SA Footy

AUSTRALIA'S greatest-ever Olympian, Ian Thorpe, has announced his retirement from swimming at just 24 years of age.

Thorpe has told a packed news conference in Sydney that he is moving on to a "next phase" in his life.

He has singled out "one person" who has helped him through the soul-searching of recent days, but he would not say who that person is.

The Sydney and Athens gold medallist has said he decided on Sunday to leave the sport that had "catapulted" him into the limelight 10 years ago.

"I know there is a lot of people out there that want me to keep swimming. I only hoped that I wanted to swim half as much as other people want me to," he has said.

"It would be dishonest to myself and to others (to continue) as I would be fulfilling other people's dreams."

Thorpe leaves the sport with 11 world titles, nine Olympic medals - including five gold - and having set 13 world records.

He has decided to pursue other interests after realising competitive swimming was no longer his top priority in life.

"It's like swimming lap after lap staring at a black line - then all of a sudden you look up" at the world around you, he has said.

"I started looking at myself, not just physically, but also as a person. I haven't balanced out my life as well as what I should have."

He has said the decision to retire was a "dark question" to confront, but he is excited by what lies ahead for him out of the pool.

Thorpe has hinted at a possible television role on Pay TV operator Foxtel, but would not elaborate further.

He has thanked his coaches, supporters and sponsors, but paid special tribute to his legion of fans across the country.

"I want to thank everyone in this country for the support they have given me. It's been unwavering.

"I know I have inspired people, and I have been inspired by the people get inspiration from me."

Asked how he would like to be remembered, he said the way he was choosing to leave the sport was one of his proudest moments.

"I'm not going to regret how honest I was with myself at the point I walked away."

Swimming Australia president Neil Martin has said the sport will miss the superstar, whose 400m freestyle world record is regarded around the world as "almost unbeatable".

He has said Thorpe will, in years to come, be the benchmark by which all athletes will be judged.

Thorpe took 12 months off after the Athens Games before contracting an illness that kept him out of the Melbourne Commonwealth Games.

He changed his training regimen and spent time in Los Angeles in a bid to escape the pressure of his routine.

But neither that - nor the prospect of defending his titles in Beijing in 2008, have been enough to convince him to return to the pool.

He said parents should tell his young fans that Thorpe had left the sport "because he had done everything he wanted to do".

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Rumors have finally been confirmed.

I guess you can say that he didn't really need to retire, but in reality there is really nothing left for him to achieve in the sport, other than furthering his greatness. Great sportsman, and I am sad to see him go because I used to love watching him smashing his Yank/Chinese/Canadian/South African/Russian opponents at every event.

He retired two years ago I thought....

Now he can devote himself to his real passion.....leather pants.

Hopefully he is discouraged from television work. No personality at all.

Could swim thought, by christ he was great to watch. Expected a record every time he swam.

where the drug testers hopin he would retire yesterday ........

wonder when he answered the door if he was hopin it was the pizza guy

Good swimmer, but just that, a swimmer. Like saying someones a good walker, or a good breather, or a good blinker. Come back when you can do something worthwhile. I dont rate any swimmers, I dont care how successful they are.

At least we wont have to hear about him in the media every day now, though I thought that when Freeman retired.

blink wrote: He has singled out "one person" who has helped him through the soul-searching of recent days, but he would not say who that person is.

I wonder what his name is.

pafc1870 wrote:Good swimmer, but just that, a swimmer. Like saying someones a good walker, or a good breather, or a good blinker. Come back when you can do something worthwhile. I dont rate any swimmers, I dont care how successful they are.

At least we wont have to hear about him in the media every day now, though I thought that when Freeman retired.

Christ here we go again, if swimming 1:46 and 3:30 for 200 m and 400 m respectively was so easy, we would all do it....

What so special about someone who can catch, run and kick?? unless they are so good it at they amaze us with their skills.

As I've posted elsewhere AFL footballers and SANFL footballers could learn a lot from the dedication shown by Olympic swimmers, rowers runner etc.

Yes Thorpe was reached out and touched by the genetic gods that gave him the unique gifts he had to swim so bloody fast, but behind those natural gifts is a lot of hard f***ing work which made him so great...

If swimming fast was so easy he wouldn't be retiring...

I am in agreeance with Tassie here, swimmers are the most fittess and dedicated of all sports people- early mornings.
Ian Thorpe is the greatest sportperson Australia has produced in last 20years if not all up, and it will now leave a massive gap in the medals count come Beijing.

Swimmers.....ppffffftttt.

any1 who can achieve the highest poosible accolade in their field is a champion.....

if swimming was that boring or doesnt deserve the reception it recieve can some1 plse tell NBC not to change the times.....

geez NBC have told the IOC to change swimming times to meet there peak times....



PAFC what do u rate as respected sport .....

have u tried swimming 400m....

Well done on a excellent career Ian Thorpe and thanks for the memories

Peter Falconia wrote:Now he can devote himself to his real passion.....leather pants.

Now that is a quality call !!!!

Still will go down as one of the greatest swimmers of all time !!!

A champion swimmer, 24 to retire is very young shows the effects of burn out.

I reckon he'll be back in a couple years.

Ive never understood why it is so bloody important for them to train at 5.00am in the morning, can anyone please explain?

