Swimming: Thorpe 16th fastest after 6-year break

PARIS: Five-time Olympic Games gold-medallist Ian Thorpe finished 16th in the 100-metre freestyle at the Italian Winter Open meet in the Australian’s first long course outing in six years. Thorpe clocked 50.84 seconds in an event won by Italy’s Luca Dotto (48.78 seconds) in the two-day meet at Riccione. The 29-year-old retired in November 2006 after collecting five Olympic golds and 11 world titles, but announced his return in February this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 18^th, 2011.