Streamlined News

PHOENIX, Arizona, November 8. IAN Thorpe’s first freestyle race in many years didn’t go as planned for the Olympic legend.

Thorpe originally had not planned to swim the 100 freestyle in Beijing, but made a last-minute decision to do so, finishing 15th overall with a short course meters time of 50.21. Thorpe said after the swim that his lack of racing accounts for the relatively slow time, and is already looking forward to Tokyo later this weekend. Thorpe had plenty of time to reflect on the state of his comeback today, as he also did not make the final of the 100 IM, finishing ninth with a time that was about the same as what he did last week in Singapore.

We should also note that Libby Trickett is doing well in her comeback. Trickett, who returned to the sport a few months before Thorpe and took less time away from the pool, hasn’t earned a top three finish yet in the world cup, but her times in Beijing were faster than she swam in Singapore last week. It was her first time back in the Water Cube after winning two Olympic gold medals there in 2008.

But the real story here is about Chad Le Clos and Therese Alshammar. Yesterday we told you that the two were virtually locked in to receive the overall $100,000 grand prize for the top male and female point scorers, but neither of them took it easy in today’s finals. Le Clos came oh-so-close to winning four gold medals in one day, finishing one hundredth of a second behind Kyle Richardson in the 100 free but claiming wins in the 400 IM, 200 fly and 100 IM. Alshammar was bested in the 50 free by Australian teenager Emma McKeon by one hundredth of a second, but Alshammar did get a win under her belt today with a victory in the 100 fly.

Cate Campbell, who has been largely absent from the global sprinting scene the past few years, returned to Water Cube in Beijing today, three years after winning Olympic bronze in the 50 free. She won bronze again today behind McKeon and Alshammar.

Watch today’s episode of Streamlined News.

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