Swimming: Pride holds Thorpe from Games 400m

Ian Thorpe

Olympic champion Ian Thorpe has no doubt he would win the 400m freestyle at the Commonwealth Games - but he still won't race in it.

Thorpe has dumped the 400m from his programme in 2006 and has already said he won't change those plans to cover an Australian shortfall in that event after Grant Hackett's injury.

Even with the prospect that Australian champion and training partner Craig Stevens could miss out on the Games team, leaving the host nation without a medal prospect, the world record holder still won't budge on his sprint plans for the sake of another gold.

"I would consider it, but I would still say no," the swimmer said.

"I have got back in the pool and prepared myself well in both the 200m and 100m, and that is what I want to be doing at the moment.

"I don't think now that I could step up my training and be able to do a 400m at a standard that I would be happy with.

"It may be fast enough to win at the Commonwealth Games, but that does not mean anything to me if I am not able to go out there and give it a proper shot.

"The answer is almost definitely no."

Thorpe's training partner Stevens faces a nervous wait to see if he will make the Games team as his 3m 50.33s winning time ranks 20th on the world scale and does not guarantee selection.

Runner-up Nick Ffrost however is almost certain to be on the blocks in March, having taken second place in the 200m behind Thorpe on Tuesday night.

Ffrost, who is coached by Thorpe's old mentor Doug Frost, has dropped huge chunks off his personal best times at this meet but is unlikely to be a medal prospect in the 400m at Melbourne.

- AAP