On the 1st of February 2011, a legend of the pool announced his unexpected return to the world of competitive swimming. Ian Thorpe, Australian Olympic swimming legend, made this announcement by stating his intentions to qualify for London 2012. At that time, the 2012 Olympics was just 18 months away. No doubt a revelation that sent ripples through the pool of the swimming elite. A monumental task lay ahead of him as firstly, he would have to resculpt his physique to resemble something closer to that of an athlete.
Since Thorpedo's absence from the pool, Michael Phelps has become the name that everyone thinks of at the mere mention of the word swimming. It was Phelps who would have felt the greatest excitement at the thought of racing his hero again after the disappointment he would have felt in 2006 upon Thorpe's announcement to retire from the sport. Many critics wonder, had Thorpey stayed on the path he was travelling, would Phelps have reached his ultimate career goals of 8 golds in a single Olympics? A feat that made him the most decorated Olympian at a single Olympics in the history of the event in Beijing, 2008.
Phelps himself is having to dig deep to get on track to maintain his legendary status in the last 12 months of his competitive swimming career. Having admitted to struggling to find the hunger and focus to step back into his strictly disciplined training program with career long coach, Bob Bowman, his results from the FINA Swimming World Championships in Shanghai earlier this year confirmed it. Whilst Phelps tries to settle himself back into training, a new American swim star emerges.
Ryan Lochte, who has for many years played the joker to the ultra serious Phelps, has gone from strength to strength since finding a new focus with his own training program. Whilst Phelps was setting tongues wagging with an admittedly below par performance, Lochte had critics sit up and take notice as he romped home with five golds and a bronze from the FINA Swimming WC. Lochte attributes his new form to an improved diet and nutrition plan(fruit and vegetables in place of the McDonalds three times a day at the Beijing Olympics of 2008) and his willingness to throw anything into his training to give him the edge, including strongman drills! These adjustments are clearly paying off as he is the first man to break two world records since the banning of the body length polyurethane suits. This may also contribute to his decision to competitively swim right up to and including the 2016 Rio Olympics, at which he will be 32.
London 2012 is set to host the greatest duel in the pool with Thorpe, Phelps and Lochte set to square up in at least one event. None of the three have fully confirmed their programs for the event. Although, if talk is to be believed, Ryan Lochte may be looking to go one more than Phelps record and swim for a potential nine gold medals. Add to the mix, up and coming Australian swimmer James Magnussen and there's alot to look forward to poolside in London!
For now, Thorpe remains hold up in Switzerland as he continues his build up to re-enter the Olympic race. His first competitive outing is set to be the upcoming World Cup meets in Singapore, Beijing and Tokyo in November. He'll be looking to make as big a splash as possible if he is to keep his intentions of Olympic glory alive.
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