MORE OPINION: by Adrian Musolino below
Intriguingly, he says he won’t be contesting the 400 metres race in which he made his name, but will be concentrating on the freestyle legs in the 100 and 200 metre relays.
Thorpe’s comeback has been a long time coming, but in a way it’s little surprise. Indeed, the surprise is almost that it hasn’t come sooner. Thorpe had a mini-retirement after the 2004 Olympics, and his attempted comeback in 2006 was abandoned after illness and injury concerns.
“There’s just been something that’s kinda been nagging,” said Thorpe today. Quite. There was always the feeling he had unfinished business.
In any case, sporting comebacks are hardly rare, nor inexplicable. The strain of training and constantly being in the public eye can be enough to make sports stars withdraw from their chosen vocation. But when someone dedicates so much of their life and energy to one single pursuit, they’re bound to start missing it eventually.
Michael Jordan twice came back in the NBA, with solid results. Lance Armstrong came back from testicular cancer to win seven consecutive Tours de France, then came back again after a brief retirement. Tony Lockett’s attempted comeback, with respect, wasn’t quite as successful as either.
Martina Hingis won the Australian Open, US Open, and Wimbledon at the age of 16 and retired by 22, before her comeback three years later was evaporated through a rolled up 20-dollar note.
Kim Clijsters retired at 24 and had a baby, but the lure of the comeback trail saw her win this year’s Australian Open. In swimming, Libby Trickett and Geoff Huegill are two others to recently make comebacks for the green and gold.
Swimmers, more than many athletes, have to put in a lot of their work from an early age. It’s no rare sight to see swimmers of 15 or 16 representing their countries, winning medals, and even breaking world records.
That, of course, means that they’ve been in serious training from at least the very beginning of their teens. Only in sports like gymnastics do athletes have to do such hard yards from such a young age.
Some, of course, don’t have what it takes in their youth. The lure of glory keeps these swimmers in the pool, striving, into their late 20s and beyond. Occasionally we see an older swimmer have a breakthrough tournament. More often we don’t.
But for those like Thorpe and Hingis, who sweep all before them even before they’re allowed to order a beer, it’s easy to see how motivation would drop away. What else is left to achieve? Why sign up to another four years of hard toil? Once you’ve finished Lord of the Rings, you don’t feel that inclined to go back to the first page.
Hence the retirements, and the joy of not having to train and face cameras every day. But then, with a little more age comes perspective. Thorpe’s interim has probably been a lot of fun, but by now the thrill of freedom may have been Prozacked into something more mundane.
And of course, the competitive will that makes a champion is still there, even if it has been distracted for a while by fashion shoots or submerged in good champagne. “My drive is for performance, and that’s it.,” said Thorpe today, when asked what has motivated his decision. It was ever thus.
Considering the intense lengths of preparation to which he went in his youthful days of dominance, a comeback tilt 18 months out from the ultimate aim could be leaving his run a bit late. It’s more than a little nerve-wracking: the man himself conceded that he was risking what he called “a perfect career.”
But Thorpe, for all his lack of tough-guy blokey persona, is an extraordinarily focused and dogged individual. His determination is what drove him through all those lonely teenage years of following the black line, to the summit of world sport where we first encountered him.
While many may fear that the result will be more Lockett than Armstrong, we should back Thorpe in.
If anyone can make it, he’s the man to do it.
Gary Russell-Sharam
Guest
I can't see Thorpe making it to the Olympics in 2 years from now. I'm afraid that I'm as cynical as a few other posters. There seems to be a lot of holes in his planning to be King (or should I mean Queen) of the pool again (I do feel mean). Training at Abu Dhabi??? I too wonder where these guys get the money from. Mere mortals such as me just shake their heads at the wealth that sports people get. He hasn't done anything in the last 5 to 6 years that I know of and can still lead what I would call a charmed life. One minute he is in LA next he is back in Sydney I mean how do you pay for all this and not work. And as for challenging Phelps, he would have to wait until Phelps had a suck on his pipe and wait for the effects to take hold and then Thorpe would have to start off scratch and Phelps would have to be on 60sec handicap in a 50 metre race so the Thorpe could beat him. Thorpe lost me after he finished swimming. With his media attempts and the press on his not so manly outlook, which seems to be justified every time he gets up and makes a statement, he is confusing to say the least and I was not that interested in his personal life at any time. He was a great swimmer and broke a few records but in my book give me Murray Rose or Dawn Fraser anyday.
Hoy
Roar Guru
Hmm, Temba. I am sure Yasi is big news and big bite to those towns he hit. Just cause the media were in the wrong town and looking for a story, doesn't make the towns it hit any less devastated.
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
Hoy he is going to turn out like yasi, big news but little bite.
Phil Osopher
Guest
Is Ian in the closet? What the hell would he be doing in there? He reminds me of Mr Garrison more than Tom Cruise.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
$2k and can only be used a couple of times...
Hoy
Roar Guru
I hope he does well, but more than that, I just wish someone would retire and stay bloody retired. For the record, I see him being solid without being great. Happy to apologise if he proves me wrong, but I think I am safe.
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
Queen memorabilia?
