Breaking news: Thorpe retires from all swimming!

[Robbie_Dee]

It's a shame to see him leave...he was one of the best swimmers to come out of Australia!

[jenny]

Other Sports
Japan salutes beloved Thorpedo

From correspondents in Tokyo
November 21, 2006

JAPAN has saluted retiring Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe, who cultivated a wide fan base here for his talent and good looks.

"It is very unfortunate. He was a superstar who continued to renew world records of his own. We don't know when we will see another athlete of his calibre," said Koji Ueno, manager of the Japan national swimming team.

"Besides his good looks, his personality touched Japanese people ? swimmers and fans alike. Everybody knew Thorpe and his dynamic form of swimming. I could not believe it was a human being when I saw him in water," he said.

"His contribution to the Japanese swimming world was enormous."

Thorpe has enjoyed immense popularity in Japan, which often goes into short but intense media-fuelled crazes over photogenic athletes such as British footballer David Beckham and Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova.

Thorpe was no exception.

Announcing his retirement, Thorpe paid special tribute to supporters in Japan, where fans, many of them young women, would welcome him at airports, hotels and swimming pools with shrieks usually reserved for Hollywood stars.

He lived up to the expectations of his Japanese fans by renewing world records and winning multiple gold medals at international competitions here, especially in the 2001 World Championship in ***uoka and the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championship.

At the 2001 event, he became the only person to grab six gold medals in one championship, setting three individual and one relay world records.

At the 2002 Pan Pacifics in Yokohama, he picked up five gold medals and one silver.

He appeared frequently on major network TV Asahi, which in turn would pull in celebrated sports announcers for his races.

Japanese media portrayed the Australian as a disciplined and courteous young man who possessed the god-given combination of fitness, talent and, above all, work ethics.

"He swam in front of our eyes and renewed records by significant margins. Japanese media, TV Asahi especially, had high hopes for him and he more than filled their expectations," said Ueno, who was head coach of Japan's team at the Olympic games in Sydney and Atlanta.

"What he proved to Japan was that the records are there to be broken and that it can be done," he said.

Thorpe also featured widely in Japanese advertisements, including promoting a sports drink called "Thorpedo" after his nickname.

At the height of Thorpe's popularity, a Japanese physician, writing in the influential Asahi Shimbun, promoted honey on toast as an energy-boosting breakfast by saying: "What do you think Ian Thorpe eats for breakfast in the morning of competition?"

Agence France-Presse

[Capital_Shark]

Poor bugger, must be so hard f agging around LA eating burger king lol

A break from what? When was the last time he swam competitivly?

Not too fussed, Australia is full of champions and another one is just around the corner ready to take the world by storm. That and the fact its only swimming ffs, a gold fish with a 3 second memory can do that.

[Social Loafer]

Poor bugger, must be so hard f agging around LA eating burger king lol

A break from what? When was the last time he swam competitivly?

Not too fussed, Australia is full of champions and another one is just around the corner ready to take the world by storm. That and the fact its only swimming ffs, a gold fish with a 3 second memory can do that.

Smart ass

[jenny]

Poor bugger, must be so hard f agging around LA eating burger king lol

A break from what? When was the last time he swam competitivly?

Not too fussed, Australia is full of champions and another one is just around the corner ready to take the world by storm. That and the fact its only swimming ffs, a gold fish with a 3 second memory can do that.

Straight in with the sledge hammer Sharkey! :dead:

[HodgoBerro]

Poor bugger, must be so hard f agging around LA eating burger king lol

A break from what? When was the last time he swam competitivly?

Not too fussed, Australia is full of champions and another one is just around the corner ready to take the world by storm. That and the fact its only swimming ffs, a gold fish with a 3 second memory can do that.

a little inapproparate CS...obviously you havent seen what he has done for this country...

[Capital_Shark]

a little inapproparate CS...obviously you havent seen what he has done for this country...

Packed it in when the going got tough and taught the kiddies to give up while they're ahead? You want a swimming champion you need look no further than Kieren Perkins. Or that bloke from Equatorial Guinnea. Thats real ticker!

[jenny]

Packed it in when the going got tough and taught the kiddies to give up while they're ahead? You want a swimming champion you need look no further than Kieren Perkins. Or that bloke from Equatorial Guinnea. Thats real ticker!

The guy from Equatorial Guinnea Sharkey!! Is that Eddy the EEL??
He was so damn cute, but had the guts of Rambo!

[Capital_Shark]

The guy from Equatorial Guinnea Sharkey!! Is that Eddy the EEL??
He was so damn cute, but had the guts of Rambo!

I guess it's Eddy the Eel. How many swimmers from Equatorial Guinnea can there be? lol I don't remember any great wins in swimming, but I remember clear as a bell that fella struggling along the 50 swimming like he had cinder blocks tied to his ankles.

[jenny]

I guess it's Eddy the Eel. How many swimmers from Equatorial Guinnea can there be? lol I don't remember any great wins in swimming, but I remember clear as a bell that fella struggling along the 50 swimming like he had cinder blocks tied to his ankles.

:rotflmao: God Love Him!
On the Footy Show, they had the World Record Timeline behind him..
Sooooooo funny!

[Future Star]

Poor bugger, must be so hard f agging around LA eating burger king lol

A break from what? When was the last time he swam competitivly?

Not too fussed, Australia is full of champions and another one is just around the corner ready to take the world by storm. That and the fact its only swimming ffs, a gold fish with a 3 second memory can do that.

Cold, Sharkey.

Dont be a ***** - i havnt seen u out there winning gold medals for Australia and breaking world records!

[Capital_Shark]

Cold, Sharkey.

Dont be a ***** - i havnt seen u out there winning gold medals for Australia and breaking world records!

How do you know you haven't? I could be Cathy Freeman for all you know.

[Future Star]

How do you know you haven't? I could be Cathy Freeman for all you know.

well maybe im Scott Prince :P and for some reason i go for the raiders!



but seriously, i doubt u r.

[Capital_Shark]

well maybe im Scott Prince :P and for some reason i go for the raiders!



but seriously, i doubt u r.

Well who ever you are, you've got a head like a chook for picking things up. I'm not Cathy Freeman. But I did win the Titans Forum Melbourne Cup sweepstakes so that makes multiple gold medals seem pretty boring now eh?

[Queenslander]

Lets keep comments constructive and within the Member Guidelines.

The loss of Ian Thorpe is huge for Australian sport. However with the pool (pardon the pun) of talent that Australia has in swimming it won't be too long before we get another swimmer with such skill as the Thorpedo.