Crocker misses cut in 100 free Portland swimmer still sick

ATHENS, Greece – After a disastrous morning of qualifying swims, the United States won’t have a single swimmer in the men’s 100-meter freestyle final for the first time in the Olympic history, excluding the boycotted 1980 Summer Games.

Ian Crocker of Portland and Jason Lezak failed to advance to the Tuesday semifinals with inexplicably slow swims in the morning heats. The top 16 swimmers moved on to the semis; Crocker finished 17th in 49.73 seconds and Lezak, 20th, in 49.87.

The performances came on the heels of a crushing defeat in the 4×100 freestyle relay Sunday when the U.S. men finished third. They had won gold in every other 4×100 freestyle race they entered except for the 2000 Games in Sydney, when they won silver.

Crocker has been sick with a sore throat since the swimming competition began Saturday.

“I’m trying to ignore it,” said Crocker. “Everything is getting better day by day. I keep telling myself I’m getting better.”

The ailing Crocker had his second poor swim of the Games. He led off the 400 freestyle relay Sunday with the worst 100 split in the race – a dismal 50.05 – leaving his teammates with a deficit too big to close. The United States finished third, its worst showing in the event.

Crocker is now preparing for his strongest event, the 100-meter butterfly, in which he holds the world record. The prelims and semifinals for that event are Thursday.

If Crocker qualifies, he would swim for the gold medal in the 100 fly on Friday. He is also still seeking a spot in the 4×100 medley relay. The prelims for that event are Friday and the finals on Saturday.

U.S. men’s team coach Eddie Reese said the swimmers expected more in Tuesday’s freestyle qualifying.

“It’s the worst of all scenarios,” he said.

Reese had blamed the sore throat for Crocker’s poor performance in Sunday’s race, but Reese said Tuesday that Crocker swam well during the morning practice session. U.S. assistant coach Dave Salo said Lezak went out too slowly, underestimating the time he would need to advance.

“He got caught up in a slow, tactical race,” Salo said. ” … He looked good going out. It’s just too slow for him.”

Said Reese: “It’s not like him at all. It was totally unexpected.”

Lezak, fourth in the 100 free at last year’s world championships, was considered a medal hope here, and Crocker, a member of the last two U.S. world championship 4×100 teams, a favorite to advance to the final. Crocker finished sixth of six swimmers in the seventh heat and Lezak, fifth of eight in the ninth and final heat.

“It’s no fun for those guys and it’s no fun for the coaches,” Reese said. “Swimming momentum is kind of like the stock market: it’s up and down.”

Netherlands Pieter van den Hoogenband led all qualifiers in 48.70 seconds, followed by Lithuania’s Rolandas Gimbutis and South Africa’s Ryk Neethling.