World’s best swimmer awaits Thorpe challenge

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Grant Hackett is expecting to take on a freshly motivated Ian Thorpe after his record-breaking world championship feats confirmed him as the world’s best swimmer of 2005.

The endurance maestro was named swimmer of the meet after leading Australia to its best performance at a world titles with 13 gold, five silver and four bronze medals in Montreal.

The Australian captain’s crushing victory in the 1500m (yesterday morning, Canberra time) meant Australia just eclipsed its previous best effort (13-3-3) of 2001 in Fukuoka, Japan.

The modest Hackett has appreciated the limelight he’s received, and long deserved, in the absence of long-time rival Thorpe, Australia’s most successful Olympian.

“Yeah certainly getting swimmer of the meet and all that sort of stuff, and you still have the [Michael] Phelpses, the [Michael] Crockers and [Aaron] Peirsols, and all those great competitors and it is just honour to have something like that,” Hackett said.

“I work very hard and pick the tough events or rather they pick me more so, and it is nice to come away and be appreciated.”

Hackett has always remained patient when comparisons are made with Thorpe, despite his sterling career being upstaged since being mowed down by the Sydneysider in the 400m at the 1998 world titles in Perth.

The two-time Olympic 1500m champion comes away from the world titles as the first man to win the 400m, 800m and 1500m treble and he also collected silver in the 200m and bronze in the 4×200m relay - and Thorpe’s world record in the 800m - during his marathon 6.2km program of racing at the Parc Jean-Drapeau pool.

He expects Thorpe to be itching to get back into competition when he returns for next year’s Commonwealth Games after watching Australia achieve its best medal haul at a world-class meet from his couch in Sydney.

“I am sure he is at home feeling motivated by watching this, and wanting to step up again,” Hackett said. “I am looking forward to the challenge of swimming against him.”

Thorpe was swimmer of the meet in Fukuoka in 2001 and American superstar Michael Phelps claimed the title two years later at the Barcelona worlds.

This time it was Hackett’s turn, even if Thorpe is sitting out the meet while Phelps’s experimentation with his program backfired in Montreal.

National head coach Alan Thompson said Hackett richly deserved his moment in the spotlight.

“Had he been in a different era, he would have been the one, and this time he has been able to stand on the stage in his own and get the accolades he deserves,” Thompson said.