Editing Ian Thorpe (section)

===1998 World Aquatics Championships===
{{MedalTableTop|name=no|header=[[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships|1998 World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400 m freestyle]] | 3:46.29}}
{{MedalGold | [[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4×200 m freestyle]] | 7:12.45}}
{{MedalBottom}}
Thorpe's first international appearance in his home country, at the [[1998 World Aquatics Championships|1998 World Championships]] in Perth, began with the [[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|4&nbsp;×&nbsp;200&nbsp;m freestyle relay]]. Swimming the third leg after Klim and Hackett, Thorpe broke away from [[Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 200 metre butterfly|200&nbsp;m butterfly Olympic champion]] [[Tom Malchow]] to set a split time of 1&nbsp;min 47.67&nbsp;s, just 0.26 seconds slower than Klim's winning time in the [[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 200 metre freestyle|200&nbsp;m final]].<ref>Hunter, p. 98.</ref> By the end of Thorpe's leg, the Australians were two seconds ahead of the world record pace, and three seconds ahead of the Americans, having extended the lead by two body lengths. Although anchorman Kowalski finished outside the world record,<ref>Hunter, pp. 98–99.</ref> it was the first time that Australia had won the event at the global level since [[Swimming at the 1956 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|1956]].<ref name="abc career"/> Thorpe was ranked fourth in the world before the [[Swimming at the 1998 World Aquatics Championships – Men's 400 metre freestyle|400&nbsp;m final]], which Hackett led from the outset. Hackett established a comfortable 2.29&nbsp;s lead over Thorpe by the 300&nbsp;m mark, and although Thorpe reduced the margin to 1.53&nbsp;s at the 350&nbsp;m mark, Hackett led until Thorpe passed him on the final stroke.<ref>Hunter, pp. 100–101.</ref> Thorpe's time was the fourth fastest in history and made him the youngest ever male individual world champion, aged 15 years and 3 months.<ref name="andrews"/><ref name="andrews h"/><ref name=s19/><ref>Hunter, pp. 96–102.</ref>

As a result of the media attention generated by his win on home soil, Thorpe received multiple offers for television commercials and was often surrounded by autograph hunters.<ref name=s20>Swanton, p. 20.</ref> He became a high-profile supporter of the [[Children's Cancer Institute]], after his sister Christina's future brother-in-law Michael Williams became gravely ill with cancer.<ref>Hunter, pp. 95–102.</ref><ref>Swanton, pp. 42–49.</ref>