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Ian Thorpe’s training regime in Abu Dhabi is far from being finalised, while he and Swimming Australia (SA) plan to speak with potential coaches in the next fortnight.
The nuts and bolts of Thorpe’s relocation are still being worked out, with the shift to the Gulf city widely considered a move to avoid media scrutiny and to satisfy sponsor Virgin Blue.
The champion swimmer told his Wednesday press conference that Abu Dhabi would make the perfect staging camp for Australian Olympic teams, something Thorpe said he had raised with AOC boss John Coates.
But SA confirmed on Thursday their pre-Olympics camp next year would be in Manchester, the same base they used for the 2009 world championships in Rome.
Thorpe will be aboard V Australia’s inaugural flight to Abu Dhabi, but SA head coach Leigh Nugent admitted the five-time Olympic champion’s plans after that were still up in the air.
“He’s going to fly over there on the 24th of February, whether he flies straight back or not I don’t know,” Nugent told reporters after the first public training session of Thorpe’s comeback.
“Abu Dhabi is a place that Ian wants to go and do some work. We don’t know what the ultimate involvement will be there yet, we haven’t set that plan.
“It’s just one of the locations he’s thinking about going to.”
Thorpe dismissed a suggestion his choice of a base was unusual in a brief media appearance following his session at the Ian Thorpe Aquatic Centre in Sydney.
“I don’t know why it’s obscure but I intend to have some squad with me at different times, definitely intend that without a question,” he said.
Nugent said prospective coaches would be sounded out in the next couple of weeks.
The former coaches of Alex Popov and Pieter van den Hoogenband – Gennadi Touretski and Jacco Verhaeren respectively – have been speculated about as possible mentors.
“Ian is really looking forward to swimming with another group of athletes … and he’s been very thirsty for feedback from coaches,” Nugent said.
Thorpe completed the first official training session of his comeback, a two-hour session beginning at 6.30am on Thursday, in front of a huge media contingent and under the watchful eyes of Nugent and SA performance science manager Bernard Savage.
Thorpe, whose smooth stroke was on display again, described the session as an “average” hit-out.
“It takes a lot of work to (make it) look that easy,” he said.
“Part of swimming fast is to make it look easy and there’s a lot of work that goes into making it look as smooth as that.”
Nugent said swimming’s world governing body FINA had confirmed Thorpe can begin swimming competitively on November 2.
Meanwhile, London Olympics boss Sebastian Coe was pleased Thorpe’s visit to the swimming venue for the 2012 Games helped trigger the superstar’s return.
“Great news for London 2012 that Ian is making a comeback at our Games next year,” Coe told AAP.
“Ian has always been an outstanding competitor, a legend in his sport.
“I am pretty sure what he saw in the Olympic Park tipped the balance.”