Posted: Sun Apr 01, 2007 7:59 pm
Michael Phelps Wins 7 Gold Medals - Misses 8th Due to DQ
Ian Crocker's eagerness to get back in the pool after losing to Michael Phelps ended up costing his superstar teammate a shot at history -- and more gold. The U.S. team was shockingly disqualified in the 400-meter medley relay preliminaries Sunday, spoiling Phelps' bid for a record eight gold medals.
Crocker dove in for the butterfly leg before Scott Usher completed his breaststroke portion, resulting in the DQ. It was the first time any U.S. relay team failed to reach a final in world championships' history.
"Just an unlucky exchange," anchor Neil Walker said.
Ryan Lochte led off on the backstroke.
Crocker was back in the water for the first time since losing the 100 fly to Phelps the night before. Phelps' victory was his sixth gold medal of the meet, tying Ian Thorpe's record from 2001.
Phelps could still become the most successful swimmer at a world championships if he wins the 400 individual medley Sunday night. He qualified fastest for the final.
"Michael was doing something that nobody has ever done before," Walker said. "I think everybody is going to be disappointed, Michael included. But he's going to see that this is the way it happens sometimes."
Walker attributed Crocker's mistake to "a little bit of overexcitement."
"Ian had such an awesome race last night with Michael Phelps. To get back up the next morning is tough to do in the morning relay," he said.
Phelps was counting on the morning crew earning a spot in the evening final, which he, breaststroker Brendan Hansen, backstroker Aaron Peirsol and freestyler Jason Lezak would have swum. They would have been favored to break the world record, which Phelps helped set at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
But Crocker completed his exchange in 0.04 seconds -- one-hundredth of a second outside the allowable time, so no protest could be lodged.
"That's just incomprehensible, that amount of time," Walker said. "It's so small that you can never really plan that."
The Americans easily won their heat, then stood behind the starting blocks at the end of the race, waiting for judges to check Crocker's exchange.
When they ruled against him, Crocker slapped his hands to his face in disbelief.
"I trust the machine," U.S. men's assistant coach Eddie Reese said. "Since '88 in Korea, which was my first Olympics, I have not seen the machine make a mistake."
The stunning result provoked instant reaction from other countries. Members of Singapore's relay pointed at the `DSQ' listed next to the United States on a television monitor and smiled.
"It's rare when we do that," Reese said, "and you never know what causes it because everybody's trying to be careful."
Japan qualified first for the final in 3 minutes, 37.04 seconds.
"I feel sorry for them," Japanese swimmer Daisuke Hosokawa said, referring to the Americans.
Walker spoke on behalf of the relay team, with Crocker walking by reporters in silence.
Crocker is quiet and contemplative in the best of times, so Reese couldn't imagine what he was feeling after such a huge gaffe.
"I have enough trouble saying how I'm feeling at the moment," said Reese, Crocker's college coach at Texas. "Ian's very, very sensitive and this is real tough on him."
It was the fourth time a U.S. relay team was disqualified at worlds. The last time was 2001 in Japan, where the men's 400 free and 400 medley relays were DQ'd.
Earlier, Phelps qualified for the 400 IM in 4:12.01. He'll go for his fifth world record of the meet in the final.
"I'm hurting a little bit, but this is the most important day. This is the final exam of the week," Phelps said. "This is the last big test that I have front of me."
He has passed every other challenge through the first seven days. Going into Sunday night, Phelps had won four golds with the fastest times ever.
Source: Sports Illustrated