• London 2012

Pessimism surrounds Thorpe's Olympic qualification bid

Ian Thorpe has struggled to keep up with the pace since returning © Getty Images

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• Profile: Ian Thorpe

Ian Thorpe faces an uphill battle to secure an individual spot at London 2012 when he competes in the Australian trials in Adelaide this weekend.

Thorpe needs to finish in the top two of either the 200m or 100m freestyle to claim a spot in one or both of the events at the forthcoming Olympics, and inside the top six if he hopes to be considered for the relay squads over either distance.

The Australian's times since returning to the sport have given little indication he could be set to achieve such a requirement, despite putting in the hard yards in the pool in order to try and reclaim his former speed.

"It's been bloody frustrating that I've trained the house down. I thought it would translate into good racing and results," said Thorpe. "It hasn't happened and that has tested my mental strength and my patience. I truly believe my hard work deserved better. I'm hoping my racing mojo returns for Adelaide."

Australia head coach Leigh Nugent - who has had to defend Swimming Australia's decision to offer financial support to Thorpe during his comeback - believes the 28-year-old should not be written off just yet, although he acknowledges the task facing him is difficult.

"I think with someone like Ian, the history he's got and knowing his competitive capabilities, you could never write him out of the equation," said Nugent. "I've been around a long time and I've had a lot to do with Ian and with swimming at this level for almost two-and-a-half decades and with him, you've got to expect for him to pull something out of the bag. He just has that sort of ability."

Thorpe's rivals are not as confident, however. James Magnussen - the reigning world champion over 100m, with a personal best far quicker than Thorpe's - thinks the five-time gold medallist will have done well if he qualifies for relay duty come the end of the meeting.

"I think he'll be up against it," said the 20-year-old. "It's a strong field and, from his perspective, if I was here making a comeback as he is I would think making the 100 freestyle final is a big achievement.

"It's been great for the sport as it's been able to push the rest of us along, make us fight for those extra positions. I think he'll have achieved something, if not for himself, then the sport, if he can reach that final.

"I think I see it more as, if he is in the final, if he makes the relay, it's a little bit of a surprise but it's also a massive bonus to have someone with that experience and a calm head of a team."

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