Ian Thorpe Sitting Out Australian World Championship Trials

ADELAIDE, Australia, April 19. AFTER missing out on selection for Australia's Olympic team last year, Ian Thorpe said he would continue training with a goal of earning a spot on Australia's world championship team in 2013.

Thorpe, however, is not among the competitors listed on the psych sheet for next week world championship trials released by Swimming Australia. Thorpe had planned to swim the 100 and 200 freestyles, hoping to earn at least relay selection. Back in January, Thorpe had hinted that he would not be at his best in 2013 and might defer a shot at international competition to 2014 and the Commonwealth Games. The release of the psych sheets backs up that statement.

Swimming Australia confirmed Thorpe's withdrawal from next week's nationals to various Australian news media outlets. With Thorpe not making the Olympic team, the Olympic legend lost a reported $100,000 of funding from Swimming Australia this year. Thorpe has been training in Switzerland since announcing his comeback in 2011, and it was not clear if the funding cut will affect his swimming future.

Thorpe, 30, is Australia's most-decorated swimming Olympian, earning nine Olympic medals (five gold, three silver, one bronze). He was the world record holder in the 200 and 400 long course freestyles and helped usher in a golden era for Australia in the pool, leading the Aussies to various gold medal finishes at the Olympics and world championships.

Full text of News.com article

Psych sheet for Australian nationals

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