Editing Ian Thorpe (section)

===2001 World Aquatics Championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships|2001 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200 m freestyle]] | 1:44.06 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400 m freestyle]] | 3:40.17 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 800 metre freestyle|800 m freestyle]] | 7:39.16 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4×100 m freestyle]] | 3:14.10}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:04.66 (WR)}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4×100 m medley]] | 3:35.35}}
{{MedalBottom}}
With the 2001 Australian Championships held in [[Hobart]] in March, Thorpe added the 800&nbsp;m freestyle to his repertoire, after [[International Swimming Federation|FINA]] had added the event for the [[2001 World Aquatics Championships]].<ref>Hunter, p. 253.</ref> Thorpe began his campaign by successfully defending his 400&nbsp;m title with a time just 0.17&nbsp;s outside his world record.<ref>{{cite news|title=Aussie World Champs Trials: Thorpe Just Misses Breaking Own 400 Free World Record|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2354.asp|work=Swimming World|date=26 March 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200421/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2354.asp|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=s2001a>Swanton, pp. 116–117.</ref><ref>Hunter, p. 254.</ref> The following night in the 800&nbsp;m event, he drew away from Hackett in the last 100&nbsp;m to break [[Kieren Perkins]]' 1994 world record by over four seconds.<ref name="abc career"/><ref name=s2001a/><ref>{{cite news|first=Ian|last=Hanson|title=Aussie Nationals: Ian Thorpe Destroys World Record in the 800; Hackett Also Under Old Mark|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2364.asp|work=Swimming World|date=26 March 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130105054829/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2364.asp|archive-date=5 January 2013}}</ref><ref>Hunter, p. 255.</ref> He earned his third title by cutting 0.66&nbsp;s from van den Hoogenband's 200&nbsp;m world record to set a new mark of 1&nbsp;min 44.69&nbsp;s.<ref name="abc career"/><ref name=s2001a/><ref>{{cite news|first=Belinda|last=Dennett|title=The Thorpedo Does It Again!! New World Record in the 200 m Free|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2371.asp|work=Swimming World|date=27 March 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927200613/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2371.asp|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> This performance made him the third male after [[John Konrads]] and [[Tim Shaw (swimmer)|Tim Shaw]] to hold world records over three distances simultaneously.<ref>Hunter, p. 256.</ref> His subsequent victory in the 100&nbsp;m freestyle in a new personal best of 49.05&nbsp;s made him the first since Konrads in 1959 to hold all Australian freestyle titles from 100&nbsp;m to 800&nbsp;m.<ref name=s2001a/><ref>Hunter, p. 257.</ref> This indicated that he could swim faster at the subsequent World Championships in [[Fukuoka]], where he was looking to regain the ascendancy from van den Hoogenband.<ref name="gsiprofile"/><ref name="abc career"/><ref>Hunter, pp. 253–257.</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Belinda|last=Dennett|title=Aussie Nationals: Thorpe Wins Fourth Gold|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2380.asp|work=Swimming World|date=29 March 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154857/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2380.asp|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Thorpe arrived in Fukuoka having been chosen by broadcaster [[TV Asahi]] as the marketing drawcard of the event.<ref>Hunter, pp. 257–260.</ref> With the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay|4&nbsp;×&nbsp;100&nbsp;m freestyle relay]] being held after the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400&nbsp;m freestyle]] on the first night, Thorpe appeared to be conserving energy when he reached the 200&nbsp;m mark two seconds outside his world record. Although he was 0.93&nbsp;s behind at the final turn, a final 50&nbsp;m burst in 24.36&nbsp;s saw him cut a further 0.42&nbsp;s from his world record.<ref name=s2001w>Swanton, pp. 118–120.</ref><ref>Hunter, pp. 266–267.</ref> The relay saw him dive in fractionally ahead of American [[Jason Lezak]] after Klim, Callus and Pearson had completed the first three legs. Thorpe fell behind in the early half of the leg before kicking away in the closing stages, to seal gold with his fastest-ever relay split of 47.87&nbsp;s.<ref>{{cite news|first=Craig|last=Lord|title=Thorpe Sets WR, Wins Two Gold on First Day of Competition at World Champs|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2724.asp|work=Swimming World|date=22 July 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195735/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2724.asp|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Hunter, pp. 267–268.