Thorpe to make trials return

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IAN Thorpe will return to competitive swimming at the Australian selection trials for the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Thorpe, 23, was among the swimmers listed today by Swimming Australia for the team selection trials in Melbourne from January 30 to February 4.

The trials will be held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre, the site for the Commonwealth Games aquatic events.

Thorpe, the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the 200m and 400m freestyle skipped the world championships in Montreal last month.

But his manager, Dave Flaskas, said Thorpe had been in training to regain fitness ahead of the trials, and had set his sights on winning gold in the 200m and 400m in Melbourne ahead of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

“He’s been refreshing himself and having a bit of a break, but training really hard and just getting ready for the Commonwealth Games,” Flaskas said earlier this month.

Seventeen world and Olympic champions are entered for the trials.

Apart from Thorpe, Australia’s world and Olympic champions to compete at the trials are Grant Hackett, Jodie Henry, Leisel Jones, Libby Lenton, Danni Miatke, Jessicah Schipper, Jade Edmistone, Michael Klim, Brooke Hanson, Matt Welsh, Ashley Callus, Giaan Rooney, Sophie Edington, Alice Mills, Shayne Reese and Jim Piper.

“Our Australian Championships will be a great run up to the Games, and it will feature all our gold medallists from the recent FINA world championships in Montreal,” Swimming Australias chief executive Glenn Tasker said in a statement.

“It will also mark the return of Ian Thorpe to a major swim meet for the first time since last years Athens Olympics.

“In some events it will be just as tough to win an Australian Championship as it will be to win the Commonwealth Games.” “We expect the racing to be as competitive as ever; everyone wants to win a place on this team.

“To compete in front of your home crowd, especially in the sport of swimming, will be an honour that none of them will ever forget.

“This is the only chance our swimmers will have to make the Commonwealth Games team.

“It is going to be make or break for them.”