IAN Thorpe is on the verge of buying a $1 million property in the exclusive Los Angeles beachside suburb of Santa Monica, which he plans to use as his main base for the two years leading up to the Beijing Olympics.
His manager, Dave Flaskas, confirmed exclusively last week that Thorpe had been in LA looking at properties for both residential and investment purposes.
“Ian needs to race a lot before Beijing and the USA offers the chance to race weekly at an elite level in the US college system,” Flaskas said.
“He, Tracey [his coach, Tracey Menzies] and Australian head coach Alan Thompson are working out a race schedule which will see him racing throughout the USA and Europe leading up to 2008.”
Thorpe is unsure if he will be forced to enrol so he can take part in the collegiate swimming season.
“He wants to do a lot of altitude training in Colorado and Arizona, but he will still do a lot back here with Tracey in Australia.”
Thorpe knows he is well short of racing practice, which he sees as crucial to success in Beijing.
He has done very little racing since the Athens Olympics but plans to make up for it in the next two years. Big swimming meetings in Europe are also on the agenda.
We also know Thorpe’s penchant for shopping would be a factor in deciding on LA as a base - along with New York, it is considered a shopping capital of the US.
Meanwhile, Olympic and world champion Grant Hackett will return to competitive swimming next month following shoulder surgery.
Hackett says his comeback is well ahead of schedule and he’ll compete in the 400-metre freestyle at a Telstra grand prix meet in Brisbane in three weeks.
“I am just so happy being back and the smile has returned knowing that I’m on the right track,” Hackett said.
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