Over three scorching days at Australian Olympic trials in Sydney 26 years ago this week, Ian Thorpe dropped three World records on his way to a sensational Olympic debut at a home Games in the same pool later that year 2000.

Today, May 13, the 400m freestyle fell to the teenager in 3:41.33. That took half a second off his own standard and marked the second of his five pioneering marks over eight long-course lengths.

Until 2025, Thorpe's last of the five, a 3:40.08 set at 2002 Commonwealths in Manchester, remained the fastest ever by a swimmer in a textile suit. Lukas Märtens became the first man ever inside 3:40 last year when he broke fellow German Paul Biedermann's 3:40.06 global mark set in shiny suit in 2009:

Märtens Takes Down Shiny Biedermann & Textile Thorpe With Game-Changing 3:39.96 WR In Stockholm 400 Free

What it took for Lukas Märtens to break Paul Biedermann’s Word record: at 51.90 he matched Mark Spitz’s first 100m free World record in 1970; at 1:47.55, he matched the third of Michael The Albatross Gross’ 200m free World records, from 1984

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

The day after his 3:41.33, Thorpe was back in the pioneering fray with a 1:45.69 in his semi-final of the 200m freestyle. The next day, he took the win in 1:45.51. The third and fourth of his six 200m free World 200m records were in the bag. He would take silver in that event at Sydney 2000, the Eindhoven Express Pieter Van Den Hoogenband the champion for The Netherlands in 1:45.35, a match of the World record he set in his semi.

Thorpe would not leave the argument there. Indeed, he would never lose a 200m race again in his career, taking the 2001 and 2003 World titles and the 2002 Commonwealth crown - the Fukuoka 2001 crown claimed in a World record of 1:044.06 (his sixth and last standard in the event) - on his way to gold ahead of the Dutchman at Athens 2004.

That 1:44.06 stood as the global standard until March 2007, when Michael Phelps, third behind Thorpe and VD Hoogenband in the Athens 2004 final, took the World title for the USA in Melbourne in 1:43.86.

Just as those three days at trials this week 26 years ago had been electric, so too were the opening acts of Ian Thorpe's Olympic debut. Here's how it all panned out:

Trials:

Thorpe’s Dolphin Thunder From Down Under 25 Years Ago This Week: 3 Days, 3 World Records

A quarter of a century ago this week, Ian Thorpe was busy setting a World record a day for three days at Olympic Trials. Plus, our memory of Act 1, Scene 1 at Sydney 2000; and our celebration of his career when he retired in 2006

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Sydney 2000

Sydney 2000, Act One, Scene One: Ian Thorpe Heralds Olympic Arrival With Two WR Golds

It’s a quarter of a century since Ian Thorpe thundered to two golds on day 1 at his debut Olympics, and this happened: Klim v Ervin: 48.18 to 48.89; Fydler v Walker, 48.48 to 48.31; Callus v Lezak, 48.71 to 48.42; Thorpe Vs Hall Jr., 48.30 to 48.24 - Dolphin gold and 3:13.67 WR

State Of Swimming +Craig Lord

Timeline - May 10-15 World Records throughout history

The Timeline in full, day by day throughout the year: