Sports World

Ian James Thorpe (born 13 October 1982 in Sydney), whose pet name is the Thorpedo or Thorpey, is a Australian freestyle swimmer. . His athletic feats made him one of Australia's most popular athletes, and he was recognized as the Young Australian of the Year in 2000.

He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and in 2001 he became the first person to win six gold medals in one World Championship. In total, Thorpe has won eleven World Championship gold, the second-highest number of any swimmer. Thorpe was the first person to have been named World Swimmer of the Year four times by Swimming World Magazine. His wins in the 200 m and 400 m and his bronze in the 100 m freestyle in Athens have made him the only male to have won medals in the 100–200–400 combination.

After the Athens Olympics, Thorpe took a year away from swimming, scheduling a return for the 2006 Commonwealth Games. However, he was forced to withdraw due to illness. Subsequent training camps were interrupted, and he announced his retirement in November 2006, citing waning motivation.