The swimmer is reeling over claims about his sexuality and attacks on his physique…
Taking time out amid renewed speculation about his private life, Olympic hero Ian Thorpe last week took to the water near his Sydney home with a close friend.
Following a week that saw his only high-profile ex-girlfriend — US swimming champion Amanda Beard —emphatically deny they ever dated, Ian enjoyed the water with a buff, blond companion believed to be a long-time pal named Christian.
Shirtless and showing off a deep tan — reportedly the legacy of his second holiday in Brazil in 12 months with flatmate Daniel Mendes — the 26-year-old retired sports legend paddled away the blues as a firestorm of newspaper gossip and innuendo raged around him.
With the rigours of daily training now behind him, Ian is enjoying a more leisurely pace, sparking cruel headlines in some British newspapers about his less athletic physique.
The Daily Mail sniped that “Thorpie’s waist has noticeably expanded”, while The Sun reported he is “not exactly the Thorpedo he was”.
