Thorpe's reign under threat

Thorpe, the triple champion from Sydney, will go in six events, including three individual freestyle races, looking to equal Mark Spitz's career tally of nine golds. Huh, that ' s nothing. Phelps's bid for eight golds - including five individual titles - in a single Games wou ld see him eclipse Spitz's fabled seven at Munich in

Weirdly, Thorpe is somehow cast as worldly, venerable 'done it all, seen it all' Olympian - not bad for someone just two years older than Phelps - who can now sagely sigh that Spitz's record is beyond the 19-year-old. Phelps is portrayed as an average American teenager still so unscathed by the demands of his sport that he simply shrugs "anything is possible" and then produces performances that suggest he really believes it.

So who faces most pressure? The kid who can normally wander quite unrecognised around his home town in Baltimore, listening to gangsta rap on his earphones, but who suddenly finds himself the main focus of the world's biggest sport event?

Or a bloke who's been used to being a national icon even when his shoe size, 17, exceeded his age and who was again faintly embarrassed to be reminded of his place in Aussie hearts when silly PM John Howard underplayed his disqualification for a false start in the 400 metres freestyle final at the Olympic trials as a "national tragedy"? The likelihood is they will treat us to glorious exhibitions in their specialist events. Thorpe will dominate the 400m freestyle after getting his reprieve and Phelps is untouchable in the individual medley events that showcase his unparalleled all-round ability. Yet a battle to be the main man demands headto-head combat and, happily, their ambitions will collide in an epic 200m freestyle final.

The event possesses more spice because the supporting cast features Pieter van den Hoogenband, the Dutchman who inflicted the rarest of defeats on Thorpe at the equivalent race in Sydney, and Thorpe's compatriot Grant Hackett. It is being flagged by some as the "race of the century", since it features the four fastest swimmers in history at the distance.

For Thorpe, one suspects, it is the defining race, the one he can't afford to lose. When he dipped into Phelps's territory last year in the 200m medley at the world championships, he was soundly trounced. Now Phelps, who actually had no need to tackle this event but did so because "I love racing the very best", is stepping into Thorpe's domain and needs to be put in his place.

"I think Phelps has made a mistake by taking him on at 200m," said Duncan Armstrong, the last Australian to win this event back in 1988. For he shares a widespread feeling that after a few years when Thorpe's focus may have slightly blurred without a real challenge to drive him, he may be ready to produce another special, week-long tour de force. He may have to if he wants to halt Phelps's coronation.

Phelps said recently: "I'm happy not to be recognised. I just live my life as a normal 19-year-old kid and I guess it's only in the pool that I'm a little different."

The eerie thing is that this could have been an echo of the modest pronouncements made by a 17-year-old Australian boy before the Sydney Olympics.

Better than anyone, Thorpe should recognise the danger from an extraordinary athlete who masquerades as an ordinary boy.