Thorpe admits depression in book

SYDNEY — Five-time Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe says he's spent much of his life battling "crippling depression," occasionally considered suicide and often turned to heavy alcohol consumption to manage his moods.

In an extract of Thorpe's upcoming book, "This is Me: The Autobiography," published in Australian media Saturday, he said he had never spoken openly about his mental condition to friends or family.

"Not even my family is aware that I've spent a lot of my life battling what I can only describe as a crippling depression."

Thorpe, 30, said while he did not consider himself an alcoholic, he relied on it more and more as time went on.

He retired in November 2006 after setting 13 individual world records and winning 11 world championship golds. He won the 200 and 400 free at the 2004 Athens Olympics in his last major international meet. He came out of retirement last year, but failed to qualify for the London Olympics.

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