Olympian Kirsten Thomson

Ian Thorpe's mythic rise from boy to hero had an ironic twist

Ian Thorpe on learning to fit in after a career spent standing out Mon 1 Jun 2026 at 4:30am When Ian Thorpe burst onto the international swimming stage at just 14, he became a world-champion swimmer and a household name. It was the late 1990s and the national countdown to the Sydney Olympics was on. Millions tuned in to watch the teen sensation with feet like flippers, racing — and winning — against adult men, often strokes ahead.