaying ther 200 metre freestyle medals at the 2011 Pan Am Games
Other medallists in later Games are by Olympians George Bovell III Team Trinidad and Tobago 2003 Gold 1:48.90, Brett Fraser of Team Cayman Islands 2011 Gold 1:47.18 and older brother Shaune Fraser Silver 2007 1:48.95 and 2011 1:48.29.
On the first day of the SEC Championships we were raving about Jordan Crook’s amazing split in the 200 yard freestyle relay of 18.43 . That was the fastest of all time by a CARIFTA region swimmer. And as we keep saying we expected Crooks to be fast but not that this fast. Yesterday February 16 will live on history as the Fresh(man) Prince became the Fresh(man) Emperor
SETTING THE STAGE FOR THE CORONATION OF EMPEROR JORDAN
In November last year Jordan announced himself to the court of great regional sprinters with a time of 19.39 at his school , the University of Tennessee’ Invitational. With that swim he was now number six all time from the CARIFTA region. He also placed himself as the fastest Caribbean swimmer ever at the school bettering the time of 19.45 by Puerto Rican Olympian Ricky Busquets 19.45.
Ricardo-Busquets .Photo courtesy of primerahora
With the SEC Championships at his home pool the Allan Jones Aquatics Center he would defend his territory and enlarge his kingdom by going for the number one title. In his opening salvo in the relay he showed that he was ready for the challenge with a split of 18.43.
In the heats of the 50 yard freestyle he established himself as the greatest of all time . Outside of George Bovell no other CARIFTA region had dipped under the 19 seconds mark. Jordan crossed that barrier and proclaimed himself as the Emperor of the CARIFTA region sprinters with a sizzling 18.84. That set up the freshman as the number one seed. It also made him the fastest swimmer of all time at Tennessee. It bettered the 2019 mark of 18.95 set by Kyle DeCoursey . Kyle set that mark winning the Silver in the event at the Championships. He was also under the NCAA A standard of 18.96.
SEC 200 yard freestyle relay podium . from left to right Tennessee Silver ,Alabama Gold and Missouri Bronze .Photo courtesy of Florida Gators swimming and diving
The 200 yard freestyle relay saw him flexing his powers as the all time leader CARIFTA in the event. He put down another regional marker when he blazed to 18.72. That split helped the Volunteers to a time of 1:16.48 and the Silver medal. That is the second fastest time in school history. The school record stands at 1:16.00 set in the heats of the 2009 NCAA Championships.
SEC 50 freestyle medal podium. from left to right Curry, Crooks and Chaney. Photo courtesy of Florida Gators Swimming and Diving
The final would be the ultimate moment of the coronation of Emperor Jordan. He showed how we do it in the CARIFTA region. He went out in 8.93 and came back in 9.60. No one matched his speed on any of the 25’s. He claimed an emphatic victory in 18.53. That stands as a new PB, SCHOOL , CARIFTA REGION record. It is also currently the fastest time in America.
Silver went American Gold Medallist Brooks Curry of Louisiana State University in 18.67 and the Bronze to Adam Chaney of Florida, the 2021 Champion in 18.81.
IMPACT OF EMPEROR JORDAN’S EVOULTION OF SPEED
Jordan has now carried CARIFTA region swimming to a new level .What was not possible in over decade to break the 19 seconds barrier has happened in one day. Not once but three times
Crooks is not only the fastest swimmer in the America but he is the fastest freshman (now Emperor). And when you see that the list included Caeleb Dressel who displaced as the best of all time the impact is massive
Jordan receiving Gold from Coach Rich Murphy. Photo courtesy of Tennessee swimming and diving
Caeleb Dressel
For the uninitiated Dressel is the reigning Olympic Champion and the fastest man of all time in yards 17.63, the world record holder in the 50 in the 25 metre pool at 20.16 . He is also the third fastest man of all time with his swim of 21.04 in June 2021.
