Thorpe coach not raising expectations on his return
(Reuters)
Updated: 2005-11-16 14:42

SYDNEY, Nov 16 (Reuters) - The coach of Olympic champion Ian Thorpe said she did not expect too much from her swimmer when he makes a return to competition this week after more than a year out of the sport.

Thorpe will swim his first competitive event since the Athens Olympics at the World Cup short-course meeting in Sydney on November 19 and 20.

"It's just a little dip, we're just going to hop back in again and get used to the groove again and get him used to racing," Thorpe's coach Tracey Menzies said on Wednesday.

"I think because he hasn't raced for a while he needs to get back out there and see what is out there to see who he's up against and what he's up against."

While the 23-year-old Australian has taken a break from the sport after he won the 200 metres-400 metres freestyle double at Athens, Menzies said he had been back training hard since July.

"I think the belief out there is that he has just been on vacation but he's actually been in training and has been working really hard ... I'm happy with where he's at the moment.

"He is really happy in his training and happy in himself so I can't ask more than that."