SWIMMING:Ian Thorpe, the five-time Olympic champion, confirmed yesterday that he showed an irregularity in a doping test last May, writes Peter Nichols. Thorpe was not competing at the time of the test - he was recovering from a broken hand - but he had not formally retired and so was still liable to be tested.
Thorpe said in Melbourne that he had no knowledge of the irregularity and had not been contacted by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority before the story was leaked to a French newspaper on Friday.
In a statement, he said: "I was subsequently contacted by and met with ASADA, who advised me and I can now confirm the following: a test that was undertaken in May 2006 while I was in Australia returned unusual levels of testosterone and a hormone called luteinising hormone (which stimulates the production of testosterone). Both these substances are naturally occurring substances. There are many innocent physiological and pathological reasons why a test may return unusual levels of these substances."
Thorpe has been an articulate and impassioned supporter of the campaign against doping in sport including having his own blood frozen so that it could be tested retrospectively - when new tests are developed.
Meanwhile, Michael Phelps broke his fifth world record in a week yesterday to collect his seventh gold medal at the World Championships in Melbourne and stake his claims to be the greatest swimmer of all time. The 21-year-old American wiped more than two seconds off his own world mark for 400 metres individual medley to better Thorpe's haul of six gold medals at the 2001 World Championships.
Guardian Service
EQUESTRIAN: Dan Walsh scored Ireland's only showjumping win of the weekend when he finished at the head of an 86-starter field on the Italian Toscana Tour in Arezzo last night, writes Grania Willis.
The 24-year-old stopped the clock on 41.59 seconds for the win with Fraulein Smilla in the Bronze Tour. Joan Greene and Niall Talbot both notched up close seconds in Arezzo and Peter Smyth claimed fourth in yesterday's Silver Tour Grand Prix.
