Thorpe's preparations has already included a trip to Europe but that was in February when the 17-year-old favourite for a hoard of Olympic gold competed in three World Cup meetings, lowering his own 200 metres freestyle short-course world record in the process. Thorpe and distance freestyler Hackett were among the record breakers when eight world marks fell in Hong Kong, where the Australians won nine of the 20 men's titles. None of their individual Hong Kong champions are defending their crowns.
Pieter van den Hoogenband, who won six titles at last year's European Long-Course Championships in Istanbul, is another prominent absentee with the Dutch only sending two swimmers. Britons Hickman and Foster, who thrive in the 25-metre pools where they benefit from their prowess in the starts and turns, retained European short-course crowns last December and should prosper in Athens. Hickman defends the 200-butterfly title and Foster the 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly.
American-based Martina Moravcova of Slovakia defends a Hong Kong treble in the 200 metres freestyle and 100 and 200 metres individual medley. While Germany's Sandra Voelker hopes to break her own world 50 metres backstroke record and China can expect success from women's freestylers Yang Yu and Chen Hua and men's individual medley swimmer Xie Xufeng.
