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Ian Thorpe mentors pop star Cody Simpson
With the Tokyo Olympics commencing this month, Ian Thorpe has revealed why he has decided not to return to the pool.
Appearing on The Morning Show, the swimming champion said he is far too busy managing multiple projects to get back into the water.
On top of revealing he will be part of Channel Seven’s commentary team for the Games, Thorpe has also been fundraising for ocean conservation with the Sapphire Dinner and taking part in a new docuseries, “Head Above Water”, following Aussie pop star Cody Simpson and several other swimmers on their journey to the Olympics.
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Thorpe said he doesn’t really miss his swimming career and that he “romanticises” his glory days.
“I think I’d like to do it, then I remind myself how cold it is, especially at times like this and what it feels like to be in an outdoor pool that’s not really heated,” he said.
Cody Simpson put his music career on hold last year to focus on qualifying for either the Tokyo 2021 or Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
“For the last 10 years, I don’t think there was a week or a day that went by that I didn’t still think about swimming or try and figure out when I was going to swim again,” he said.
Thorpe said Simpson’s progress so far has been very encouraging.
“Cody is doing better in training than what was expected,” he said. “The improvement that he’s making, there’s this possibility that he may be at a level where he can actually place.”
Simpson’s personal best in the 100m butterfly is 53.85 seconds, but the former champion junior swimmer will need to swim faster than 51.70 seconds and place in the top two at the trials to qualify for Australia’s Olympic swimming team.
Simpson will be racing the 100m butterfly and 100m freestyle at the Olympic swimming trials which commence on Saturday, June 12.
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