Ian Thorpe was born on the 13th October 1982. He lives in Sydney used to go East Hills Boys Technology High School, although with his swimming commitments he has postponed his study until a more convenient time. Ian's father had great hopes for Ian as a cricketer but due to lack to talent this never evolved outside the backyard. Instead he took to the pool. With his huge size 17, flipper like feet he was a 'Thorpedo' as he is know known. Thorpe made his first major impact on the sport of swimming when, in March 1997, at just 14 and 5 months, he was selected for the Australian swimming team to swim at the Pan Pacific's in Fukuoka, Japan. He cut six seconds off his personal best time in the 400 meter event, swimming a time of 3 minutes 53.44 seconds. After the race all Thorpe could say was "I am just astonished."
At the Pan Pacific's he came second to team mate and fellow teenager Grant Hackett, cutting 4 seconds off his previous best time. He also swam his best times in the 200 meter freestyle and the 200 meter butterfly.
At the try outs for the World Championships, in October 1997, Thorpe knocked out Daniel Kowalski by 0.29 of a second, coming second to Grant Hackett, in the 400 meter freestyle. Hackett and Thorpe also managed to put Kieren Perkins out of any chances of making a come back in the World Championships.
At the World Championships, in January 1998, Thorpe put himself right on top of the world stage. His first race was the 4 X 200 meter freestyle event which he swam with Michael Klim, Grant Hackett and Daniel Kowalski. They won the event and Thorpe got the equal best spilt time as Michael Klim, a time of 1:47.67, his best time by more then 3 seconds. The team time of 7:12.48 was a new Commonwealth Record and only 0.53 seconds off a World Record.
Ian Thorpe after races at the Commonwealth
Games trials, May '98.
In his other event, the 400 meter freestyle event Thorpe swam a steady race all the way through. Although it looked as if Hackett had the race under raps, Thorpe had other ideas. At the final turn Thorpe made his move and churned through the pool and took the lead over Hackett and grabbed the lead by only 0.15 of a second. After the race Thorpe was astonished and had this to say "I couldn't believe it when I touched the wall the saw my time." Thorpe's time of 3:49.29 minutes, is the fourth fastest in history and more than 3 seconds off his personal best time. At the Australian Championships and Commonwealth Games Trials Thorpe started to concentrate on the shorter, faster races. Before the trials Ian said "My sprinting is going extremely well, which is fine by me, because I wanted to definitely go down in distance to the 200 and 100 freestyles."
When the 200 meters freestyle came around not only did Thorpe beat World Champion, Michael Klim, but he also beat Duncan Armstrong's 10 year standing Commonwealth Record with a time of 1 minute 47.24 seconds. After the race Thorpe said "I feel pretty extraordinary at the moment, to swim against guys of this standard and to be successful. Wow."
Ian Thorpe at the Commonwealth Games trials,
May '98.
In the 100 meters freestyle event Thorpe again had an amazing time, taking 1 whole second off his personal best time. He came second after pushing Klim all the way to the wall.
Next came the event Thorpe is World Champion in, the 400 meter event. Thorpe and Hackett took off together and left the field behind but at the 200m mark Thorpe took off and finished the race off in first place.
At the National League in August, Ian again won the 400 meters, unchallenged be anyone in the field, with Grant Hackett out sick with the flu and Perkins finishing second, but was no threat.
Ian is now including the 200m butterfly in his schedule at the Commonwealth Games, an event that he used to go extremely well in as a junior.
Ian's first race started on Saturday evening with the 200m freestyle. In the race were fellow Australian stars Daniel Kowalski and Michael Klim. Before the race Ian said that he believed that the winner would come very close to the 9 year old World Record of 1:46.69, set by the Italian Giorgio Lamberti in 1989. Ian won the race in extremely convincing style and close to the record he came. Ian clocked a time of 1:46.70, just 0.01 seconds away from the World Record but still smashed the Commonwealth Games Record.
The next night was the 4 X 200m freestyle in which Ian was part of the World Championship team. In this race Ian had a chance to break two World Records. This is because the rules say that the first person who starts the relay off can be timed for his individual time and be in the running to break records. The other record he could break was the record as a team. Ian started off the relay but didn't break the World Record but still got the Australian's off to a convincing lead. In the end Australia was well infront of the rest of the teams and was left with Michael Klim to bring home the rest of the team, made up of Ian, Daniel Kowalski and Matthew Dunn. Michael stormed through the water, and had the crowd standing, bringing the team home with a time of 7:11.86, 0.9 seconds faster than the World Record.
Ian's next race was the one he is World Champion in, the 400m freestyle. As in the World Championship 400m it was a case of Thorpe or Hackett and this time Kowalski was there with a chance. Hackett lead up until the 200m mark when Thorpe over took and Kowalski was left behind. Hackett was challenging Thorpe all the way to the wall, making it the fastest men's 400m freestyle in history. Thorpe won the race 0.55seconds off the World Record with a time of 3:44.35, the second fastest time in history. Hackett also finished with an amazing time of 3:44.88 now the third fastest ever. Kowalski finished 4m off the pace with a personal best time of 3:48.91. After the race Ian said of his near World Record time this "I was extremely tired in the last lap and I couldn't have gone any faster of I had known I was so close."
Ian Thorpe signing autographs, Commonwealth
Games trials, May '98.
That night Ian didn't get much of a chance to sit back and enjoy the moment with another race, the 4 X 100m freestyle on that night. In this race Ian swam another personal best time, swimming the third leg of the race. The team of Michael Klim, promising newcomer Ashley Callus, Thorpe and Chris Fydler won the race easily with a time of 3:17.83.
After
the Commonwealth Games the Australian short-course championships were
held in Perth. Thorpe pulled out an amazing time in the 400m freestyle,
breaking the old World Record by 0.64 seconds. Thorpe didn't have an
easy race though going stroke for stroke with Grant Hackett and just
beating him to the wall. Hackett finished with a time of 3:40.04.
At the Australian Championships
Ian was just beaten by Grant Hackett in the 200m but then Ian fought
back in the 400m to win that race.
At the Short Course Championships
in Hong Kong Ian slashed the 200m record with a time of 1:43.28 nearly half
a second faster than the record.
