Ian Thorpe was born on October 13, 1982 and is now 38 years of age. Ian Thorpe was born and grew up in Sydney, New South Wales. At school, Thorpe was uncoordinated in sports but at age 8, he figured out that he excelled in the pool. Once he started swimming, he realized he was allergic to chlorine! This did not stop him though, he just had to swim with his head out of the water. It was then that he started to swim competitively.
Once he turned 13, Thorpe entered into a 1 day swimming competition. On that day, he broke 10 age group world records (which is the most age group records broken by a 13 year old in 1 day!) Once ian thorpe had turned 17 he entered the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. On the very first day of the Olympic Games, Ian Thorpe showed that he could swim very well. Ian Thorpe broke the 400 meter freestyle men's world record and the final time he got was 3.40.08.
While at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, he won a few medals, he won three gold medals and one silver. He won one gold for 400-meter men's freestyle, another gold for 200-metre freestyle men's relay and one more gold for 100-meter freestyle men's relay and one silver for 200-meter men's freestyle. After the 2000 Olympics, Thorpe was very happy with all of his medals but wanted to start training yet again for the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Ian Thorpe successfully made it into the Olympic team and once Thorpe was in Athens, he showed that he was still a very good swimmer. While he was there he won a few more medals he won gold for 200-meter men's freestyle and broke the world record for it with an amazing time of 1.44.7! He won another gold for 400-meter men's freestyle, silver for 200-meter men's freestyle relay and he also won a bronze for 100-meter men's freestyle. Thorpe left Athens with 2 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze and a new world record!
Around two years after the 2004 Athens Olympics, On November 2006, Ian Thorpe announced that he was going to retire from swimming for the rest of his life, but then in February 2011, he announced that he was going to start training for the 2012 Olympics. When it came to try-outs for the Olympic team, Ian Thorpe did not make it in and he decided he was yet again going to retire and stay retired for the rest of his days. He is currently not swimming but instead, he is commentating at the Olympic games and living with his boyfriend.
By Charlie