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Making a splash Thorpe still impressive in the pool
By Terry Baddoo, CNNSI.com SYDNEY -- The sign on the side of a local bus says it all: "Ian Thorpe. World 400m Freestyle Champion. How does he do it?" That is the million-dollar question. The 17-year-old sensation is not only pictured on one of his country's newest stamps, but he continues to "stamp" his authority in the Olympic pool. Labeled as "The Greatest" by one local paper, Thorpe's gold medal performances have inspired the entire Aussie team. "When Ian swam that 400 meter freestyle, myself and Chris Fydler were sitting together having a chat," says teammate Ashley Callus who is a 4 X 100 meter gold medalist. "And once he hit that wall and we saw 'world record' and the 20,000 or so crowd just going nuts, we just sort of sat there in silence for a little bit and just imagine what that sound would do to us and it picked us up. I mean, it was like being buzzed by a cattle prod, sort of picked you up and ready to fire." As the meet progresses the youngster continues to call the shots, captivating a nation and making his family proud. "He's won the ultimate and that was a gold medal at the Olympics," said Thorpe's proud mother Margaret. Thorpe's brilliance has inevitably drawn comparisons with the best there's even been. "Ian reminds me of my own career," says Mark Spitz who won seven gold medals for the U.S. in the 1972 Olympics. "According to all my competitors, the coaches said, 'If you don't have a half a body length on Mark Spitz with one lap to go, you might as well get out of the pool because it is as good as over.'" And as he awaits the chance to claim an Aussie record-equaling third gold in the 4 X 200 relay, his appeal is ever widening. "He's an amazing character," said Ed Moses, a 100 meter breastroke silver medalist for the United States. "To keep dropping times over the past two to three years, keep cutting times of his world records is just amazing. Everybody just sits there in awe when they see him swim. He's like a machine almost. You just turn him on and he's going to do wonderful things." And even Thorpe's rivals see his accomplishments as nothing but a positive for the sport and an inspiration for others to do their best. "It's great for swimmers to see other swimmers swim well," added 400 meter world record holder Tom Dolan of the U.S. "I think that's true in all athletics. To be able to see someone who is performing so well it is great and it's an amazing thing to see. I think it helps everyone else swim well also."
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