Thorpe to miss 2005 World Swimming Championships

Olympic and World Record holder, Ian Thorpe, has decided not to swim at this year's World Championships in Montreal, Canada. The 22 year old Australian has designated 2005 as a training year and has no intentions to compete this year in order to focus on preparations for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

His decision not to swim will leave the 400m Freestyle event open to other swimmers for the first time in seven years. The 400m has been his event since 1998 when at just 15 he took the World 400m title in Perth, Australia. He went on to win the world title again at Fukuoka, Japan in 2001 and in Barcelona, Spain in 2003.