Ian Thorpe
World 400 m freestyle champion at 15, youngest male world champion in any pool sport
Overview
Thorpe won the 1998 world title in Perth at 15 and three golds at Sydney 2000, including the 400 m freestyle in front of a home crowd. His size 17 feet and six gold medals across two Games made him the face of Australian swimming. His 2001 world 400 record of 3:40.08 lasted until 2009, and his rivalry era with Pieter van den Hoogenband defined the event.
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