Ian Crocker

This article is about the American swimmer. For the British football commentator, see Ian Crocker (commentator).
Ian Crocker

Crocker in 2005.
Personal information
Full name Ian Lowell Crocker
National team  United States
Born (1982-08-31) August 31, 1982
Portland, Maine
Height 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight 190 lb (86 kg)
Sport
Sport Swimming
Strokes Butterfly, freestyle
Club Portland Porpoises
College team University of Texas

Ian Lowell Crocker (born August 31, 1982) is an American former competition swimmer, five-time Olympic medalist, and former world record-holder. During his career, he set world records in the 50- and 100-meter butterfly (long course and short course) and the 100-meter freestyle (short course). He has won a total of twenty-one medals in major international competition, spanning the Olympics, the FINA World Aquatics Championships, and the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships.

Career

Crocker, who specializes in the butterfly, has received five Olympic medals in his career. In addition to his accomplishments at the Olympics, Crocker was the first man to ever swim under 51 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly.[1] Crocker improved his world record of 50.98 twice, down to a time of 50.40[2] set at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, before being bested by Michael Phelps in 2009.

2000-2001

At the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Crocker was a member of the gold medal-winning 400-meter medley relay team[3] and barely missed winning a bronze in the 100-meter butterfly.[4]

At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, Crocker won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing behind Lars Frölander.[5][6]

2003 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2003 World Aquatics Championships, Crocker won a total of three medals, two golds and one silver medal. In his first event, the 50-meter butterfly, Crocker won a silver medal finishing behind Australian Matt Welsh, who set the world record.[7] Crocker is best known in these Championships for his world record performance in the 100 m butterfly final. After the semi-finals of the 100-meter butterfly, it seemed Crocker was out of the gold medal position after Andrii Serdinov and Michael Phelps went under the former world record. However, in the final of the 100-meter butterfly, Crocker swam a 50.98 to become the first man under 51 seconds and win the gold medal.[8] When Crocker saw the time after the race, he thought the world record belonged to Phelps.[9] Crocker earned his final medal, a gold, in the 4×100-meter medley relay. The American team recorded a time of 3:31.54 to beat the former world record set in 2002.[10]

2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games

At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Crocker received a bronze medal as a member of the 400-meter freestyle relay team,[11] a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly,[12] and a gold medal as a member of the world-record setting 400-meter medley relay team.[13] Of the three medals he won at the 2004 Olympics, he is best remembered for his silver, as teammate Michael Phelps overtook him at the very end of the 100-meter butterfly to win the race by 0.04 seconds. Traditionally, the Olympian who places highest in an individual event will be automatically given the corresponding leg of the 4×100-meter medley relay for the finals swim. This gave Phelps an automatic entry into finals for the medley relay but he deferred that spot to the world record-holder and swam the butterfly leg in preliminary heats instead.[14] Crocker had swum a slow leg leading off the 4×100-meter freestyle relay final, which may have cost the Americans a better medal, so Phelps' gesture gave Crocker a chance to make amends in a final. Crocker and the American medley team went on to win the event in world record time. (Phelps still received a gold, since he had swum in the preliminary heat of the medley relay.)

2005 World Aquatics Championships

Victory lap of the 100 m butterfly during the 2005 FINA World Championships in Montréal. Crocker is in the center.

At the 2005 World Aquatics Championships, Crocker won a total of three medals, two golds and one silver medal. In his first event, the 50 m butterfly, Crocker won a silver medal finishing behind South African Roland Schoeman, who set the world record.[15] In the final of the 100 m butterfly, Crocker recorded a time of 50.40 to beat his own world record of 50.76 and win the gold medal.[16] Crocker also handed Michael Phelps one of the worst losses in his career when Phelps finished over a second behind. With this win, Crocker was awarded a spot in the 4 × 100 m medley relay. Crocker did not disappoint and swam the butterfly leg in 50.39. The American team went on to win the gold medal.[17]

2007 World Aquatics Championships

At the 2007 World Aquatics Championships, Crocker won two silver medals. In the 50-meter butterfly, Crocker won a silver medal finishing behind Schoeman.[18] In the 100 m butterfly final, Crocker finished second to Phelps 50.82 to 50.77.[19][20] In the heats of the 4×100-meter medley relay, Crocker dove in too early on an exchange, causing the disqualification of the American team.

