Aussie swim star Thorpe out of hospital after battling infections

 Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe has left a Sydney hospital afterbattling serious infections for more than three weeks following shoulder surgery,his manager said Wednesday.At one point there were reports that the 31-year-old five-time Olympic gold medallistwould lose the use of his left arm, although they proved unfounded."It looks as though the infections have cleared up. It can always re-infect as it's donetwice before but we are hopeful," his manager James Erskine told AustralianAssociated Press in confirming he was out of hospital.Thorpe had broken his shoulder in a fall in Australia some months ago and Erskinesaid previously the swimmer known as "Thorpedo" would not be resuming hiscareer in the pool.He retired in 2006 after a glittering career in which he ruled the pool from 1998 to2004, taking nine Olympic medals and 11 world titles and setting 13 long courseworld records.He returned to racing in 2011 in Singapore but had a string of disappointing resultsleading up to his ultimately unsuccessful London Olympic bid the following year.Since calling it quits for a second time in 2013, Thorpe has endured several healthsetbacks.After using antidepressants and medication for a shoulder injury, the dazedswimmer was found by police early one morning in February near his parents'Sydney house disoriented and attempting to enter a parked van.His father revealed Thorpe suffered from depression and he received treatment in arehabilitation facility. Source: AFP