SWIMMING great Ian Thorpe was in rehab for clinical depression today after a mixture of painkillers and anti-depressants left him disoriented on a Sydney street, his manager said.
But James Erskine insisted no alcohol was involved, as the swimmerâs father expressed confidence his son would âcome out the other sideâ.
Erskine told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation the five-time Olympic gold medallist was now receiving treatment for depression, a condition Thorpe has struggled with for years.
âHeâd been taking prescribed drugs, painkillers for his shoulder and heâs also on prescription drugs for anti-depression… but itâs obviously a mixture of it and that mixture made him disorientated because he was wandering around at 3 oâclock in the morning,â he said.
Residents rang police after Thorpe tried to get into a car he thought belonged to a friend.
âThe police came; they were fantastic, they realised it was Ian Thorpe and they called an ambulance.â
As well as being open about his depression, Thorpe detailed a battle with alcohol in his 2012 autobiography, but Erskine said it was not a factor in yesterdayâs incident.
âThere was no alcohol involved, he hadnât been drinking or anything like that,â he said.
âThe hospital then suggested – or more than suggested, I think – that he should go into rehab for depression and thatâs whatâs happened.â
