Torpedo Quits

Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe said he has been his own greatest opponent in his swimming career. Thorpe, 24, announced at a packed press conference today in Sydney that he would quit swimming. "I'm actually going to discontinue my professional swimming career," he said. "I have to let swimming take a back seat at this stage." However, Thorpe said he hoped to remain involved in the swimming fraternity. "I intend to have a role with swimming still, I think that's important," he said. When asked if he was adamant about quitting, he told reporters: "I don't see myself competing again. I don't think it will happen. I won't rule it out but it's not going to happen." He said he hoped to attend the Beijing Olympics and would be trying to "scam" tickets "like everyone else".

Greatest swims

Regarded as one of the greatest swimmers of all time, Thorpe amassed 11 world titles, five Olympic gold medals and set 13 individual long-course world records. He named the 4x100 freestyle relay win at the 2000 Sydney Games as his favourite Olympic performance, and his 400m gold medal in Athens as his greatest Games swim. The best swim of his career was not an Olympic performance though, but a 200m short-course swim in Berlin in the lead-up to the 2004 Athens Games, he said. When asked about the great rivalries, he said: "My greatest opponent? I think it's been myself... It's been hard to overcome. He rated compatriot and fellow 1500m swimmer Grant Hackett and Dutch swimmer Pieter Van Den Hoogenband as his other big opponents. "I've enjoyed racing against my two biggest rivals, both Grant and Peter."
Thorpe said he made the decision to quit on Sunday shortly after deciding he would not compete at next year's world championships in Melbourne. "As of 2.53 on Sunday afternoon I decided I would not be swimming the world championships,'' Thorpe said. "I realised I had to prove other things and let swimming take a back seat at this stage. "I'm looking at a next phase, and that next phase means I am realigning the most important thing for me to do. "Swimming falls somewhere short, which is never the way it used to be.''

'Emotional' decision

Thorpe, who at times appeared on the verge of tears, said: "It's emotional because I see my entire swimming career flash before my eyes." At times he was more lighthearted, though, joking at one stage that he would be scouring the newspaper ads for a new job.

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"I don't know what I will do but it will be good," Thorpe said.

"I'm going to be doing more boxing. I went out on the surfboard this mornning... I'm going to be doing more surfing."

Thorpe said the camaraderie with teammates during training was one of the things he would miss most about swimming.

"I'm going to miss elements of it. The training environment, being able to train with friends. It's tough, it's freezing. Bundling together with friends in the pool, I'm going to miss that."

Swimming a 'security net'

Thorpe took a year off after winning the 200 metres and 400m freestyle titles at the Athens Olympics, but his comeback plans were thwarted by illness, injury and waning motivation.

He had a three-month sojourn in Los Angeles this year in a bid to revitalise his swimming.

Thorpe said he had felt in peak physically fitness during his time in the US, but also began to question his future in the sport.

"One other thing happened in LA, as I got physically fit, my mind also got fit, I started asking a lot of questions.

"And I started to look at myself as a person.

Life without swimming?

"That begged another question: What would my life be without swimming?

"It's been a security net for me.

"But what it's meant is I haven't balanced out my life the way I should."

Thorpe paid tribute to his family, friends and management team for their help throughout his career, but reserved his biggest thanks for the Australian public.

"I'd like to thank everyone in this country ... for the support they've given me. It's been unwavering, it's been incredible. It's just a wonderful thing to know so many people care for you.

"For probably the last time in my swimming career, I want to say thank you for your support.

"I don't think I should be retiring, I think I'm far too young to retire. It's not the best time to be walking away from the sport, but it's my time."

'Wonderful ambassador'

At the end of the press conference, Swimming Australia president Neil Martin thanked Thorpe for his massive contribution to the sport.

"Ian is Australia's most successful Olympian ever. He's been a wonderful ambassador, both for Swimming Australia and our sport and indeed for Australia as a whole," Martin said.

"Where we will miss Ian greatly, and very greatly, as a member of our team, we wish him every success for a long and equally rewarding career going forward.

"Congratulations Ian for your wonderful contribution to our sport and I was delighted to hear that you'd like to remain involved in some way in swimming because we'd be thrilled to have you remain involved."

Chief executive Glenn Tasker said most swimming coaches recognised his 400m world record as "almost unbeatable".

"His demeanour in front of the camera, his humility and most of all his performances mark him down as a legend of this sport in Australia," Tasker said

theage.com.au, with AAP