Ian Thorpe's Olympic comeback is right on track after some high-altitude training got him back down to his race weight.
Australian swimming great back to race weight and on track for London
Ian Thorpe's Olympic comeback is right on track after some high-altitude training in Switzerland helped him get back to somewhere near his best shape.
The Australian swimming legend is planning on making a return to the Olympics in London 2012, but his weight had risen sharply since he retired from competition back in 2006.
Five-time Olympic champion Thorpe is determined to get back into shape though and has been training hard at altitude in Switzerland to help shed the weight.
Now based in Abu Dhabi, Thorpe is hoping to return to action in Singapore in November and he could also swim at the New South Wales State meet next February.
Thorpe's manager Dave Flaskas said that his man had now got back down to his racing weight of under 100kg and is showing he is deadly serious about a comeback.
"He is back to his race weight, which is just under 100kg," Flaskas told the
Courier-Mail.
"He is thriving overseas and is training really hard under (coach) Gennadi Touretski - both in the water and on dry land.
"It's clear this is not a half-baked comeback. He is really serious."
Flaskas dismissed speculation that 28-year-old Thorpe had undergone plastic surgery, saying his appearance at the Royal Wedding was trimmer because of him shedding his excess weight.
"No, he doesn't have time for anything like that," said Flaskas. "He has dropped an awful lot of weight and it's clear in his face.
"He is also super happy and really believes that his best swimming is ahead of him - particularly in the shorter, sprint events."
