Former Texas Longhorn and 5-time Olympic medalist Ian Crocker is back in the USADA drug-testing pool, which is often the first indication of an athlete who is coming out of retirement.
In the 3rd quarter of 2011, Crocker underwent 4 USADA drug tests. The 3rd quarter was the last where athletes could re-enter the drug pool and be eligible in time for June’s Olympic Trials.
Crocker was a member of the American Olympic gold medalist 400 medley relay in three-straight Olympic Games from 2000 through 2008. We have not seen him swim in an official, USA Swimming (or FINA) sanctioned race since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
In his previous career, Crocker held 5 different World Records at one point or another: the 100 fly (long course and short course), the 100 free (short course), and the 50 fly (long course and short course). He was also a two-time long course World Champion in the 100 fly (2003, 2005).
Crocker’s comeback has been murmured about since his former Texas teammate Brendan Hansen began a comeback earlier this year, but never seemed to gain much traction until now. Curiously, Aaron Peirsol (the 3rd leg of a trio that dominated the medley relay world for almost a decade) has never left the drug-testing pool despite insisting that he has no intention of a comeback.
All three men competed recently at the “Fastest Man in Texas” charity event to help raise money to pay for the cancer treatment of Josh Davis’ mother. At that meet, Crocker swam a 20.2 in the 50 yard free and a 21.4 in the 50 yard fly. In that 50 free, he touched just .04 seconds behind current Longhorn Dax Hill, which might have been a warning shot that Crocker was in better shape than he had initially let-on.
The last return that was alluded to by the USADA’s drug-testing statistics was Anthony Ervin, who did indeed compete in a few Masters meets in California earlier this year, but we have not seen any competition from him in a few months. He was not tested in the 3rd quarter of 2012.
there were also rumors that he popped a 49.6 in a full polyurethane suit in 09.
Hard to say what shape he’s in given his talent. I heard sometime in the last couple years that he did a 50 fly lcm no warmup or swimming in months, 24.0, which isn’t too shabby.Also, Phelps still hasn’t beat Crocker’s best time in textile so I don’t think Crocker has too much work to do.
I dont know SC yards that well, how fast compared to SC meters/ LC meter 50fly is a 21.4? Tyler McGills 51.2 at worlds was pretty fast, Crocker would need to pull himself close to his best to make a dent.
Not that fast…USA Swimming doesn’t have official conversions for the 50 fly that I know of, but compare it thusly – at NCAA’s last year, 12 of the 50 butterfliers spit under 21-seconds in the 50 fly (which allows for the difference in start speeds).
Nice find, guys! The comeback quadrennium continues…
I am an Evans fan, but i find very hard nowadays to her be capable to beat the tall girls of the present.Even if she does a 4.03, probably dont medal in London.
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weird that Janet Evans has not been in any meets lately? any chance she re-retired?
She’s Tweeting and landing sponsorships like she’s still planning a comeback. After her last race, probably not much else to be accomplished by competition until she does a lot of work.