The SEC Championship title for the second won by the CARIFTA region in the event. The last time was by Surinamese Olympian Enrico Linscheer in 1993. Competing for the Florida Gators he won in 20.14.
It also marks the 12th victory for the Volunteers. The last time was when Busquets won for the second time in 19.76 in 1996. He had won a year earlier in 19.96.
Crooks also brings back the CARIFTA region to the winner’s circle after Aruban Olympian Mikel Schreuders won the 200 yard freestyle title. Mikel took the title in 1:31.96 representing the Missouri Tigers.
Jordan also ensures that the Cayman Islands maintains its dominance with SEC individual titles. They now have six with Shaune Fraser the all time leader with five.
Shaune Fraser
Jordan is now the the fifth fastest swimmer of all time in the event
Jordan continues to show that CARIFTA region is a force to be reckoned with in the NCAA with his outstanding performances.
Bradley Ally struck gold at the Southeastern (SEC) Championships for the University of Florida at the University of Alabama pool when he took the 200 yard individual medley. Ally a medley specialist who is the Barbados national record holder ,CAC Champion and reigning Pan –American bronze medalist in the event did not have it all his way in the finals as he was given all he could handle by teammate and Cayman Islands swimmer Shaune Fraser.
Shaune Fraser
Photo courtesy of shaunefraser.com
Fraser himself a medley swimmer and reigning Pan-American silver medalist in the 200 metre freestyle would provide tough opposition. On the first stroke butterfly it was Fraser over Ally 22.92 (26.41LCM long course metres) to 22.97(26.46). At the halfway mark Bradley made a move to take the lead and out split his younger rival on the backstroke 26.15(31.32) to 26.54(31.78) and the two Florida “Gators” had by now separated themselves from the field. Ally won the duel on the breaststroke clocking 29.96(35.00) to Shaune’s 30.45 (35.57). That breaststroke leg proved to be decisive. Like the Thriller in Manila Oct 1,1975 where a slightly more famous Ali (Muhammed) would beat Frazier (Joe) The thriller in Alabama Feb 21,2008 would have Ally holding onto to defeat Fraser 1:44.45 (2:01.88) to 1:44.96(2:02.47).
Ally Photo courtesy of swimpictures.com
Also like the boxers it avenged Ally’s first loss to Fraser in SEC championship when they clashed for the first time in 2007 where Fraser edged out Ally by one hundredth of a second for the silver medal. The win marked for Ally a pool record, breaking fellow Gator Duncan Sherrard’s 2001 time of 1:45.38, a NCAA automatic qualifying time and a nation leading time. Fraser also notched an automatic qualifying time in the event. These were Ally’s thoughts on the win as taken from the SEC website
“It’s a great feeling to come here and all and keep the winning streak. For the Gators, Ryan had it and now I have it. Hopefully we’ll pass it on and keep it going like that. It’s a great accomplishment and I’m happy.”
The SEC’s held from the Feb 20 -23, 2008 also saw Ally in action in the 400 yard individual medley where he looked for his fourth career title having won the event last year. But it was not to be as he could not resist the challenge of teammate Clark Burckle 3:45.00 and Georgia’s Sebastien Rouault 3:45.56(as he took the bronze in 346.00 (4:21.27). Burckle would again take another of Ally’s 2007 crowns this time in the 200 yard breaststroke as he stroked his way to 1:56.00 (2:15.20) while Ally lost the decision on a podium spot to Auburn’s Brad Craig 1:57.18 (2:16.57) to 1:57.20(2:16.60). Ally would also place fourth in the 200 freestyle relay where his third leg 19.70 (22.91) pushed the Gators to 1:19.22
Fraser came away from the Championships with a chest full of medals. Fraser repeated as SEC champion in the 200yard freestyle breaking the pool record and his personal best to record 1:34.29 (1:49.01) and the fifth fastest time in University of Florida history. Fraser who was third at the 50 and second at the 100 and 150 mark unleashed a 23.97(27.85) to take the victory where the first four places were decided by .21 of a second. This is what he had to say about the win as seen on the SEC website.
