I think ledecky is now his equal - but they’re both generations ahead of their peers

@@Ineddiblehulk she definitely was but Summer Macintosh is gunning for her

Popovic did 1:42.97 without these full bodysuits… also broke 100m freestyle WR. So Thorpe is not the best freestyler even. Period.

​@@jaassilthese suits are really not as great as those 2008-2009 suits. It. Don't think you'd have much benefit from these suits over modern tech suits and caps. Popovici is the first 18 and under to go faster than Thorpe in the 200, 21 years later. Swimming records are not meant to last that long. Thorpe is the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time period.

@@verward You really know about swimming history. What about Yannick Agnel, 1:43:14 in the 2012 Olympics 200m freestyle final?

Yes, it’s great to see.

1Thorpe 2Sun Yang-Popov

vd hoogenband is actually technically a better swimmer, Thorpe has much better turns and starts.

@@toivonencresto Sun Yang, drug cheat.

+joelious junk His suit was special. If you have watched interveiws with him, he cleary states that it was specially made for him. He wanted to make himself as fast as he could and he had the resources to hire the best in the world that could make him as fast as he wanted. Not saying the suit made him what he was, but that suit was just as good as the lazer if not better, and he would NOT swim as fast as he did without it, I would go as far as to say he would loose alot of titles without that specific suit:P

+Mdnia there is no way that suit was even close to the LZR! That is just crazy talk!

Oscar Oliver do some research and you'll see:P

+Mdnia Seriously? Seriously? You clearly know nothing about the suit era of swimming. Thorpe's adidas suit was nowhere near as effective as the speedo "shark-skins". And it was a LONG way behind the Blueseventy suits that led to the ban. Everyone in swimming knew that Thorpe's Adidas suit was not as efficient at the contemporary speedo suit, but Thorpe received such a huge sponsorship from Adidas that he continued to use the suit despite advice (and pressure from Swiiming Australia) to use the speedo suit (which Grant Hackett used in their 400m and 800m showdowns).

+Fuz Capp haha I never said the suit was as good as the best suits, just stating that the suit did have an effect and it is alot bigger than what everyone believed:P

well he is not, there is so much power and endurance behind his strokes as you probably already know as a professional swimmer.

Thorpie went ‘full throttle’ only in the last 50, given what happened in Sidney. I think that he’d have done 1.43.5 or better had he done a full race on his own, as he usually did in 400. Fukuoka ‘01 Thorpe is something we’ll never see again.

@@toivonencresto @random channel He even went 25.8 in the last 50 of his 800. He lost interest after this meet though and seemed to focus more on media

Thorpe is suit aided though as well no?

No. He was not ‘suit’ aided. The speedo suit that everyone else was wearing were superior to the adidas suit Thorpe wore here. And none of the suites were anywhere close to the suits of ‘08 or the super suits of ‘09. Thorpe’s suite here is textile.

We already have with Phelps and then Biederman in this event. Don't even get me started with Katie Ledecky, who is the most dominant swimmer in modern history.

Yeah no.

Thorpe: the original floater (he was the first to see the advantage) - It's a shame FINA disbanded these suits no sooner then 2010.

@@DolleDriesRoelvink this was not a floater suit..they were made of a completely different material.

@@garrywallace1007 It wasn't the 2008/2009 suit yet. But still, he had a very big advantage over his opponents.

@@garrywallace1007 Article from 18th may 2000:"The youngster, who was breaking records before the introduction of the suits but admits they help him swim faster".

@@DolleDriesRoelvink he felt they gave him an advantage, doesn't mean it did. Every other competitor had the choice to use that suit. And they didn't.

Hua-Xing Lee with drugs and cheat

@@tenzinthutop1228 Thorpe also failed a drug test, even if everyone rallied around him with excuses but considering his lame ass comeback attempt in 2012 where he was something like 9th at the Olympic trials he probably was heavily juiced in his prime.

@@ralphbourgeois5875 Thorpe never did drug he has drinking problem on other hand sunyang is complete cheat that world swimmers consider him a stain for beautifull sport of swim,while Thorpe is legend

@@tenzinthutop1228 Yes everyone who fails a drug test is innocent forever in their own views, I know the drill. Everyone has their own story and personal excuses, especialy those who get off later, Thorpe included, again I know the drill. I follow lots of sports, sorry I do not give anyone who fails a drug test the benefit of doubt. Especialy when drug tests are so easy to clear, lots of heavy dopers never use them. Plus Thorpe is an ass. He accused his so called friend Pieter Van Den Hoogenband of using drugs more than once. Even though it is obvious Thorpe is about 100 times more likely doping (especialy after the failed drug test) than VDH, and when VDH who again is supposably friends with Thorpe would never say such a slanderous thing about Thorpe and even defended him after the initial positive doping test he later was cleared off which most people wouldn't then. Then again he is a nice person and class act unlike Thorpe who is a whiny gay ass.

@@ralphbourgeois5875 i dont know how u got the idea of Ian taking the drug and failing the test,may be he was tested postive in ur jeolous imaginative lab,noboy ever can't proof all those allegations,he is officially clean athlete till now,so u better be clean ur own mind

Until Phelps and Biederman both did it better, right?

@@jaredphd5587 body suits

@@jaredphd5587 phelps' fastest was 26.12 which was outright slower even with a lzr. biedermann was only 0.10 faster than thorpe and did it with a x-glide

Paul Biedermann WR was in super suit which has been banned by FINA The best in textile is 1.43.14 of Yannick Agnel at 2012 Olympics but he now loose his form

Thorpe is no doubt the best in 400 free but the best record in 200 free belongs to Yannick Agnel (1:43.14) but he quickly lost his form

he said he was losing motivation.

@@saadrockz50 Yes...and bad advice from a psychiatrist...

See London Olympics.

Phelps wasn't even in this race so who cares STFU

Phelps wasn't even in this race so who cares STFU

Thorpe is the better freestyler, phelps is better at IM and fly

You know NOTHING

Crap..this time in 2001 is 2 seconds behind the existing world record in 2016. Your comment is crap.

Not be slow time.... After supersuit's period, only one time Yannick Agnel performed better than Thorpe's on London (1:43.14). Now the best swimmer in 200 is Sun Yang but his PB is only 1:44.47 although he has swum 1:45 sub many times.

mymentor you are still wrong about that, 4 years later. Look at 2018 Japan Pan Pacs: 1.5 seconds slower

@@hoangle2897 If Agnel was in the pool that night I still reckon Thorpe would have won. He was totally unbeatable in 2001. Shame that after this he lost interest in swimming.