Major Drop by Anna Moesch Sparks Memories of Ian Crocker in Barcelona
In itself, the 51.94 performance of Anna Moesch in the 100-meter freestyle on Memorial Day was stunning. Produced at the AP Race London International, the mark was good for an American record. It was just the third sub-52 effort in history. And the swim now ranks No. 2 all-time, trailing only the 51.71 world record of Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom, which has stood since the 2017 World Championships in Budapest.
But Moesch’s outing also signified a major jump, as her previous best was the 53.23 she delivered during the morning prelims at the London Aquatic Centre. Prior to Monday, Moesch’s top time was 53.25, which arrived at the Fort Lauderdale Open earlier this month. While Moesch has been viewed as a future star for Team USA, few individuals – if any – expected her to completely bypass the 52-second realm.
Lopping 1.29 seconds from a personal best is rarely witnessed at the highest level of the sport, especially in a 100-meter event. Usually, that’s an age-group reduction. Yet, it is also not entirely foreign. When Moesch skipped the 52s during her third victory of the meet, she didn’t just etch herself as an American-record holder. She brought back memories of the final of the 100 butterfly at the 2003 World Championships in Barcelona.
Heading into the final of the 100 fly in Barcelona, the gold-medal focus was on American Michael Phelps and the Ukraine’s Andriy Serdinov. After all, in the semifinals, Serdinov (51.76) and Phelps (51.47) exchanged world records to set up a title showdown. That head-to-head duel never materialized, as the United States’ Ian Crocker blasted a mark of 50.98 for a world record and massive personal best.
Ahead of the final in Barcelona, Crocker’s best in the event was 52.21, the time he managed in the semifinals. A little math reveals he cut 1.23 seconds over his two laps, just .06 less than what Moesch trimmed. Phelps ended up claiming silver in 51.10 while Serdinov set a European record of 51.59 for the bronze medal.
“I’ve wanted to go 51 for a long time, but I guess I’ve skipped that one and I’ll take the 50,” Crocker said at the time. “I don’t know what to think right now. I’m in shock. I feel like someone’s going to wake me up and it’s going to be time to swim today.”
