 Thorpe has decided to drop the 200m medley from his schedule |
Australian swimming star Ian Thorpe will not try to equal Mark Spitz's seven gold medals at this year's Olympics, his coach has confirmed. Tracey Menzies said Thorpe would swim in just six events in Athens in August, thus ruling out emulating Spitz's record haul from Munich in 1972.
"I don't want to put too much pressure on him," Menzies said on Monday.
The 21-year-old will swim the 100m, 200m and 400m, plus the three relays, but will bypass the 200m medley.
"It's going to be a hard enough task to get up and do the events that we've picked as well as relays. It's a big emotional drain," added Menzies.
The Australian Olympic swimming trials begin in Sydney on 27 March.
Thorpe, who is the world record holder at 100m, 200m and 800m, rose to prominence after winning three golds as a 17-year-old in the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
He won a record six golds at the 2001 world championships in Japan - and six at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Thorpe's decision means American Michael Phelps will be left to chase Spitz's mark.
The Baltimore teenager won four golds in Barcelona and has been promised $1m if he can collect seven in Athens.
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