Ian Thorpe

Ian Thorpe is a retired swimmer from Australia. Thorpe won five Olympic championships and eleven World Championships. In 1999, Thorpe was named Swimming World's World Swimmer of the Year, Australian Swimmer of the Year and Young Australian of the Year.¹ Thorpe was involved in a controversy about abnormal levels of a banned substance in his system, but was cleared of doping in 2007.² After retirement, Ian Thorpe founded Ian Thorpe's Fountain For Youth.³

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 13, 1982
2. Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
3. Began Training at age 8⁴
4. Height: 6' 5"
5. Weight: 229 lbs.
6. Debut: 1997⁴
7. Member of SLC Aquadot swim club: ⁴
8. Nickname: Thorpedo⁵

Early Years

In 1997, Thorpe was the fastest fourteen year old male professional swimmer.⁴ In 1999, at the age of sixteen, Thorpe was awarded a bonus of $25,000 and donated it to a children's charity.⁴

2000 Sydney Olympic Medals

• 400m Freestyle: Gold
• 4x100m Freestyle Relay: Gold
• 4x200m Freestyle Relay: Gold
• 200m Freestyle: Silver
• 4x100m Medley Relay: Silver ⁶

2004 Athens Olympic Medals

• 200m Freestyle: Gold
• 400m Freestyle: Gold
• 4x200m Freestyle Relay: Silver
• 100m Freestyle: Bronze ⁶

Quotes

"I swam my own race, my way, but in the last 25 metres it went wrong, although it was great to swim in such a historical race. Ian just told me 'every time we race you're killing me' and I told him that now we were even. Only one man can win - the best one, and that's Ian Thorpe."—Pieter van den Hoogenband, about Thorpe winning the 200 metres freestyle in the Athens Olympics⁷

"How can I be disappointed? I swam with the two best freestylers of all time, and I was right in there with them."—Michael Phelps, about competing with Thorpe and van den Hoogenband⁷

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