Thorpe leads bigs guns to Beijing World Cup
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Xinhua, November 7, 2011
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Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe press conference during the Paris Open swimming competition at the swimming pool of Lagadere Paris racing, the Croix Catelan, Paris. |
Australia's Ian Thorpe and Libby Tricket and China's Liu Zige will compete in the FIFA Short Course World Cup to be held in the National Aquatic Center (Water Cube) on Nov. 8-9.
Thorpe, five-time Olympic gold medalist, retired in 2006 but decided to come back recently. He just competed in the FINA Short Course World Cup Singapore leg from Nov. 4-5.
"My expectation is more about Libby and Ian returning to competition than about their results," said Australian team director Leigh Nugent.
"Before his races in Singapore, Ian had not competed in six years. So this is part of the learning process. We are looking for improvements this week over his performances in Singapore and we will be looking for him to swim even faster in Tokyo. "
"Of course we expect a significant improvement in his times before our Olympic Trials in March. Ian is entered in the 100 individual medley and 100 butterfly," Nugent said.
Olympic champion Liu Zige and world champion Jiao Liuyang, both in the women's 200m butterfly, will spearhead 60 Chinese swimmers at the Water Cube.
"It's the first time I compete here since the Beijing Olympic Games. I hope I can show my best form towards the London Games," Liu said.
Sweden's Therese Alshammar is also pleased to be in Beijing. "I have very fond memories from the 2008 Olympic Games. It's the first time that I am back at the Water Cube after the Olympics. I am really looking forward to this competition. This is a very good pool," Alshmmar said.
About 200 swimmers from 20 countries and regions will compete in the Beijing leg. The next and the last stop is in Tokyo during Nov. 12-13.
