Ian Thorpe: The Swimmer Page #2

Thorpey. Thorpey.

Even when I'm marching around

the pool with my gold medal,

you know, it's kind of neat

that you've got it,

but trying not to

let myself enjoy it too much

so I get distracted.

So it was, you know,

quite managed,

which is, you know, unfortunate,

but given, you know,

what was about to happen,

it was worthwhile.

The 4x100 freestyle relay

at the Sydney Olympics

was kind of, you know...

I guess, for Australians,

it was really an iconic moment

in sport.

You know, we were most definitely, in

that race, the underdogs.

Once we'd decided on our team

for the 4x100 relay,

there was a tremendous sense within

the entire swim team

that we could win this race.

Michael Klim has just

broken the world record.

Everyone in that race all went

far beyond their means

to produce that performance.

Round they go for the final 50.

Hall is in front.

What can the champ muster?

A gold medallist earlier tonight.

Now he's digging deep.

The crowd is roaring.

Their hero is coming up.

Hall and Thorpe. Thorpe's

in front! Thorpe and Hall!

Thorpe goes in! Australia win! New

world record!

We have just...

The Australians have just broke the

Americans' stranglehold.

Yeah, on paper,

we shouldn't have won.

The Americans were

the world record holders,

and they've never been beaten

in Olympic history,

and the euphoric way that you feel on

an occasion like that

is, you know...

It really is indescribable.

You know, all my dreams and more

happened on the first day,

um, and I think Australia woke up

with a hangover

after that day of competition.

So you're finally leaving

Australia to start your training.

That's exciting.

It's kind of weird as well, because

it's kind of...

It's like it's all happened now.

It's kind of, like,

the beginning of the next phase.

Yeah, it is. It really is.

It's great.

So... But it's cool.

And I had issues.

I was really stressed

at the airport

because I had issues filling in

my drug testing form

to give my whereabouts.

Um, you have to let them know where

you are

for one hour every day,

and if you're not there

in that one hour of the day,

you get a strike

against your name.

So if you get one strike,

you have to start providing

more information.

Right.

So... And I couldn't.

The system was so slow

in updating it

and I couldn't remember

how to do it.

Just, like...

I had a drug test last night.

Where? At home?

Yeah.

How did that go?

The funniest thing that I was,

like...

You know, I think I'm pretty good at

it now, doing the sample,

and I...

Yeah.

So I finished giving my sample,

or was halfway through providing,

but I'd filled enough.

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