Ian Thorpe inadvertently involved in bizarre police bust

news.com.au

8 Apr, 2018 12:13 AM2 mins to read

Former Australian Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe. Photo / Richard Robinson.

Swimming legends Ian Thorpe and Giaan Rooney were reportedly unintentional passengers in a stolen car seized by Gold Coast police on Saturday.

The swimming greats were reportedly forced to walk to the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre after their chauffeur service car was seized by Gold Coast police.

In a bizarre segment late in Channel 7's live Commonwealth Games coverage on Saturday night, sports presenter Mel McLaughlin was encouraged to reveal the story by popular presenter Tom Williams.

McLaughlin claimed Seven stars, including Bruce McAvaney, have been transported around the Gold Coast this week by hire car drivers.

It just happens that the hire care transporting Thorpe and Rooney on Saturday was reportedly identified by Gold Coast police as a stolen vehicle.

McLaughlin said the swimming legends then had to walk from where police located the reportedly stolen vehicle to their Commonwealth Games commitments.

"Everyone loves a little bit of an insider story, a little bit of behind the scenes of what happens in TV," Williams said to McLaughlin.

"On the way to work tonight, you told me a great story. Do you want to tell everybody?"

She responded: "No. I will check with legal and maybe we will discuss."

After being cheekily told by Williams that she had the green light from the legal department to tell the story, McLaughlin joked it might be the biggest story to happen during the Games on day three.

"Here is what happened," she said.

"We are very conservative and we like to do the right thing at Channel 7. Three of our great commentators in Bruce McAvaney, Giaan Rooney and Ian Thorpe, the legendary Ian Thorpe, have been driven around the Commonwealth Games obviously in hire cars which take them around, no problem.