Australian swimming superstar Ian Thorpe retires

SYDNEY—Australian Olympic superstar Ian Thorpe, regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time, has announced his retirement from a record-breaking career at the age of 24.
The “Thorpedo”, who became a sporting icon with a tally of nine Olympic medals and 13 world championship medals, said he had realised there was more to life than swimming. After facing injury, illness and questions about his motivation ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008, Thorpe said a training stint in Los Angeles this year had focused his mind on his future as a man, rather than as a swimmer.
“As I got fit physically my mind also got fit, I started asking a lot of questions. I started looking at myself not only as a swimmer but as a person,” he told a news conference. “Another way to look at it is you can swim lap after lap staring at a black line and all of a sudden you look up and see what’s around you. That’s what it feels like to me.”
Thorpe, who stands 195 cm tall and has massive flipper-size 17 feet, won three gold medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 when he was just 17. He was the pin-up of the games and later did a catwalk modelling stint for Armani. He went on to win two Olympic golds in Athens in 2004, in the 200 and 400 metres freestyle, and over his career broke an astonishing total of 13 world records.
He won 11 gold medals, one silver and one bronze at three FINA World Championships and 10 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Thorpe, looking relaxed and cheerful, said he had realised that he now viewed his swimming career very differently to how he had seen it in the past and had wrestled for some time over his decision to retire.
“As of 2:53 on Sunday afternoon I decided that I would not be swimming the world championships (next year),” he told the news conference. “I also made another very difficult decision — I decided that I was actually going to discontinue my professional swimming career.”
There was nothing significant about the time 2.53 on Sunday apart from the fact that he made the decision and looked at his watch, he said. “I needed a time, I needed a finishing point and that was the point.” The swimming superstar has not competed at a major international meet since the 2004 Athens Olympics, with his bid to come back following a year out of competition ravaged by illness and injury.
He was ruled out of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games last March because of glandular fever and he has struggled to shake off the energy-sapping illness. The legendary swimmer, who has an interest in fashion and his own underwear line, said he had not yet made any decision about his future plans, but would retain “some role” in swimming.
“I have a number of different opportunities with what direction I’m going to go. I haven’t picked up the newspaper to look for a job. But if anyone’s got any good ones for an ex-Olympic swimmer...” he joked. Thorpe, widely known here as “Thorpie”, did reveal he was investigating making a show for Australian television.
He has had major sponsorship contracts over his sporting career but said money was not his driving force.
“I’m not driven by finance, it’s not my thing. I’m lucky that I’m pretty financially secure. I’m not completely secure — I have to work or I’m going to run out.” Thorpe, who disliked the intense media focus he was subjected to in Australia and around the world, expressed his appreciation for the support he had received, mentioning in particular his huge fan base in Japan.—Agencies