Australia’s Ian Thorpe on Tuesday accepted the Olympic 400m freestyle swimming place relinquished by teammate Craig Stevens, allowing him to defend his title in Athens later this year.
Thorpe (21) told a press conference in Sydney he will take the Australian team position, ending a month-long saga that begun when he was sensationally disqualified for a false start in the heats of the event at the national selection trials.
”I’m pleased that I have the opportunity to swim this event at the Olympics and I’m grateful to Craig to have given me this opportunity,” world champion and world record holder Thorpe told the press conference.
Stevens, who finished second to Grant Hackett at the Sydney trials, announced on television on Monday that he will withdraw in the hope that he could watch Thorpe swim the 400m final in Athens.
Stevens (23) said he wants to now concentrate on his 1 500m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay events at the Olympics.
Thorpe had said he would not take the spot if he felt close friend Stevens had been unduly pressured to give it up.
”The decision he made was based on what he wanted to do, not what anyone else wanted him to do,” Thorpe said.
”I spoke to Craig before the piece went to air [on television on Monday]. I realised the decision he actually came to was made on his own. It’s what he wants to do and what he sees as being best for himself.”
Thorpe said any suggestion that Stevens has stepped aside for money alone is ”disheartening” as he knows that is not in Stevens’s character.
Unbeaten in the 400m over the past seven years, Thorpe will join Hackett as the two Australians in the event at Athens. — Sapa-AFP