“I just wanted to go out there and race. That has been our main goal for the season. To win is always a plus so I was pretty happy with that time.”
The 200 butterfly saw Fraser losing his 2007 crown as well as he went from first to third clocking 1:44.38 (2:00.53) bettering his 2007 time but not enough to top Georgia’s Mark Dyalla who clocked 1:42.23 (1:58.05). He snapped up a bronze in the 200 yard medley relay clocking 20.84 (24.01) on the butterfly to help to 1:26.80. In the 800 freestyle relay his third leg time of 1:34.37 (1:49.10) to boost the Gators to the silver in an NCAA automatic qualifying time 6:22.84. His butterfly exploits extended to the 400 yard medley where he clocked 46.26 (53.29) to gain another bronze in an NCAA automatic time of 3:10.80. His final medal of the meet came in the 400 freestyle relay where he clocked 42.97(49.79) for bronze in 2:54.34.
Also making finals at the Championships was Auburn’s Bahamian sprint star Alana Dillette who made B finals in the 100 backstroke, 100 butterfly and 50 freestyle. In the backstroke she used her characteristic quick start 26.34 (30.88) to win in an NCAA consideration time of 54.76 (1:04.20). She was sixth in the 100 fly improving upon her heats time to clock in another NCAA consideration time of 54.58 (1:02.23). In the 50 free she clocked 23.09 under the NCAA consideration time of 23.43.
Other former CARIFTA stars competing were Cayman Islands Heather Roffey representing the University of South Carolina and Bahamas Elvis Burrows competing for the University of Kentucky. Roffey placed 22nd in the 500 freestyle in 4:57.00 (4:27.09) 35th in the 200 freestyle 1:53.59 (2:09.97) and 27th in the 200 butterfly 2:06.99(2:24.14). Burrows scorecard read 50 free 23rd 20.55 (23.90), 100 butterfly 23rd 49.48 (57.00) and 100 freestyle 24th 45.55(52.78).
University of Florida Men finished second with 712 points, University of Kentucky men were fifth with 345 points. South Carolina women were 9th with 199 points. Auburn topped both men and women’s section with 806 and 716.5 points respectively.
When Aruban Olympian Mikel Schreuders came to the Etihad Arena for the 2021 World Short course Swimming championships he was in record breaking form in the long course pool. Entered in three individual events the 200, 50 and 100 metre freestyle . It would be the final event the 100 metre freestyle that saw him having the greatest impact.
Mikel posing with his 2018 CAC Games Silver and Bronze medals. Photo courtesy of Comite Olimpico Arubano
Before the competition started no Aruban swimmer had ever gone faster than 50 seconds in the 100 metre freestyle. In fact Mikel held the standard at 50.58 from the 2014 edition .At that competition in Doha Qatar he placed 58th. Since that time he had made great progress in his swimming career. Highlights included winning medals at the Central American Games in 2018, becoming one of the fastest men ever in the yards pool in the 2O0 freestyle for the University of Missouri and the pinnacle qualifying for two Olympic Games 2016 Rio and Tokyo 2020. Abu Dhabi would prove to be another major milestone for Mikel and Aruba.
Olympian Mikel Schreuders at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Olympic Games
Photo courtesy of wikipedia.com
In Tokyo Mikel had swum heat five of the 100 metre freestyle race in the 50 metre pool. He had finished joint second with Egyptian Ali Khalafalla in 49.31. That heat was won Croatian Nikola Miljenić in 49.28.
Nikola and Mikel would meet again in heat 8 of the race in Abu Dhabi
This time Schreuders would leave the pool with his hand raised in victory. He overcame a deficit of 0.38 to chase down the Croatian to take the win. He touched the wall in 47.36 (854 FINA points) to the Croat’s 47.37. It crushed his previous national standard by more than three seconds. His second 50 metres of 24.47 was the fifth fastest of all the 100 competitors in the event.
