Ian Thorpe’s 400m Record in Crosshairs as Sam Short Eyes Glasgow Showdown

Ian Thorpe’s 3:40.08 Commonwealth Games 400m freestyle record from Manchester 2002 faces its toughest challenge yet when Sam Short lines up in Glasgow on July 25.

What’s at stake in Glasgow?

The men’s 400m freestyle final at the Commonwealth Games is shaping up as a historic showdown. Short, the 2023 world champion, will chase Thorpe’s long-held mark in a race that also features Germany’s Lukas Martens-holder of the world record at 3:39.96. The Glasgow meet opens July 24, with the 400m final the next day.

Short’s personal best sits at 3:40.67, set at Australia’s trials in Sydney. That time already has him within striking distance of Thorpe’s record, which the 42-year-old set at 19 when he became the first man under 3:40.

Why Ian Thorpe’s record matters now

Thorpe, a two-time Olympic champion, has thrown his weight behind Short’s bid. “What stood out to me was how Sam has now set himself up for a performance well under 3:40,” Thorpe said during the Australian Trials. “For me that is exciting to watch.”

Short wasn’t born when Thorpe swam 3:40.08 in 2002. Yet the 23-year-old admits he’s spent months visualizing the race with Thorpe in the next lane. “I’d be lying if I said I haven’t thought about Thorpe’s record,” Short told reporters in Darmstadt. “When I rewatch my races, the world-record line is right there. So it’s like I’m visualising him being right there.”

The rivals lining up against Short

Martens, 26, holds the world record after breaking Biedermann’s 2009 supersuit mark in Stockholm last April. His 3:39.96 makes him the favorite to take the global record-but Short’s splits at the 200m mark in Sydney (1:47.33) suggest he’s ready to push even faster.

Thorpe’s own splits from his 2002 race show how brutal this event is. He split 1:47.92 at the halfway point before closing in 52.16 to finish at 3:40.08. Short’s 1:47.33 at the same stage in Sydney already has fans wondering if he can shave more than a second off the Games record.

What happens next in Glasgow

The Australian team, including Short, is based in Darmstadt putting the final touches on preparation. The Dolphins arrive in Glasgow with momentum after a strong domestic season. Short’s coach has kept the training load light to avoid burnout ahead of the Games.

Glasgow’s Tollcross International Swimming Centre will host the 400m final on July 25. A sub-3:40 swim would rewrite Commonwealth Games history-and Short isn’t hiding his ambition. “I love watching those races from back in the day,” he said. “I kind of geek out on them, if I’m really honest.”