Swimming:Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe will make his long-awaited return to competitive swimming tomorrow
Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe will make his long-awaited return to competitive swimming to
The 29-year-old will race at the FINA Arena World Cup in Singapore as he starts a comeback he hopes will result in a spot on the Australian team for next summer’s Olympic Games in London.
“I have to remind myself that I’m the guy who hasn’t swum for five years,” he said today.
“It’s my first time back in the pool and it’s not going to be easy, but it becomes an important step for what I’m looking to do next year and, with that in mind, this is kind of the starting point, and it is good that I finally have the opportunity to race.”
Thorpe smashed the 400m freestyle world record at the Sydney Games in 2000, while he was also part of the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relay teams that broke world marks.
A year earlier, he had set world record times in the 200m and 400m freestyle at the Pan Pacific Championships.
Thorpe’s expectations are much lower on his return, and he said he was feeling anxious ahead of his 100m individual medley heat.
“I am more nervous than I usually am, but I am excited as well,” he said.
“I was equally as excited as I was nervous but, as it’s drawn a bit closer, I’ve got a bit more nervous. I’m hoping once I have a few swims — that will dissipate.”
Thorpe will also compete in the 100m butterfly on Saturday.