July 26, 2003

BARCELONA, Spain -- Senior Ian Crocker (Portland, Maine) became the third current member of The University of Texas men's swimming team to earn a world record when he won the 100-meter butterfly on Saturday at the 2003 World Championships with a time of 50.98. American Michael Phelps, who set a world record in the semifinals of the event on Friday with a time of 51.47, also went under the previous world-record time at 51.10 to earn the silver medal.

"I think that you go into this thinking 'if I'm going to swim against Michael, I have to go a world record to win," Crocker said. "I'd like to say I had a lot of confidence, but deep down you're thinking it's Michael Phelps. I guess you have to have a lot of faith."

Crocker joins Texas teammates Brendan Hansen (Haverford, Pa.) and Aaron Peirsol (Irvine, Calif.) as a world record holders. Peirsol owns the standard in the 200-meter backstroke with a time of 1:55.15 and at the 2002 Pan Pacific Championships he joined Hansen on the 400-meter medley relay that set the world record with a time of 3:33.48.

Texas could possibly have the first three swimmers on the 400-meter medley relay team that competes on Sunday. Peirsol, Hansen and Crocker are the fastest Americans in their respective events, which usually leads to their participation on the relay team. At the 2003 NCAA Championships the trio teamed with Chris Kemp to set an NCAA, American and U.S. Open record in the 400-yard medley relay en route to a first-place finish with a time of 3:04.47.

Crocker, a three-time NCAA Champion in the 100-yard butterfly and the American record holder in the event at 45.44, competed on the 400-meter medley relay team at the 2000 Olympics and earned a gold medal in the event.

The medal for Crocker at the 2003 World Championships is his second of the meet and the third of his carerer. Crocker's time of 23.62 placed second in this year's 50-meter butterfly and in 2001 he placed runner-up in the 100-meter butterfly.