Ian Thorpe has declared he will team up with Gennadi Touretski in the lead-up to the London 2012 Games.
Multiple champion installs Touretski as new coach
Ian Thorpe has declared he will team up with Gennadi Touretski in the lead-up to the London 2012 Games.
The five-time Olympic gold medallist announced on Wednesday the former Australian Institute of Sport mentor would be installed as his new coach.
Thorpe, who recently came out of retirement, has had Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent in his camp since October.
But the 28-year-old speedster will now train under Touretski in Tenero, Switzerland predominately, plus spells in Abu Dhabi and Australia.
"I'm looking forward to working with Gennadi and have been hopeful for some time now that we would be able to get together," said Thorpe.
Innovative
"I know when he worked with Alex Popov and then Michael Klim he was able to work closely with them to suit their individual needs and physiology, and he's also a real student of the sport.
"He is always thinking and is innovative with his training techniques, looking for improvements.
"I know this means I'll be travelling a lot between Australia, Abu Dhabi and Switzerland but I believe that working with Gennadi is the best fit for me."
Coaching swimmers to more than 40 world records throughout his career, the 61-year-old Touretski is currently head coach at the National Training Centre in Switzerland.
Thorpe won 11 world titles and set 13 long-course records before quitting swimming in November 2006, claiming he had lost the desire to compete after 10 years in the Australian team.
