Phelps won’t get eight

MELBOURNE, Australia – Michael Phelps’ bid for a record eight gold medals at the world championships ended today with the shocking disqualification of his U.S. teammates in the 400-meter individual medley relay preliminaries.

Butterflyer Ian Crocker dove in before Scott Usher completed his breaststroke leg, 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,” said Neil Walker, who swam the anchor freestyle leg.

Ryan Lochte led off on the backstroke.

Crocker was back in the pool 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 today. He qualified fastest for the final.

Walker attributed Crocker’s mistake to “a little bit of overexcitement.”

Crocker completed the exchange in 0.04 seconds – one-hundredth of a second outside the allowable time.

“That’s just incomprehensible, that amount of time,” Walker said. “It’s so small that you can never really plan that.”

The 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.

Phelps was counting on his teammates to earn a spot in the evening final, where he would have joined the team, along with breaststroker Brendan Hansen.

“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 spoke on behalf of the relay team, with Crocker walking by reporters in silence.

Japan qualified first for the medley relay final in 3 minutes, 37.04 seconds. Russia was second and South Africa third.

Earlier in the day, Phelps easily advanced to the 400 individual medley final, giving him a shot at a seventh gold.

He qualified in 4:12.01 in a race where he owns the world record.

“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 in front of me.”

American Katie Hoff, who trains at the same North Baltimore club that launched Phelps, led the women’s 400 IM qualifying in 4:38.21.

The defending champion was 1.91 seconds ahead of Jennifer Reilly of Australia. Hoff’s teammate Ariana Kukors was fourth.