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. He coached for many years at the Western Hills Athletic Club and has helped coach the Longhorns swim camp in 2019 as well as other years. Since Spring of 2022 when the new facility opened, Crocker coaches at the Western Aquatics and Social Club at the Eanes Independent School District Aquatics center.

Career

Crocker, who specializes in the

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

, 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. Crocker improved his world record of 50.98 twice, down to a time of 50.40 set at the 2005 World Aquatics Championships in Montreal, before being bested by

Michael Phelps Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold me ...

in 2009.

2000-2001

At the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, officially branded as Sydney 2000, and also known as the Games of the New Millennium, were an international multi-sport event held from 15 September to 1 October ...

in Sydney, Crocker was a member of the gold medal-winning 4x100-meter medley relay team and barely missed winning a bronze in the 100-meter butterfly. At the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, Crocker won a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly, finishing behind Lars Frölander.

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. 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

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. When Crocker saw the time after the race, he thought the world record belonged to Phelps. 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.

2004 Athens Summer Olympic Games

At the

2004 Summer Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece. The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...

in Athens, Crocker received a bronze medal as a member of the 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, a silver medal in the 100-meter butterfly, and a gold medal as a member of the world-record setting 4x100-meter medley relay team. Of the three medals he won at the 2004 Olympics, he is best remembered for his silver, as teammate

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. 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

2005 FINA World Championships - victory lap of the 100 m butterfly

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. 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. 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.

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. In the 100 m butterfly final, Crocker finished second to Phelps 50.82 to 50.77. 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 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 one hundredth of a second. Despite not earning a medal in his signature event, Crocker was given the opportunity to swim for the 4×100-meter medley relay in the preliminary heats. He earned a gold medal for his contribution.

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.

Personal

Crocker attended Cheverus High School in

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

. Following the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he has taken a break and started a swim school with former Longhorn teammate Neil Walker. He is now the head coach for a swim club in Austin, Texas, called the Whitecaps of Westlake (WOW).

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Crocker, Ian 1982 births Living people American male butterfly swimmers American male freestyle swimmers World record setters in swimming Medalists at the FINA World Swimming Championships (25 m) Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic gold medalists for the United States in swimming Olympic silver medalists for the United States in swimming Sportspeople from Portland, Maine Swimmers at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2004 Summer Olympics Swimmers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Texas Longhorns men's swimmers World Aquatics Championships medalists in swimming Medalists at the 2000 Summer Olympics Swimmers from Maine Cheverus High School alumni 21st-century American sportsmen 20th-century American sportsmen