Ian Thorpe’s name will forever be etched in Australian history as one of our greatest sporting legends.
Tied with Emma McKeon for the most Olympic medals won by any Australian, Thorpe has become one of the country’s most beloved sporting stars, but away from the world of competitive swimming, fans of the 41-year-old have also grown increasingly invested in the Olympian’s life away from the pool – especially as he gears up to compete on the 2024 season of The Amazing Race Australia: Celebrity Edition.
Is Ian Thorpe married?
As of July 2024, Ian Thorpe is believed to be single.
Previously stating that he was not in any hurry to tie the knot, Thorpe became a prominent voice in the Yes vote campaign for the 2017 Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey, appearing in a campaign advertisement alongside his late partner, Ryan Channing.
Who is Ian Thorpe’s partner?
Ian Thorpe was most recently in a relationship with Australian model and entrepreneur Ryan Channing.
While the exact timeline of their romance is unknown, it is believed that the couple first started seeing one another in 2015. News of their romance quickly gathered media attention, with the couple’s relationship being Thorpe’s first public same-sex partnership since he confirmed his sexuality during an appearance on UK talk show host Michael Parkinson’s programme in 2014.
Keeping the details of their relationship largely out of the public eye, the couple later spoke openly about their desire to start a family, with Thorpe and Channing looking at options to welcome their first child via surrogate in the United States.
“We’re talking about it and have for a while, but it’s still early days. We decided to visit the clinic in L.A.. It’s all part of the plan at this stage,” Thorpe told the Daily Mail in 2019.
“Unfortunately, the laws in Australia are difficult for same-sex males in regards to surrogacy. California state law has really progressed in this space, which makes it the best option legally,” added Channing.
Months after announcing their plans to start a family, Thorpe and Channing confirmed to The Daily Telegraph that they had parted ways, with Channing telling the publication, “Yes, the rumours are true, we have parted ways. It has all been very amicable. We have stayed friends.”
Later that year, Channing revealed that he and Thorpe were still close friends and co-parents to their dog Kaia and in June 2020, Channing announced his engagement to civil engineer Leevon Baptiste.
Tragically, Channing unexpectedly passed away in May 2022 while on a family holiday in Bali, aged 32.
“This is a relationship that I had that was a long-term relationship and I feel for Ryan’s family. I hope people are able to respect their privacy as well. I think when it is someone that is so young, it is tragic for anyone to see them passing at that kind of age,” Thorpe told The Daily Telegraph at the time.
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