Crocker to ‘stay dry’ after nearly winning bronze

BEIJING – Maine native Ian Crocker plans to stay dry for a while after the Olympics.

After Friday’s 100-meter butterfly race in which he finished fourth, just 0.01 of a second behind bronze medal winner Andrew Lauterstein of Australia, Crocker said he would take a long break after he returns to Austin, Texas, where he now lives.

Crocker, who grew up in Portland and graduated from Cheverus High School in 2000, told the Portland Press Herald that he doesn’t know what his future will bring.

“Stay dry for a while,” he said. “Usually, when I was younger, if I was dry for more than a month I’d be itching to go back in the pool. And I haven’t had anything close to a month off in eight years. I think I need that right now.”

These are the third Olympic games for Crocker, who still holds the world record for the 100-meter butterfly. He set the mark in 2005 at the World Swimming Championships in Montreal.

After barely falling short of winning a medal in Friday’s race in Beijing, Crocker said he felt lucky to even make the final.

“To be close to getting a medal and not [get one] is disappointing, but at the same time, I don’t feel there’s much room for disappointment now,” he said.

When he leaves China this week, Crocker will return to Austin, where he is two classes shy of earning a sociology degree from the University of Texas. He’s not sure of his immediate plans, other than they won’t include swimming.

“I’ve got way too many interests to narrow it down,” he said. “I pick day after day what I want to do and I have no idea.”