Australian swimmer, sometimes called “Thorpedo” or “Flipper,” he is known as a poised, confident, modest and calm teenager. Swimming from the time he was eight years old, he keeps up practice with about 20 hours a week in the water. His mom, Margaret, is a teacher and his dad, Ken, a gardener. Sister Christina is also a swimmer. A big man, Thorpe’s size 17 feet are a bit of an embarrassment, though he’s glad they have now stopped growing. Thorpe has suffered from migraines since he was nine or ten, although less frequently in recent years. He defied the pain and nausea of a migraine to break a world record at the world short-course championships in Hong Kong in 1999. Thorpe had a very difficult four months in early 2000. He had to deal with a broken ankle and was accused by a German swimming coach of being a drug cheat when his drug test was botched in Berlin. In early 2000, there was a swim suit controversy when he featured, in cheeky TV ads for one of his sponsors, one of their black body-length "seal suits," alongside some real seals on the starting blocks of a swimming pool. Thorpe declared that he will wear a full-length body swim suit in his Olympic swimming races. The bodysuit (which has also been called the "frogsuit," and "Mr. Condom") has proven controversial, with some people claiming they add buoyancy and other advantages to swimmers. Full-body suits were cleared for use in the Olympics by the International Amateur Swimming Federation (FINA) in late 1999.
In 2003 Thorpe had became the first swimmer in history to win three consecutive world titles in the one event, the 400m freestyle, and he finished the Barcelona championships with three gold, a silver and a bronze. Then added another string to his swimming bow in 2003 by twice breaking the Commonwealth record in the 200m individual medley. He has now won 18 National titles and has broken 13 long course world records. In 2002, firstly in Manchester at the Commonwealth Games, he won the 100m, 200m, 400m freestyle, as well as playing a part in all three relay victories. Then, in Yokohama at the Pan Pacs, he once again won the 100m, 200m and 400m trifecta and was in the 4x100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay wins. He broke his own 400m world record in Manchester. He is an Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific champion, plus multiple World Record holder in the middle distance freestyle events, the winner of six gold medals at the 2001 World Championships; three gold at the 2000 Olympic Games and four gold at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.
Personal Best Times :
100m freestyle: 48.71 - 2nd fastest Australian all-time
200m freestyle: 1:44.06 - World Record
400m freestyle: 3:40.08 - World Record
800m freestyle: 7:39.16 - World Record
100m backstroke: 55.38 ¿ 3rd fastest Australian all-time
