Five-time Olympic gold medallist Ian Thorpe will swim his first international meeting in five years when he returns to the pool at the World Cup in Singapore in November, Swimming Australia said on Friday.
He decided to quit because swimming was no longer the most important thing in his life.
Ian Thorpe's decision to return to competitive swimming has added an intriguing new twist to next year's London Olympics and sets the stage for possibly one of the most anticipated races of all time.
Ian Thorpe will make his long-awaited comeback to competitive swimming at next weekend's World Cup meet in Sydney.
Ian Thorpe, Australia's most decorated Olympian, revealed he was gay in an emotional television interview on Sunday, ending years of speculation about the champion swimmer's sexuality.
The world record holder was disqualified from the event at the Australian selection trials on Saturday.
Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe has been admitted to rehab after suffering from depression, local media said on Monday.
Australian doping authorities have cleared retired swimmer Ian Thorpe of any wrongdoing after completing their investigation into an irregular test result.
Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe's latest setback in his bid to swim at this year's London Games was not as terrible as it first appeared, his coach said on Friday.
Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe flopped again in his comeback bid, failing to reach the final of the 100 metres freestyle at a World Cup meet in Tokyo on Saturday.
Ian Thorpe will skip this year's world swimming championships in an attempt to peak for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
An outpouring of grief followed the Olympic 400 metres freestyle champion's disqualification at the Olympic trials.\n\n
The Australian is no longer thinking about trying to match American Mark Spitz's record of seven Olympic golds.
Australian swimming officials have demanded an explanation about the leaking of an alleged doping investigation involving retired Olympic champion Ian Thorpe.
Hoogenband twice outpaced defending world champion Ian Thorpe to add spice to their clash in the 200 metres freestyle final.
Ian Thorpe may miss next year's world championship to stay focused on the Beijing Olympics, his coach informed.
'I have answered the question once (before) and I don't think I will ever answer it again because, quite frankly, it is noone's business to know anyone else's business,' the superstar said.
A brush with death convinced Ian Thorpe his chosen path to Olympic immortality was futile.
The Australian is bidding to become the first swimmer to win the same event at three successive world championships.
The Australian is entered in six events in Athens, the 100, 200 and 400 metres freestyle plus three relays.
Ian Thorpe could still emulate the 1972 Munich Olympics seven Gold medal haul of Mark Spitz, former Australia head swimming coach Don Talbot said.
Comeback kid Ian Thorpe has left his run too late and is unlikely to qualify for next year's London Olympics, according to the former coach of Australian swimming great Grant Hackett.
Ian Thorpe said the publication of his name in a doping report was a breach of his privacy and the basic principles of justice.
The Australian swimmer pulled out of the Commonwealth Games because of bronchitis and chest infection.
The 21-year-old Aussie won in 3:43.10 seconds, just outside his own world record and just ahead of Grant Hackett and Klete Keller.
The world and Olympic champion, who disqualified at the Australian trials, could defend his 400 metres freestyle title after his team mate Craig Stevens said he is pulling out of the event.
Pieter van den Hoogenband took silver while Michael Phelps collected the bronze.
The Aussie ace is chasing a third successive world title in the 400 metres freestyle at the World swimming championships.
The big Australian has a new coach, a new programme and a fierce new rival trying to take over his mantle as the world's best swimmer.
Thorpe scooped his third gold medal in four days to stretch his record number of world titles to 11.
Already under enormous pressure to break into Australia's Olympic swimming team as the headline act of this week's national trials, Ian Thorpe was forced to wade into controversy on Wednesday over preferential payments made to marquee swimmers.
Five-times Olympic champion Ian Thorpe kept his London ambitions firing when he reached the semi-finals of the 200 metres freestyle at the Australian trials on Friday with a solid swim that thrilled head coach Leigh Nugent.
Grant Hackett believes it would be 'mad' to write off five-times Olympic champion Ian Thorpe's bid to swim at the London Games even if his times are a cause for concern with the Australian trials just a few weeks away.
Five-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe has warned Australians not to expect too much of him too soon as he prepares to make his return to competition in Singapore this week.
Craig Stevens gave up his spot on Monday, saying he wanted to concentrate on his other events.