Media reports down under are claiming that Craig Stevens, who took the second Australian spot for the 400m freestyle in Athens, will withdraw from that event to concentrate on his other swims. Such a move would leave a vacant place that could be filled by the Thorpedo. Under Australian Olympic Committee rules, the space could then only be filled by a swimmer already on the Olympic team, which would inevitably be Thorpe. Sources claim that Stevens wants to concentrate on the 4×200 relay and his ultimate goal of a medal in the 1500m freestyle. A formal announcement is expected soon.
More on this story at the Sydney Morning Herald