Ian Thorpe is a swimmer who has competed for Australia. He competed at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympic Games.
Thorpe was favored to win multiple world records and gold medals when Sydney hosted the Games in 2000. There, he maintained a strong lead from the start to claim his first gold with a new world record time of 3:40.59 in the 400 metres freestyle. An hour later, he passed Gary Hall near the wall at the last leg of the race to deliver the Australian men's 4x100 metres freestyle relay team of Michael Klim, Chris Fydler, and Ashley Callus a world record time in 3:13.67 for the gold. In the 200 metres freestyle, Thorpe posted the fastest time (1:46.56) from the heats and erased Evgueni Sadovyi's 1992 Olympic record by 0.14 seconds. His Dutch rival Pieter van den Hoogenband soon blasted the world record time (1:45.35) in the semifinals, while Thorpe trailed him with the second fastest time by 0.02 of a second. At the final, both Thorpe and Van den Hoogenband turned at 150 metres in identical times, but he soon faded as the latter drew away at the final stretch to claim a gold and equal his world record, leaving Thorpe with a silver. He redeemed to help his teammates Klim, William Kirby, and Todd Pearson surge past the Americans to lower the world record time (7:07.05) for the gold by over five seconds, the largest winning margin in an Olympic relay for half a century. He closed out his Olympic debut by swimming through the freestyle leg in the heats of the 4x100 metres medley relay and collecting a silver when his other teammates finished behind the Americans in the final. With three gold and two silver, Thorpe was the most successful athlete at Sydney 2000.
Four years later in Athens, Thorpe managed to retain his title in the 400 metres freestyle and edged out Van den Hoogenband through the final lap to avenge the 200 metres freestyle title that he lost in Sydney with a new Olympic record time (1:44.71). With this feat, he set an Australian record for the most Olympic titles at five. He also added a bronze in the 100 and a silver with the Australian men's team in the 4x200 metres freestyle relay. Thorpe became the only swimmer to medal in a 100-200-400 combination at a single Olympiad.
Thorpe also attempted to make the Olympic team for London 2012, but he missed the selection for the 4x200 metres freestyle relay by over a second.
Olympic Results[]
| Year | Event | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Men's 200m freestyle | 
|
| Men's 400m freestyle | 
| |
| Men's 4x100m freestyle relay |
| |
| Men's 4x200m freestyle relay |
| |
| Men's 4x100m medley relay |
| |
| 2004 | Men's 100m freestyle | 
|
| Men's 200m freestyle |
| |
| Men's 400m freestyle |
| |
| Men's 4x100m freestyle relay | 6th | |
| Men's 4x200m freestyle relay |
|
2000[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 metres freestyle | Heats | 1:46.56 | OR |
| Semifinal | 1:45.37 | AR | |
| Final | 1:45.83 | ||
| 400 metres freestyle | Heats | 3:44.65 | OR |
| Final | 3:40.59 | WR | |
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:17.37 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 3:13.67 (48.30 split) |
WR | |
| 4x200 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 7:14.27 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 7:07.05 (1:46.03 split) |
WR | |
| 4x100 metres medley relay | Heats | 3:39.38 (48.83 split) |
|
| Final | 3:35.27 (Reserve) |
AR |
2004[]
| Discipline | Round | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100 metres freestyle | Heats | 49.17 | |
| Semifinal | 49.21 | ||
| Final | 48.56 | PR | |
| 200 metres freestyle | Heats | 1:47.22 | |
| Semifinal | 1:46.65 | ||
| Final | 1:44.71 | OR | |
| 400 metres freestyle | Heats | 3:46.55 | |
| Final | 3:43.10 | ||
| 4x100 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 3:17.64 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 3:15.77 (48.14 split) |
||
| 4x200 metres freestyle relay | Heats | 7:14.85 (Reserve) |
|
| Final | 7:07.46 (1:44.18 split) |