Thorpe aborts European comeback to stay home

SYDNEY, May 25 (Reuters) Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has abandoned plans to return to competition in Europe next month, preferring to stay at home and train rather than compete.

The Olympic and world champion had been planning to make his comeback at Monaco on June 3 but Australia's national coach Alan Thompson said the trip had been cancelled.

''After talking it over with his coach Tracey (Menzies), Ian has decided that he will be better served staying in Sydney and training over the next couple of weeks,'' Thompson told reporters today.

''The virus that forced him out of the Commonwealth Games took him a while to recover from and then he suffered a further setback when he broke his hand.

''Ian's health and his hand are coming along well but we feel he is not quite ready to race yet and he will dedicate all his time to regaining full fitness.'' Thompson said Thorpe was now aiming to make his comeback at the Australian championships in December, which will double as the national trials for next year's world championships.

Thorpe is recognised as the greatest middle-distance swimmer of all time. He holds the world record for 200 metres and 400m freestyle and has won five Olympic gold medals and 10 world championship gold medals.

But Thorpe, whose long-term goal is the 2008 Beijing Olympics, has not raced at international level since the 2004 Athens Olympics.

He missed the 2005 world championships after deciding to take a year off then pulled out of this year's Commonwealth Games because of a mystery virus.

REUTERS AY BD1249