Swimming Star Ian Thorpe Announces Retirement
Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2006 8:30 am
IAN Thorpe today made one of the "easiest" announcements of his life, that he won't be pursuing his professional swimming career any further.
"As soon as I crossed the line ... it was a really easy decision to make," Thorpe told a packed media conference in Sydney.
The five-time Olympic gold medal winner, and multiple world record holder, said the realisation that swimming was no longer at the top of his priorities was the key to his decision.
During a three-month stint in Los Angeles, away from the distractions in Australia, working with renowned US stroke coach Milton Nelms, Thorpe said he reached his fitness peak and was able to focus on his future as a man, not just as a swimmer.
"As I got physically fit, my mind also got fit, I started asking a lot of questions," Thorpe said.
"And I started to look at myself as a person. That begged another question: What would my life be without swimming?
"That was very, very dark question ... because swimming has provided a safety blanket.
"It's been a security net for me. But what it's meant is I haven't balanced out my life the way I should."
A confident and relaxed looking Thorpe said he was looking forward to the next phase of his life, which includes working on a new television program with Foxtel, but he said he was keen for any job offers "for an ex-Olympic swimmer".
"It's emotional because I see my entire swimming career flash before my eyes but at the same time I have this excitement for what I am about to do," he said.
Thorpe pointed out that he had been in the public spotlight since the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships but his swimming career started a long time before that.
After years of swimming "lap after lap staring at a black line" Thorpe said he finally looked up and saw what was around him.
Thorpe said that he knew he still had the ability to be a good swimmer but he didn't think he could be a great swimmer because he wasn't fully committed mentally.
"If I stood in front of a mirror it looked right from the outside - inside it wasn't there," Thorpe said.
Thorpe said 2.53pm on Sunday 19 November was the moment he decided not to pursue his career in the pool any further.
"I realised I had to prioritise other things and let swimming take a bit of a back seat at this stage."
Thorpe highlighted his performance in the 200m freestyle at the 2000 short-course championships in Berlin as his stand-out performance.
Amid accusations of drug use, Thorpe shaved 1.5 seconds from his world record at that meet.
The swimming superstar has not competed at a major international meet since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, with his comeback bid for the Commonwealth Games in melbourne earlier this year thwarted by illness, injury and waning motivation.
Thorpe paid tribute to each of his coaches, whom he said had all helped him through a different phase of his career, and life.
He also thanked his fans in Australia, and the world, for their "unwavering" support:
"it's a wonderful thing to know so many people care for you ... I want to say thank you," he said.
On the possibility of a comeback in the future, Thorpe said: "I won't rule it out, I never rule anything out, but it's not going to happen."
Career
1997 Pan Pacific Championships
# At 14, Thorpe becomes the youngest male swimmer chosen to represent Australia. He wins two silver medals.
1998 FINA World Championships
# Wins the 400m freestyle and is part of the victorious 4x200m freestyle relay.
1998 Commonwealth Games
# Wins the 200m and 400m freestyle and is part of the successful 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.
2000 Olympic Games
# Wins three gold medals, all in world record time, and two silvers.
2001 FINA World Championships
# Wins six gold medals, breaking world records in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle.
2002 Pan Pacific Championships
# Wins the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle.
2002 Commonwealth Games
# Wins six gold medals.
2003 FINA World Championships
# Wins the 400m and 200m freestyle and is part of the successful 4x200m freestyle relay.
2004 Olympic Games
# Wins gold medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle, silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the 100m freestyle, to become Australia's greatest Olympian.
First man to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events at a single Olympics.
12pm, November 21, 2006
# Announces his retirement from competitive swimming.
Source
He was a great champion I wish he would come back as I really enjoyed to watch him race but I doubt he will be back
"As soon as I crossed the line ... it was a really easy decision to make," Thorpe told a packed media conference in Sydney.
The five-time Olympic gold medal winner, and multiple world record holder, said the realisation that swimming was no longer at the top of his priorities was the key to his decision.
During a three-month stint in Los Angeles, away from the distractions in Australia, working with renowned US stroke coach Milton Nelms, Thorpe said he reached his fitness peak and was able to focus on his future as a man, not just as a swimmer.
"As I got physically fit, my mind also got fit, I started asking a lot of questions," Thorpe said.
"And I started to look at myself as a person. That begged another question: What would my life be without swimming?
"That was very, very dark question ... because swimming has provided a safety blanket.
"It's been a security net for me. But what it's meant is I haven't balanced out my life the way I should."
A confident and relaxed looking Thorpe said he was looking forward to the next phase of his life, which includes working on a new television program with Foxtel, but he said he was keen for any job offers "for an ex-Olympic swimmer".
"It's emotional because I see my entire swimming career flash before my eyes but at the same time I have this excitement for what I am about to do," he said.
Thorpe pointed out that he had been in the public spotlight since the 1997 Pan Pacific Championships but his swimming career started a long time before that.
After years of swimming "lap after lap staring at a black line" Thorpe said he finally looked up and saw what was around him.
Thorpe said that he knew he still had the ability to be a good swimmer but he didn't think he could be a great swimmer because he wasn't fully committed mentally.
"If I stood in front of a mirror it looked right from the outside - inside it wasn't there," Thorpe said.
Thorpe said 2.53pm on Sunday 19 November was the moment he decided not to pursue his career in the pool any further.
"I realised I had to prioritise other things and let swimming take a bit of a back seat at this stage."
Thorpe highlighted his performance in the 200m freestyle at the 2000 short-course championships in Berlin as his stand-out performance.
Amid accusations of drug use, Thorpe shaved 1.5 seconds from his world record at that meet.
The swimming superstar has not competed at a major international meet since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, with his comeback bid for the Commonwealth Games in melbourne earlier this year thwarted by illness, injury and waning motivation.
Thorpe paid tribute to each of his coaches, whom he said had all helped him through a different phase of his career, and life.
He also thanked his fans in Australia, and the world, for their "unwavering" support:
"it's a wonderful thing to know so many people care for you ... I want to say thank you," he said.
On the possibility of a comeback in the future, Thorpe said: "I won't rule it out, I never rule anything out, but it's not going to happen."
Career
1997 Pan Pacific Championships
# At 14, Thorpe becomes the youngest male swimmer chosen to represent Australia. He wins two silver medals.
1998 FINA World Championships
# Wins the 400m freestyle and is part of the victorious 4x200m freestyle relay.
1998 Commonwealth Games
# Wins the 200m and 400m freestyle and is part of the successful 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays.
2000 Olympic Games
# Wins three gold medals, all in world record time, and two silvers.
2001 FINA World Championships
# Wins six gold medals, breaking world records in the 200m, 400m and 800m freestyle.
2002 Pan Pacific Championships
# Wins the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle.
2002 Commonwealth Games
# Wins six gold medals.
2003 FINA World Championships
# Wins the 400m and 200m freestyle and is part of the successful 4x200m freestyle relay.
2004 Olympic Games
# Wins gold medals in the 200m and 400m freestyle, silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay and bronze in the 100m freestyle, to become Australia's greatest Olympian.
First man to win medals in the 100m, 200m and 400m freestyle events at a single Olympics.
12pm, November 21, 2006
# Announces his retirement from competitive swimming.
Source
He was a great champion I wish he would come back as I really enjoyed to watch him race but I doubt he will be back