2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games

Crocker competed in the his third Olympics as a medal contender for his signature 100-meter butterfly. Many felt Crocker's career was on a slide due to a poor showing in the Olympic trials and having not broken the 51-second barrier in over 12 months. Crocker finished in a tie for third in the semi-finals, behind Australia's Andrew Lauterstein. In the finals, he finished fourth behind teammate Phelps, Milorad Čavić, and Lauterstein, beating Kenyan swimmer Jason Dunford. He missed the medal stand by a hundredth of a second.[21] Despite not earning a medal in his signature event, Crocker was given the opportunity to swim for the 4×100-meter medley relay B team. To his disappointment, Crocker did not get to swim in the finals nor stand on the podium, however he earned a gold medal for his contribution in the heats.

2011 return to drug testing pool

In the third quarter of 2011, Ian Crocker returned to the USADA drug-testing pool. This fueled speculation that he might be considering a return to competitive swimming after more than three years away from the sport.[22]

Personal

Crocker attended Cheverus High School in Portland, Maine.

Following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he has taken a break and started a swim school with former Longhorn teammate Neil Walker.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Christopher Clarey (July 28, 2003). "Crocker beats the unbeatable". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2014-10-15. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  2. ↑ Amy Shipley (July 31, 2005). "Crocker Rips Phelps in 100 Fly". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 16, 2009.
  3. ↑ "ESPN Sydney Swimming". Retrieved 2009-03-13.
  4. ↑ "CROCKER BREAKS U.S. MARK WITH 4TH-PLACE FINISH". Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  5. ↑ Brown, Phil (2001-07-27). "Ian Crocker second in 100m butterfly American Hansen wins 200 breaststroke". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  6. ↑ "SILVER STILL A CHARM". Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  7. ↑ "Men's 50m Butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  8. ↑ "Men's 100m Butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  9. ↑ "A Barcelona Butterfly Surprise; Crocker Sets World Record, Edges Phelps". Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  10. ↑ "Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-27.
  11. ↑ "Tough day for Phelps, U.S. men's basketball". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  12. ↑ "Phelps clinches fifth gold medal". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 2004-08-21. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  13. ↑ "2004 Olympic Games swimming results". CNN. Retrieved 2007-07-22.
  14. ↑ Myslenski, Skip (2004-08-21). "Phelps a champion and a gentleman ; Butterfly winner hands relay spot to U.S. teammate". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  15. ↑ "Men's 50 m butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  16. ↑ "Men's 100 m butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  17. ↑ "Men's 4 x 100m Medley Relay results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-01-31.
  18. ↑ "Men's 50 m butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  19. ↑ "Men's 100 m butterfly results" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  20. ↑ Clarey, Christopher (2007-04-01). "Phelps's Shot at 8 Golds Ends on Relay Team's Miscue". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-02-06.
  21. ↑ "Maine's Ian Crocker out of the medals in 100-meter butterfly". The Boston Globe. 2008-08-16. Archived from the original on 2008-08-20. Retrieved 2009-07-16.
  22. ↑ "Breaking: Ian Crocker Back in USADA Drug Testing Pool". The Swimmers' Circle. 2011-12-09. Retrieved 2011-12-09.
Records
Preceded by

Michael Phelps		 Men's 100-meter butterfly
world record-holder (long course)
July 26, 2003 – July 9, 2009 		Succeeded by

Michael Phelps
Preceded by

Milorad Čavić		 Men's 100-meter butterfly
world record-holder (short course)
March 26, 2004 – November 15, 2009 		Succeeded by

Yevgeny Korotyshkin
Preceded by

Alexander Popov
Roland Schoeman (tie)		 Men's 100-meter freestyle
world record-holder (short course)
March 27, 2004 – January 22, 2005
January 22, 2005 – November 17, 2007 		Succeeded by

Roland Schoeman (tie)
Stefan Nystrand
Preceded by

Matt Welsh		 Men's 50-meter butterfly
world record-holder (long course)
February 29, 2004 – July 24, 2005 		Succeeded by

Roland Schoeman
Preceded by

Geoff Huegill		 Men's 50-meter butterfly
world record-holder (short course)
October 10, 2004 – December 17, 2005 		Succeeded by

Kaio de Almeida
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