Dutchy wrote:Ive never understood why it is so bloody important for them to train at 5.00am in the morning, can anyone please explain?

Largely because as an amateur sport, on the whole (a privilaged few make a living out of it), they train early mornings and late afternoons as most of them have to earn a "real" living and or go to school in their developmental years. Most swimming coaches have to earn a real living too. Tracey Menzies is a teacher by day, swimming coach by am and pm....

As stated elsewhere probably only half-a-dozen swimmers make a living out of it (Hackett, Jones, Hansen, Schipper, Mills & Henry) the rest would barely have their costs covered to compete internationally......

Dual Gold medalist at the last games, Petria Thomas retired, without a major commercial endorsement and she in terms of medals out-swam Thorpe at Athens...

It's a shame Thorpe won't be competing at the next Olympics, but he really has achieved everything there is to achieve in his chosen sport and you can't blame him for his decision. He is a wonderful role model and a brilliant sportsman. He was famous at such a young age, but always handled everything publicly with such intelligence and humility. A true great of the pool and someone Australia can be proud of. Well done Ian Thorpe!

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:

Dutchy wrote:Ive never understood why it is so bloody important for them to train at 5.00am in the morning, can anyone please explain?

Largely because as an amateur sport, on the whole (a privilaged few make a living out of it), they train early mornings and late afternoons as most of them have to earn a "real" living and or go to school in their developmental years. Most swimming coaches have to earn a real living too. Tracey Menzies is a teacher by day, swimming coach by am and pm....

As stated elsewhere probably only half-a-dozen swimmers make a living out of it (Hackett, Jones, Hansen, Schipper, Mills & Henry) the rest would barely have their costs covered to compete internationally......

Dual Gold medalist at the last games, Petria Thomas retired, without a major commercial endorsement and she in terms of medals out-swam Thorpe at Athens...

Find it very very hard to believe that there are only 6 swimmers making a living out of the sport as we speak...only this morning I saw Craig Stevens being interviewed with a Toyota T shirt on....so where does all the tax payers money go in addition to telstra, toyota, TV deals etc etc etc

Petria THomas was an introvert and could not see her "selling herself" to potential sponsors, at the same time Im sure she was well looked after.

Thorpie still said he was in the pool at 4.30am......Why?

Dutchy wrote:

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:

Dutchy wrote:Ive never understood why it is so bloody important for them to train at 5.00am in the morning, can anyone please explain?

Largely because as an amateur sport, on the whole (a privilaged few make a living out of it), they train early mornings and late afternoons as most of them have to earn a "real" living and or go to school in their developmental years. Most swimming coaches have to earn a real living too. Tracey Menzies is a teacher by day, swimming coach by am and pm....

As stated elsewhere probably only half-a-dozen swimmers make a living out of it (Hackett, Jones, Hansen, Schipper, Mills & Henry) the rest would barely have their costs covered to compete internationally......

Dual Gold medalist at the last games, Petria Thomas retired, without a major commercial endorsement and she in terms of medals out-swam Thorpe at Athens...

Find it very very hard to believe that there are only 6 swimmers making a living out of the sport as we speak...only this morning I saw Craig Stevens being interviewed with a Toyota T shirt on....so where does all the tax payers money go in addition to telstra, toyota, TV deals etc etc etc

Petria THomas was an introvert and could not see her "selling herself" to potential sponsors, at the same time Im sure she was well looked after.

Thorpie still said he was in the pool at 4.30am......Why?

routine maybe...maybe he likes it...maybe he goes to bad at 8pm...

or maybe you think swimmers should do other things instead of swim so then they dont have to get up early or train late avo/early evening to fit in their 'real' living???

hell, id love to be able to 'retire' at 24

Dutchy wrote:Find it very very hard to believe that there are only 6 swimmers making a living out of the sport as we speak...only this morning I saw Craig Stevens being interviewed with a Toyota T shirt on....so where does all the tax payers money go in addition to telstra, toyota, TV deals etc etc etc

Petria THomas was an introvert and could not see her "selling herself" to potential sponsors, at the same time Im sure she was well looked after.

Thorpie still said he was in the pool at 4.30am......Why?

Most swimmers don't see the tax payers money or telstra money as it goes to teh sport to pay for the airfares and living expenses when the swimmers are in camps or going to international meets.

AIS swimmers barely see any cash as there ongoing meals and accomodation is paid for but that is for the basics social life car expenses phone etc are for them and with there training committment makes it hard to earn a living. Those who don't have a mobile have to use the pay phones at the AIS to call out at full tote odds a phone is in their room but that is for only receiving calls, I know as I have had to stay at ressies once ot twice - sh!t hot food and sh!t hot perv!!!!!

State based academies and institutes of sports give athletes a stipend, onthose guaranteed of a top 10 finish in world event but that goes towards rent and food as they don't have athlete accomodation. Eg The NTIS only gave Nova Peris $15 000 in 2000 to help her prepare for Sydney, obviously she got other support from AA and the AOC but a lot of that was in kind, i.e. travel, so you try living on $15 000 ......

You'll find the toyota shirt for Stevens could be for a car or he is wearing becasue Toyota sponso his club...I don't know certainly the sponsorship wouldn't be very lucarative probably the equiavalent of $5000 to $8000 a year