Ian Thorpe
Awards & Honours
18
Awards Won
3
Honours
2
Rankings
3
Covers
4
Records
Ian Thorpe's career is defined by records and firsts. He was the first swimmer to win six gold medals at a single World Championship, and he remains the only male swimmer to medal in the 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle at one Olympics. His four Swimming World Swimmer of the Year awards were unprecedented at the time. Thorpe's 13 individual world records place him among the most prolific record-setters in swimming history. He is the most decorated male Australian Olympian, with nine medals, and his impact on the sport in Australia is immeasurable.
Awards
Honours & Distinctions
Member of the Order of Australia (AM)
For service to swimming as a gold medallist and as a role model.
Order of Australia Medal (OAM)
For service to sport as a gold medallist at the Olympic Games.
Young Australian of the Year
Recognizing his achievements and contributions to the community.
Rankings & Lists
Top 10 Greatest Swimmers of All Time
100 Greatest Olympic Athletes
Magazine Covers
Time
October 2000
The Thorpedo
Sports Illustrated
August 2001
Golden Boy
Australian Women's Weekly
December 2000
Ian Thorpe: Australia's Golden Boy
Records & Feats
First swimmer to win six gold medals at a single World Championship
At the 2001 Fukuoka World Championships, Thorpe won six gold medals, a record that still stands.
Only male swimmer to win medals in 100m, 200m, and 400m freestyle at one Olympics
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Thorpe won gold in 200m and 400m, and bronze in 100m.
Most Olympic medals by an Australian male
Thorpe won nine Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze), the most for an Australian male swimmer.
Four-time Swimming World Swimmer of the Year
He won the award in 1999, 2000, 2001, and 2002, a record at the time.