Former Australian superstar Michael Klim is ready to follow in the footsteps of his Aussie countrymates, Ian Thorpe and Libby Trickett, when he makes his return to competition this weekend.
The 34-year old Klim retired from competition four years ago after shoulder injuries became too much to push through. Now, back into heavy training, he is reporting no lingering effects of his former tribulations, even to the extent that he is exploring training for the 100 fly at next March’s Olympic Trials as well.
He was slated to dive back in last weekend, but changed his mind after a minor neck strain was exacerbated during a flight back from high-altitude training camp in Spain. It is not expected to be a serious long-term issue, but as athletes age it is often wiser not to challenge even minor muscular tweaks. Instead, he will return at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatics Centre on Friday. There, he will swim a 100-meter time trial (in a 200 meter race), as well as an individual 50.
His coach Rohan Taylor has been quoted in Australian media as saying that Klim has been 51 seconds in training, so he is shooting for something in the 50-point range in his 100 in his first meet back. If he were able to accomplish that, then he would prove well ahead of where Thorpe was in short course in the World Cup series – though, in fairness, Klim was always a sprinter and was out of competition for a shorter period than Thorpe.
Don’t overlook Klim as another huge piece of competition for Thorpe, though he has not received the same media attention. If Taylor’s boasts are accurate, then he’s one more hurdle in the path of an Ian Thorpe comeback – and even more importantly, he will put even more pressure on the great Thorpedo to strain in early rounds of competition to even make the final to compete for a relay spot.