Ian Thorpe Research Paper

Ian Thorpe is Australia’s most decorated swimmer of all time. He has won the most gold medals of any Australian athlete, and has won 5 Olympic gold medals, the most of any Australian athlete in history. The 196cm giant is the youngest person ever to win a world championship, and has went on to win 10 more. The former Olympic champion specialised in the stroke ‘” freestyle” and competed in events such as backstroke and the individual medley. In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Thorpe was recognised as the most successful athlete, winning three gold medals and 2 silvers. At the 2001 world aquatic championships, Thorpe became the first person to win 6 gold medals in one world championship. His wins in the 200 m and 400 m and his bronze in the 100m freestyle

Thorpe was the first person to have been named Swimming World Swimmer of the Year four times, and was the Australian Swimmer of the Year from 1999 to 2003. He is also Australia’s youngest ever male to be selected in the Australian swim team. At the age of 14, he became the youngest male ever to represent Australia, and his victory in the 400-meter freestyle at the 1998 Perth World Championships made him the youngest ever individual male World Champion. After that victory, Thorpe dominated the 400-m freestyle, winning the event at every Olympic, World, Commonwealth and Pan Pacific Swimming Championships until his break after the 2004 Olympics. 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. Ian’s impressive legacy and lovable nature makes him one of Australia’s most popular athletes of all

Ian enjoyed swimming but was no child prodigy at the time. Ironically, Ian was allergic to chlorine when he was young. He later started swimming with his head out of the water, which enabled his allergic reaction to subside overtime. Ian Thorpe did not swim in his first race until a school carnival at the age of seven. The allergy forced Thorpe, swam with his head out of the water; despite this awkward technique, he won the race, primarily because of his significant size advantage. Ian Thorpe soon began competing in swim meets in Australia, winning nine gold medals at the New South Wales Short Course Age Championships in 1994. Thorpe was 6 feet tall when he started high school in 1995, and began to use his size to an advantage. Ian soon competed at his first Australian Age Championships, winning bronze medals in the 200 m and 400 m freestyle. He won all ten events at the New South Wales Age Championships. Thorpe competed at the 1996 Australian Age Championships in Brisbane, winning five gold, two silvers and two bronze medals. His times in the 400-m freestyle and 200 m backstroke qualified him for the Australian Championships. At the New South Wales Championships in