That placed him at 17th overall . With the withdrawal of the Russian Kliment Kolesnikov he would be in the semi-finals. A historic first for Aruba. It would be yet another opportunity to move his nation to their highest ever position at World Championships.
He would seize the opportunity to give another outstanding performance . He would drop time again and place third in 47.01 (873 FINA points) . He would put together a race with splits of 22.59 and 24.42). That would rank tenth overall . Aruba’s highest ever placing at a World Championships. It would also rank third all time from swimmers from the CARIFTA and CCCAN regions.
Mikel also ensured the streak continued of swimmers from CARIFTA and CCCAN Region making the top 16
Metella in action
The Aruban belongs to the elite French Club Cercle des nageurs de Marseille. He is now ranked sixth all time from that unit .All of whom are Olympians.
France 2016 Olympic Silver medal winning 400 metre freestyle relay team from left to right Mehdy Metella,Florent Manaudou,Fabien Gilot and Jérémy Stravius Photo courtesy of Mehdy Metella
In his 50 metre freestyle Mikel was also the top swimmer from the CCCAN and CARIFTA region. He clocked a national record of 21.80 (790 FINA points) . That placed him 28th. He again broke his own national record of 23.12 also from the 2014 Doha Championships. The performance again propelled him into the all time top ten from the CARIFTA and CCCAN regions
Draftingthecaribbean spoke to Schreuders about his historic 2021 World Champs performances
Mikel
” The 200 freestyle was my first event and I did 1:46. .It was best time since I have not swum it since 2015. I think I should have been faster but I was really happy with it first swim. The 50 freestyle was 21.80. That was a really good race for me. It placed me 28th 3 tenths off the semis. So after that I thought okay maybe now I have a chance to make the semi finals in the 100 and I am just going to go for it. This morning during the heats I saw that I was in 11th with one heat to go and I only needed to beat five guys. unfortunately six guys beat me so was 17th .I came back to the hotel and in my mind said I had to prepare for it anyway as the reserve if somebody does not show up. Then one hour before we go the pool the start list comes out and I see that I am listed in 16th. So I said to myself YES, first time semi finals in my life at the World Championships. It was AWESOME. I was super happy about it and then I was thinking to myself yeah have fun swim the best I can whatever is the the outcome is whatever is the outcome. After that I came third in the heat .I was really excited. Like WOW. third in my heat in the semi final. I can actually make it to the final. I was just looking at the second semi final and seven guys went under 47, But yes extremely happy about it. The first Aruban to make a World semi finals. Hopefully this is just the start of my career and I can translate into long course and then maybe may get into the finals”
With another World Championships to be held in Kazan this year and 900 FINA points a realistic possibility Aruba and the region will be looking to see Mikel carry Aruba to yet another level at this level.
Today December 20,2021 will mark a special day for Trinidad and Tobago through the effforts of the Soca Sprinter Dylan Carter. He moved up the medal table from Bronze in 2018 to Silver in the 50 metre butterfly at the World Short Course Swimming Championships .
FINDING THE RIGHT RIDDIM
Carter and Coach Browne
Carter returned home to train with Coach Dexter Browne. Coach Browne , is a visionary who has used the Arts (Photography and Music) with Science to help Dylan along his destined path of greatness. That trip home reaped great benefits as seen by his performances in the International Swimming League. He broke his national record at at the quarter final stage with blast of 22.25. That broke his 2018 Bronze medal winning time of 22.38. In the final of the competition he would challenge that mark with a Bronze medal winning performance of 22.36.
It would be back home to the twin Island Republic under the tutelage of the maestro Browne. They would depart the island for a game changing swim in the United Arab Emirates. Through out the global competition the riddim of soca was building to reach its crescendo in the 50 metre butterfly.
