IMG Worldwide Adds Thorpedo To Portfolio

IMG Worldwide, sports, media and entertainment company, has signed five-time Olympic gold medallist and 22-time world record breaker, Australian freestyle swimmer Ian Thorpe as a global client.
IMG will provide global representation outside of Australia, Japan and New Zealand, working closely with his existing team, Grand Slam International in these markets. IMG will also assist in the development of the Thorpedo brand and Ian Thorpe’s charitable organisation Fountain for Youth.
Ian Thorpe, known as the Thorpedo, had an outstanding professional career spanning a decade (1996 - 2006) since his international debut at the Pan Pacific Championships until illness forced him to take a break from swimming in 2006. Thorpe has won a total of nine Olympic medals including five gold (more than any other Australian) and was the first person to win six gold medals in one World Championship.  He added a further five (World Championship) medals to that score totalling 11 - the second highest number of medals awarded to any swimmer.
Regarded as Australia’s greatest Olympian, Thorpe dominated the 400m freestyle swimming event throughout his career and was voted World’s Most Outstanding Male Athlete (2001-2002) by the IAAF.  In 2002 the Foreign Press voted him the best representative of Australian culture, attitude and ideals and he was awarded the 2002 Australian Face Abroad Award. Thorpe was also voted Australian Swimmer of the Year from 1999 – 2003 and Young Australian of the Year in 2000.
Michael Pask, Senior Vice President, IMG said: “IMG is delighted to welcome Ian Thorpe to our already established portfolio of Olympic legends.  Thorpedo is widely regarded as the greatest Australian Olympian and we look forward to strategically developing his established Australasian profile across global markets.”