Ian Thorpe aims for an unprecedented third successive world title in the 400 metres freestyle on the opening day of pool action at the World swimming championships on Sunday but the idea of a historic win does not inspire him.
Thorpe has achieved an array of milestone performances since he became the youngest-ever men's world champion in winning the 400 freestyle in Perth in 1998 at the age of 15.
He retained the 400 title in Fukuoka in 2001 on the way to becoming the first swimmer to win six gold medals in a single world championships and lowered the world record for the long-course 400 for the fifth time as he swept to a further six gold medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
"Being the first athlete (to win three consecutive individual world swimming titles) isn't important to me. I don't get any satisfaction whatsoever out of those achievements," Thorpe said at the Australian team's news conference at their Barcelona hotel.
"My achievements come from the self-satisfaction I gain from knowing I put in as much as I possibly could in the race."
Thorpe won the Olympic 400 freestyle at the 2000 Games in his native Sydney by a fantastic margin of nearly three seconds and defeat in the Palau Sant Jordi indoor pool on Sunday would be a massive upset.
HACKETT CHALLENGE
Thorpe, who switched coaches last year, picked up four titles at the Australian national championships in Sydney in March -- a record sixth consecutive win in the 400, a time which disappointed him in the 200 freestyle, a shared victory with Ashley Callus in the 100 freestyle and a Commonwealth record in the 200 individual medley.
He could have a battle on his hands on Sunday with team mate Grant Hackett, who chased Thorpe home in the nationals and touched less than a second behind the master.
"I definitely think I'm in a position where I can possibly take big chunks off my time from what I've seen of my preparation," Hackett, hot favourite to complete a world treble of his own in the 1500 freestyle on the last day of the championships, said at Friday's team news conference.
"But at the same time for me on the first day it's all about blowing the cobwebs out, so I'm just going to see how my body reacts to getting up and racing that distance.
"I'm not going to put any pressure on myself. Ian has won it the last two times in a row and he's world record holder so I'm just looking forward to getting in there and giving a good run for my money. If I do a PB (personal best) I'll be really happy."
ONE-TWO GOAL
Hackett took the silver behind Thorpe at the last two world championships -- an all too familiar occurrence for the Queenslander -- but this time he said he would be worrying about all the finalists, "not just myself and Ian".
"We've seen in the past that people can be jack-in-a-box and give a surprise to the rest of us...I'll just cross my fingers it is going to be an Australian one-two -- and convincingly would be nice," Hackett said.
The chances look overwhelmingly good for the two Australians, with nobody within five seconds of their times this year.
Emiliano Brembilla took the bronze medal behind Thorpe and Hackett at the 2001 worlds, fellow Italian Massimiliano Rosolino took the silver behind Thorpe at the 2000 Olympics and American Klete Keller, the Olympic bronze medallist, should also be in the frame. But bronze looks the best they can hope for.
Thorpe will be aiming for further gold on the opening night as Australia defend their men's 4x100 freestyle relay title, while the Australian women's squad hope to match them by winning their 4x100 freestyle relay too.
In the only other final on Sunday, the women's 400 freestyle, Japan's Sachiko Yamada and China's Chen Hua lead the way this year but face a powerful challenge from Hungarian teenager Eva Risztov, last year's European silver medallist, and Germany's Hannah Stockbauer, winner of the 800 and 1500 freestyle and bronze medallist in the 400 at the 2001 worlds.
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