Thorpe asked to replace Hackett

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NATIONAL head coach Alan Thompson will appeal to a wavering Ian Thorpe to consider swimming the 400m freestyle at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March, to bolster an Australia team weakened by the loss of injured world champion Grant Hackett.

Thorpe’s coach Tracey Menzies indicated three months ago that he was likely to concentrate on the 100m and 200m freestyle in Melbourne. However, Thorpe said last month that he would not make up his mind about his signature event until just before the Games selection trials at the end of January.

Thompson said he would raise the 400m issue with Thorpe and Menzies during this weekend’s World Cup meet in Sydney, where Thorpe will swim his first race, the 100m freestyle, since the Athens Olympics.

Thompson, though, said he “was not going to put any pressure on Ian to do something that is not of his choosing”.

Thorpe has signalled his intention to move towards the sprints for his third Olympic appearance, in Beijing in 2008.

Thompson may be looking for ways to replace Hackett as a swimmer in Melbourne, but not as a captain.

He predicted that Swimming Australia would decline to name an interim captain while Hackett was sidelined with a shoulder injury.

The dual Olympic 1500m champion underwent surgery last night to correct a suspected tendon tear under his right shoulder blade. He is expected to be out of the water for up to two months, ruling him out of the Melbourne Games.

“We are not going to be looking to replace Grant,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the Australia team would appoint a leadership group of four after the trials, from which one or more would be appointed as the team spokesperson.

This year’s leadership group comprised Michael Klim, Jim Piper, Giaan Rooney and Brooke Hanson.

Thompson said he was still hopeful Hackett would recover in time to lead the national team to the world short-course championships in Shanghai in April. Hackett is expected to be fully fit by the Pan Pacific championships in Vancouver in August, but faces a selection stumbling block there.

The trials for both the Commonwealth Games and the Pan Pacs are being held in January, while he is recovering from his surgery.

Thompson expects that Hackett will skip the Pan Pacs to prepare thoroughly for the 2007 world championships, also to be held in Melbourne.