World Swim News Round-Up: Petria’s Back!
SYDNEY, September 19. PETRIA Thomas, Australian Olympic and world champion, announced today she is rehabbing successfully and will return to competition at the Qantas Skins meet in Sydney in November. The 28 year-old flyer said she will also compete at the FINA World Cup meets in Sydney and Melbourne.
In other news from Down Under, Italy's Massi Rosolino, a gold, silver and bronze medalist at the 2000 Sydney Games is returning to Melbourne to train with world champions Matt Welsh and Michael Klim under coach Ian Pope.
"I go to train in Australia to beat Phelps in Athens," said Rosolino, whose mother is Australian. "His (200 IM) record is unapproachable, but it doesn't mean he's invincible. Thorpe too. They are strong opponents but I still can make improvements."
Meanwhile, back in Europe, FINA President Mustapha Larfaoui waxed enthusiastic over the improvements made at the swimming complex for the 2004 Games in Athens. After visiting the site on Wednesday, he described the aquatic complex as "magnificent."
In Lausanne, Brazilian swimmer Laura Azevedo's appeal of her two-year ban for testing positive for steroids at the Trofeu Brasil was rejected by a FINA panel.