Phil Osopher
Guest
I think his deep deep tan was far more interesting than his swimming talk. I had to adjust my TV and still couldn't get rid of it. Isn't there 'nothing healthy about a tan' ? I find Ian a little bit of an odd bloke to ne honest, there's something going on in there. What ever happened to his break into television lifestyle show production? Didn't he want to make TV shows that he wanted to watch, but unfortunately no one else did? Ian's 'lack of tough-guy blokey persona, .... an extraordinarily focused and dogged individual' - nice description - reminds me of something, can't quite put my finger on it though. And for those claiming he blew his money, anyone know how he did that?
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
and no its not accessible to everyone, the suits that made everyone moan in the last games cost nearly 2K each, not like the poor countries will pay that. Companies like Speedo keep them under raps until the big events as to showcase them in the main pools without the bemoaning media. Its not all black and white. Why then did the Aussie media make such a fuss about the german swim wear?
Twatter
Guest
I congratulate Ian on his achievements in the past, and hope for the best with his future. My point being with swimming why are we bodering on obsessed with a sport that we very rarely watch or take a general interest in. If as i would imagine Ian and the rest of the team will do State and National trials to qualify for the olympic team and then the Olympics how many people will turn up for State and Olympic trials ?. If like the past not many do and the T.V coverage is limited then suddenly when the Olympics comes along the nation whips itself into a frenzy over the sport. Essentialy Swimming is a sport that has some form of residence with Australians four times every four years, Olympics, Pan Pacs, World Champs and Comm Games and at various times some swimmers dont turn up for World Champs and Comm Games. I've never witnessed a sport so loved by all, but watched maybe two times every four years.
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
No but training will be everyday, every single day... this is why not everyone make it to the games, its hard work. If he makes it on what he can swim now(not what he did 8 years ago) then by all means. We wont think about experience and chances for the young and up coming, no need to invest in the future, maybe they can ask him to swim in the 2016 games... hell why not 2020, he will only be 38
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
OK Matta, so why do some wear them if they are no good? the Faskskin's biomimetic design surface mimics the rough shark denticles to reduce drag along key areas of the body. The characteristics of the fabric improve shape retention and increase muscle compression to reduce vibration and retain muscle shape to reduce fatigue and power loss. Athlete passive drag tests show full body FAST SKIN is 7.5%* faster than all other suits tested. The V-shaped denticle print of the fabric allows the body to slip through the water more smoothly. FLEXSKIN is a smooth surface material allows greater flexibility and less drag. Just like the shark’s skin, Fastskin and Flexskin were positioned to accommodate the changing flow conditions along the swimmer’s body to create the most advanced and lowest drag racing swimwear in the world to date. It is the most technically advanced swimwear ever made.
mattamkII
Guest
But if he one of the 4 fastest 400m swimmers in Australia is it a problem that he makes the team? Also, we're talking about swimming aren't we? that doesnt happen every day of the week does it....
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
No one is claiming he doesn't have talent but to think that he would even get close to his PB now is very far fetched. When he was 21, training 6 days a week and smashing competitions nearly every weekend. Training in teams with the best of everything, in his prime in peak condition... that was the best he could do then and unfortunately its not the best anymore... move on and let the youngster who are heading there have a go. Putting him in just the relay mean he takes up someone else's spot on the plain and in the pool. He squandered his money and now want to get back in the pool 7 years on at the age of 28 (30) by the 2012 games. If he did low key swimming comps for the last 6 years and stayed in the pool id say maybe but this is not the case. He is plomp, to bulky and any man 28 and above will tell you it gets harder and harder to shed the pounds. Simple fact is this is for money and not glory, money wont push him hard enough. Its media stunt to rake in some money and that spoils what he has done 8 years ago.
mattamkII
Guest
As stated above, does it really matter if he wins or not? he will ad massive value to relay teams etc. Dare I say tall poppy...more so given he doesn't quite fit the Aussie Bloke profile.
mattamkII
Guest
oh dear what rubbish.... Anyone who was going to go close to winning anything had access to those suites. Many swimmers chose not to use them, still broke records and won medals. Honestly, sometimes I wish people would actually think before they write front bar chat on here.
Rabbitz
Roar Guru
A lot of competitors could not afford the latest and greatest suits, so they were consigned to miss out on both the wins and the sponsorship dollars. The wins and records were not just based on the athletes talent and ability, it was also based on who sponsored who, especially those whose team was sponsored by a suit manufacturer. Clearly there was something wrong with that system or the associations would not have barred the suits.
mattamkII
Guest
thats actually quite a funny statement given he was the man who re-defined modern swimming. Your comment seems even more silly when you consider the current 400m WR is only .01 faster than his PB. Sure the times have moved on a fair bit in the 200 and 800 but even if he cant catch up, wack him in a relay team and the fella ads value.
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
hehehe He will be 30 by the 2012 games... simply to old, not without drugs.
TembaVJ
Roar Guru
No Sean it wasn't the buoyant ones of late but back then the Aussie team introduce new type fastskins via their sponsor Speedo that helped alot of records tumble and gave many an edge that they would not have without the skins. Same principle only the effectiveness varies.