Olympic great Ian Thorpe reveals he can no longer swim after shoulder replacement surgery

OLYMPIC great Ian Thorpe has revealed he can no longer swim, having lost his famous freestyle stroke after shoulder replacement surgery.

Olympic champion and new Specsavers eye health ambassador Ian Thorpe has revealed he can no longer swim. Picture: Specsavers

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OLYMPIC great Ian Thorpe has revealed he can no longer swim, having lost his famous freestyle stroke after shoulder replacement surgery.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist, 34, said he had come to terms with what his body was now able to do following the surgery two years ago.

The five-time Olympic gold medallist said he had to come to terms with it. Picture: Craig Borrow

“When I first retired all those years ago I did not want anything to do with it (swimming), I did not want to go near a pool,” Thorpe, the Specsavers eye health ambassador said.

“When I retired for the second time I wanted to keep swimming, but I had a shoulder replacement. I had lots of complications with my shoulder and it is a pretty serious operation, not a reconstruction, a replacement, so I can’t swim.

“I had more than two years of shoulder problems and then I got an infection in hospital, so they had to remove the reconstruction they did.

“Then I was on antibiotics for 12 months with a completely fractured shoulder before they could operate on it, so I was happy that I got the shoulder that I have and that I can do as much as I can with it.

“I was told by the doctor before the surgery I would never be able to swim again. I can swim enough to be able to catch a wave, but the stroke it allows me to do is quite horrible and it kind of crunches over, so it is not like I can get into a pool and do some laps.”

Ian Thorpe with Grant Hackett at the 2004 Olympic Games.

As a wellness advocate and as part of his role as Specsavers’ eye health ambassador, he said Australians should have their eyes tested every two years.

“We under-appreciate our eyes until we start having issues,” he said.

“Your eyes are the window to your health. A test can pick up everything from a need for glasses, to diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration and even diabetes. There are six million people over the age of 35 in Australia who have not had their eyes tested and they should.”

He also said he had been in touch with fellow Olympic star Grant Hackett, who has been dealing with personal issues in recent months.

“I have spoken to him but mostly I have just been catching up with him on WhatsApp. He seems to be doing really well,” he said.

Thorpe also commented on tennis great Margaret Court’s recent out­spoken views on same-sex marriage.

“Margaret Court, like anyone else, is entitled to an opinion and I am just thankful and grateful that her opinion differs greatly to the majority of Australians,” he said.

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