One of the major questions that has dominated my mind since viewing Ian Thorpe’s interview with Michael Parkinson is ‘how much has the weight of Ian’s emotional burden impacted his life and sporting career?’

I believe this was the major factor that led Ian to wrap up his career in his mid-twenties.

The heights he scaled throughout his career were unprecedented but there could have been a whole lot more to the CV of Ian Thorpe.

Before I go further, let me say how supportive I am of Ian’s decision, but based on the media reviews and constant speculation, it wasn’t a surprise to many. It would’ve been unbearable to think of the emotional burden Ian has carried over the years and I applaud him for his courage.

Our greatest Olympian and most decorated Australian athlete, and he was only 21 when he competed at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

I think the expectation of the public and media every time he competed, coupled with the lack of insight into dealing with his depression, and not feeling comfortable enough to open up about his sexuality, created too much of a high pressured environment.

Ian never said he disliked swimming – it was always the outside factors that contributed to his early retirement.

One of the other areas I picked up on in Ian’s interview was that he values honesty and integrity above all else but given the constant question around his sexuality and fervent denial he was gay, this internal struggle would’ve become very destabilising for an individual, as you’re consistently conflicting with your own personal value set.

On one hand you want to be open and honest because it’s a big part of your character and yet you feel compelled to lie, in order to “protect” yourself and others around you.

It’s a situation very few people can appreciate due to the enormously high profile Ian has had from a particularly young age.

He’s spent much of his career deflecting the rumours about his sexuality, and he stated in his biography that he wasn’t gay. Really at the end of day, this is not my business nor anybody else’s however, the pressure that is placed upon high profile individuals and their sexual orientation seems outrageous.

Now unshackled by the truth I hope he can reflect with great glory and distinction on the outstanding role he’s played in Australian sport, and the accolades he has amassed.

On a separate note, Eamon Sullivan made an unassuming and quiet retirement yesterday. Eamon was always one of the most likable characters on the Australian Swim Team and is one of the greatest sprinters to ever represent Australia.

I look forward to giving more insights in my Sportsbet.com.au blogs throughout the Glasgow Commonwealth Games – our swim team is set for a massive haul of gold, but I also have a few more opinions I think you’ll be interested in so stay tuned for those!