GIRL.COM.AU'S SPORTS STAR OF THE MONTH At the age of fourteen, Ian Thorpe became the youngest male to qualify for an Australian Swim Team. He made his international debut at the Pan Pacific Championships in Japan.
Name:IAN THORPE Nickname: Flipper, Thorpedo Date of Birth: 13/10/82
Height: 195cm Feet Size: Size 16
Occupation: Swimmer
Club: Aquadot Sydney Coach: Doug Frost
Events: 100m, 200m & 400m freestyle
Training Regime: 20 hours a week in the pool 3 hours a week in the gym
Residence: Milperra, Sydney
Education: East Hills Boys Technical School - he left school to concentrate on his Sydney 2000 preparation. He completed Year 10 last year.
Family: Mother - Margaret; Father - Ken; Sister - Christina
Interests/Hobbies: Water skiing, computer games, grunge music, going to the beach and watching television.
Heroes: Kieran Perkins, Alex Popov, Michael Jordan, Carl Lewis, and Mark Spitz
Bad Habits: Cracking his fingers, back and neck
ACHIEVEMENTS:
1998 - World Championships Gold Medal Winner 400m freestyle & 4 x 200m freestyle relay He became the youngest male world champion in swimming history.
1998 - Named 'Male Swimmer of the Year' by Swimming World Magazine
1999 - Winner of 4 Gold Medals at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships
1999 - Named 'Australian Swimmer of the Year'
1999 - Named 'Young Australian of the Year' and winner of the 'Young Australian Sports Award'
2000 - Broke his own 400m freestyle world record with a time of 3:41.33 and the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:45.51 at the Telstra 2000 Australian Selection Trials in Sydney.