Tokyo: Australian star Ian Thorpe’s much-anticipated comeback faced another setback on Saturday with a lacklustre performance on the first day of the World Cup short-course swimming championships in Tokyo.
The five-time Olympic champion, who quit the sport in 2006 aged 24, announced in February he was returning to competition.
But today, Thorpe clocked 49.45 seconds, finishing in 12th place among 50 swimmers in the morning heats and failing to qualify for the men’s 100-metre freestyle final.
The final was won by fellow Australian Kyle Richardson in 47.31 seconds.
Thorpe refused to talk to reporters, saying he was in a poor physical condition. It was not immediately known whether the swimmer — who also failed to shine at recent competitions in Beijing and Singapore — would take part in Sunday’s racing.
The day also held disappointment for two-time Olympic double gold medallist Kosuke Kitajima of Japan, who finished in fifth place in both the men’s 50m and 200m breaststroke finals — which were won respectively by Australia’s Christian Sprenger in 26.54 seconds and Japan’s Ryo Tateishi in 2:03.49.
“I’m far from on my best form. I didn’t prepare for these races very well. I couldn’t swim my best today,” said Kitajima, 29, the winner of the 100m and 200m at the Athens and Beijing Olympics. (AFP)