Ian Crocker (USA) was in cracking form in the morn at the Texas Grand Prix at home in the Longhorns' pool: his 51.67sec 100m butterfly wake-up call is a time only he, Michael Phelps (USA) and Andriy Serdinov (UKR) have ever got inside before.

Crocker's time would have won a medal at any time in Olympic history barring Athens 2004, and any time in World Championship history, barring the first time that Crocker beat Michael Phelps, at Barcelona in 2003.

On the all-time top 10 performances list, Crocker, of Longhorn Aquatic, has the edge six entries to Phelps's four, that top 10 range one from 50.40sec, Crocker's world record, to 51.25sec.

Crocker's prelims swim in Texas marked the 20th time in his career that Crocker has raced inside 52sec. Behind him Lyndon Ferns, the South African member of that riotous relay in Athens 2004, came in at 52.99.

Among other solid heats swims was a 3:49.81 for Klete Keller, now with the Trojan Swim Club, in the 400m freestyle, ahead of Michael Klueh (Uni of Texas), on 3:51.97, and Larsen Jensen, Olympic silver medallist over 30 laps and also at Trojan, on 3:53.49.

Phelps (Club Wolverine) put in a 2:03.23 200m medley, with Adam Ritter (Tuscon Ford) second through, on 2:03.27. The 50m free was led by Gar Weber-Gale, of Longhorn Aquatic, in a swift 22.24, ahead of Matt Grevers (Tucson Ford), on 22.42, and Cullen Jones (Wolfpack Aquatic), on 22.44. Among other qualifiers were South Africans Roland Schoeman, 22.65 and Ferns, 22.88.