Dylan Carter collecting the Hummingbird medal
Carter conducted a Caribbean master class in the 100 metre butterfly event. He lowered his 2020 national record from 50 .70 to 50 .22. In the semi final he put on a blazing display of speed to become the first English speaking Caribbean swimmer to go under 50 seconds with a time of 49.87. He narrowly missed making the final placing ninth.
ALL TIME CARIBBEAN PERFORMERS
The soca beat was building and Carter was getting better.
In the heats of the 50 metre event he surpassed his best ever time at the World Championships with the top qualifying time of 22.36.
All across the Caribbean the swim community was starting to move to to the riddim.
In the semi finals there would be a new national record of 22.18 and a rank of third going into the Championship final
In the final with all of the the CARIFTA region was in tune to the same song as they watched Dylan push all the way to finish with Brazilian soldier Nicholas Santos . The final time on the board read Santos Gold in 21.93 , Carter Silver in 21.98 and Italian Mateo Rivolta Bronze 22.02.
HISTORICAL IMPACT OF SILVER MEDAL
This is the first Silver medal for the CARIFTA,Caribbean and CCCAN regions in in the 50 metre butterfly at these World Championships.
It is also the first Silver medal for any butterfly event at this global championships for the regions. Carter is the only medallist in the butterfly events at this international event with two medals Bronze in 2018 and Silver in 2021.
2018 50 metre butterfly medal podium
from left South African Chad Le Clos Silver, Santos Gold and Carter Bronze
Photo courtesy of FINA
He is the only swimmer from the CARIFTA, Caribbean and CCCAN regions who has swum under the 22 seconds mark. He is the fastest swimmer of all time in the Americas and the sixth faster performer of all time.
World Junior Swimming championships 50 metre butterfly podium
from left to right
Carter Silver medallist,Gold medallist Cameron Jones Australia, Bronze medallist Takaya Yasue Japan
Photo courtesy of Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
He continues to earn global butterfly medal collection which the 2014 Youth Olympics Silver, 2018 Commonwealth Silver and 2018 Central American and Caribbean Gold
2018 Commonwealth Games 50 metre butterfly podium
from left to right
Carter,Le Clos and Coetzee
Photo courtesy of teamsa.co.za
Team TTO at 2021 Worlds from left to right Nikoli Blackman, Carter and Cherelle Thompson. Photo courtesy of Gresha Gonzales
With a massive 968 FINA points Coach Browne would happy to know that we in the Caribbean today share in this moment of immense pride. All of the Caribbean can unite and celebrate loudly this great. When the international community hear us tonight we can proudly say in the words of Bunji Garlin “WE ARE THE SOUND OF SOCA”
Before the 15th edition of the World Short Course Swimming Championships started at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi , United Arab Emirates Aruba Mikel Schreuders was in excellent form in the 50 metre pool. At the French Winter Championships he took down national standards in breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. The question now was would that form be translated in the 25 metre pool. Well that was answered emphatically of Friday December 17 in heat 4 of the 200 metre freestyle. Not only did he shatter the national record he has now put himself and Aruba among the best freestylers of all time in the Caribbean in the event with a swim of 1:46.08. He took down countryman and fellow Olympian Jemal Le Grand’s (London 2012) 2012 Doha standard setting swim.
COMPARISON OF RECORDS
Mikel finished second in the heat to China’s Jinquan Hong .Hong took the event in 1:44.78. Overall he was ranked 25th
Schreuders who posted the top CARIFTA region time in the event scored 821 FINA points.
Mikel Schreuders 2018 CAC 200 metre freestyle Bronze medal
The swim also has him fourth all time in the Caribbean region
This swim by the Olympian (Rio 2016,Tokyo 2020) has shown the region what standard of swimming we can achieve and must continuously strive for to be regarded as elite. He now owns the title of fastest Aruban in all 200 freestyle formats.
Mikel himself with undoubtedly be looking for an in higher FINA points showing and a finals berth at the next global championships.
drafting the caribbean 