Olympic icon Ian Thorpe looks downcast after suffering a $200,000 setback

Australian sporting legend Ian Thorpe has been photographed looking down the Sydney Airport dumps shortly after receiving bad news about one of his properties.

The 42-year-old winner of five Olympic gold medals was spotted this week preparing to fly out of the city alone, dressed casually in a T-shirt, sneakers and loose-fitting trousers as he wheeled his luggage to the terminal. .

Thorpe suffered a $200,000 blow to his hip pocket earlier this month when it was revealed he has put his mansion in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs back on the market with a price tag of $3.5 million.

That is down from the $3.7 million he originally asked for the Woollahra property in the city’s east after failing to find a buyer.

The Sydney 2000 Olympic Games hero bought the stunning four-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in December 2017 for $2.75 million.

His exquisite two-storey property sits on 250 m² and features spacious rooms, an outdoor swimming pool and a breathtaking tropical garden.

Thorpe has undergone an extensive renovation and also features open plan living areas, a beautifully renovated terrace and stylish sliding doors.

It is perfect for families and entertaining, and is in a highly sought after location close to a variety of shopping centres.

The 42-year-old was one of Channel Nine’s faces at the Paris Olympics when he commented on the swim earlier this year

In 2023, rental agent Courtney Wong said the house is the “best” in the area, set back from a busy street.

“It’s completely private and secluded,” he added.

A description of the property reads: ‘For those looking for a private escape with all the comforts of a luxury home, this is everything you could have dreamed of and more.’

‘A real gem, tucked away at the quiet back of a boutique block of just six. This residence represents the perfect blend of modernity and the natural world with its contemporary architectural design in a tranquil, green environment.’

Thorpe – who starred in Channel Nine’s swimming commentary team for the Paris Olympics – went public with a devastating admission in September.

He revealed that an erratic drug test result plunged him into a depression so deep that he contemplated suicide.

When the result was revealed by a French newspaper, Thorpe obtained medical evidence that cleared his name, and sued the publication for reporting that his sample had elevated levels of testosterone and luteinizing hormone.

‘Thorpedo’ had hoped to sell his stunning mansion (pictured) in one of Sydney’s most exclusive suburbs for $3.7 million, but was forced to drop the price earlier this month

At the time, the revelation was so devastating that he did not want to leave his home, feeling that mental health issues needed to be dealt with personally, and he considered taking his own life and staging it as an accident.

‘An irregular test is not unusual. They happen. So first of all, no one should know that information,” Thorpe said.

‘An irregular test means nothing. An irregular test is discarded.’

It was one of many pressures Thorpe faced during his sporting career.

At 14, Thorpe felt he did not deserve to compete in the World Championships, wondered whether winning the same tournament at 15 was a ‘coincidence’, and at 17 felt increasing pressure to winning gold at the Sydney Olympics.

‘People assumed an outcome that hadn’t happened yet. I was in the store with my mom and people said, “We have tickets to the Olympics, we can’t wait to see you win your first gold medal,” he said.

“I couldn’t escape that part. Then it started to get more and more hyped. I was surrounded by it.”