Gould understands Thorpe's hell

SYDNEY, Nov 21 (Reuters) If anyone can understand the demons that tortured Ian Thorpe before his decision to retire from competitive swimming it is Shane Gould.

Gould and Thorpe have a lot in common -- the Australians both burst onto the world stage as teenagers, their careers burning incandescently before seemingly premature retirements.

''It is a difficult thing ... I had to make the same decision and it's hell,'' Gould told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio hours after Thorpe announced he had quit the pool.

Gould once held all women's freestyle world records from 100 to 1,500 metres. At just 15 years old she won three gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

But the shy teenager was overwhelmed by her high profile and quit at 16 to take refuge in God, surfing and an alternative lifestyle.

There are many parallels with Thorpe's career. Thorpe was 15 when he became the youngest men's world champion in swimming history by winning the 400 freestyle final at the 1998 worlds.

His career lasted longer than Gould's and he amassed 11 world titles, five Olympic gold medals and 13 individual world records.

But his retirement at age 24 will rob the world championships next March of its biggest star and will disappoint many of his fans around the world who had looked forward to seeing him swim at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

MORE TO LIFE Gould backed Thorpe's decision, saying he had realised there was more to life than just swimming.

''There comes a point when you're on the precipice and you have to say go back or jump into the unknown,'' she said.

''He's really saying ... I achieved all that I wanted to achieve and I felt that there was more in life to experience and do,'' Gould said.

''He could probably swim faster and I probably could have swum faster and won more medals but look, swimming's just swimming, there's a whole life out there.'' Now the mother of four adult children, Gould said she had no regrets about her decision to leave the sport so early and doubted Thorpe would either.

Gould had a special insight into Thorpe's thinking over the last few months because he had been training in Los Angeles with her current partner, Milt Nelms, and knew he had missed recent sessions as he pondered his future.

She understood that Thorpe's many fans would be disappointed but said he had given it his best for 10 years.

''We're all going to be a bit disappointed, a bit flat because we really haven't seen the very best of Ian Thorpe,'' Gould said, adding it was impossible to say how long Thorpe could have kept winning.

''That's like asking what the price of gold is going to be in five years' time,'' Gould said.

REUTERS SAM RAI1206