Sydney, July 11: No one has dominated world swimming for the last five years as Ian Thorpe.
The 20-year-old Australian colossus has been called the swimmer of the century such has been the ease with which he has amassed gold medals and world records.
'Thorpedo' heads to Barcelona looking to repeat his phenomenal achievement of six gold medals and four world records at the last Fukuoka world championships in 2001.
He has added the 200-metre individual medal to his repertoire and a showdown with rising American star Michael Phelps, who broke the oldest world record in men's swimming with one minute 57.94 seconds in California late last month.
Much will be made of his rivalry with the 18-year-old American as the world's greatest swimmer, but Thorpe is unfazed by the pre-meet hype.

"I have the greatest influence over what I can and can't do," Thorpe said just before leaving for Spain. "If I am swimming at my best and prepared as best I can, the only thing that can stop me from performing well is myself."

Thorpe has broken 13 individual world long course records and has shared in another five world records in long course relay teams.

Thorpe's dominance speaks for itself. He created Commonwealth games history in Manchester last year winning six gold medals, the same number he claimed at the 2001 world championships.

In Yokohama he won five gold and a silver against the Americans at the Pan Pacific Championships last August.

Bureau Report.