</ref> In the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 800 metre freestyle|800&nbsp;m final]], he shadowed Hackett for the first 750&nbsp;m, staying within a body length. He then broke clear to win by a body length, lowering his world record by over two seconds.<ref name=s2001w/><ref>{{cite news|first=Craig|last=Lord|title=Thorpe, Phelps Set World Records; Haley Cope Wins in an Upset|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2732.asp|work=Swimming World|date=24 July 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195741/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2732.asp|archive-date=27 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Hunter, pp. 268–269.</ref> The [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200&nbsp;m freestyle]] rematch with van den Hoogenband provided Thorpe with a chance to rectify his strategy from the Olympics; this time he allowed the Dutchman to lead through the first 100&nbsp;m. Thorpe pulled even at the 150&nbsp;m mark and then broke away towards the finishing wall two body lengths clear. He lowered his world record to 1&nbsp;min 44.06&nbsp;s in the process, prompting van den Hoogenband to raise his arm aloft.<ref name=s2001w/><ref>{{cite news|first=Craig|last=Lord|title=The Thorpedo Strikes Again—Another Awesome World Record|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2736.asp|work=Swimming World|date=25 July 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154801/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2736.asp|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>Hunter, pp. 271–272.</ref>

Thorpe's winning streak was interrupted in the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100&nbsp;m freestyle]] when his personal best of 48.81&nbsp;s placed him fourth,<ref>Hunter, p. 273.</ref> but he returned to form in the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4&nbsp;×&nbsp;200&nbsp;m freestyle relay]]. Anchoring the team of Klim, Hackett and Kirby, the Australians lowered their world record time by more than two seconds, leaving the Italians more than six seconds in arrears.<ref name="gsiprofile" /><ref>{{cite news|first=Craig|last=Lord|title=Aussies Smash 800 Relay WR; USA Celebrates with Wins by Ervin, Peirsol, Bowen|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2754.asp|work=Swimming World|date=27 July 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930153946/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2754.asp|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Having overtaken Klim as Australia's leading 100&nbsp;m freestyle swimmer, Thorpe was entrusted with anchoring the [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 100 metre medley relay|4&nbsp;×&nbsp;100&nbsp;m medley relay]] team on 28 July. After [[Matt Welsh]], [[Regan Harrison]] and [[Geoff Huegill]] had finished their legs, Thorpe's change left him half a body length behind the new [[Swimming at the 2001 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 100 metre freestyle|100&nbsp;m world champion]] [[Anthony Ervin]] of the United States. The Americans were expected to win, and with his typically slow start, Thorpe turned a body length behind with 50&nbsp;m remaining. With an American victory seeming inevitable, Thorpe managed to accelerate and deprive Ervin of the lead in the last 5&nbsp;m.<ref name="Hunter, pp. 274–275" /><ref name="s2001w" /><ref>{{cite news|title=Finals Results: 28 July|url=http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2761.asp|work=Swimming World|date=28 July 2001|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930154652/http://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/lane9/news/2761.asp|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> This made Thorpe the only swimmer to have won six gold medals at a World Championships,<ref name="abc career" /><ref name="ABC profile" /> and the first since Shaw in 1974 to win the 200–400–800 treble.<ref name="s2001w" /> His performances formed the basis for Australia's gold medal win over the United States 13–9. It was also the first time since the [[Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics#Medal table|1956 Summer Olympics]] that Australia had topped the medal tally at a global meet.<ref>Hunter, pp. 264–275.</ref> Thorpe's achievements led to predictions that he could match [[Mark Spitz]]'s seven gold medals at the [[Swimming at the 1972 Summer Olympics|1972 Summer Olympics]], which he played down.<ref>{{cite news|title=Thorpe targets drug cheats|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_radio/1921956.stm|publisher=[[BBC]]|date=12 April 2006|access-date=22 November 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116045056/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tv_and_radio/1921956.stm|archive-date=16 January 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>