Aussie Olympian Ian Thorpe made our nation proud with his iconic win at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000.
But it turns out he had more than just a nation of supporters – he had some celebrity fans too.
Thorpe dropped the tidbit as he was commentating for Nine’s coverage of the Olympic Games Paris 2024, commenting on the swimming section.
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After Thorpe spotted Cruise in the crowd, his co-host, commentator Mat Thompson jokingly asked, “Meeting up for dinner with him later?”
Thorpe then casually mentioned, “He called me after I won at the Sydney Olympics and Nicole Kidman did… It was really bizarre.”
Thorpe was the most successful athlete at the Sydney Olympic Games, where he won three gold medals for 400-metre freestyle, 4 × 200-metre freestyle relay, and 4 × 100-metre freestyle relay, and one silver medal for the 200-metre freestyle. He made Australian history at the time for being the country’s most decorated athlete.
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Thompson continued to joke, “The answer is maybe.”
Thorpe mentioned that times have changed with social media, with athletes and celebrities much more accessible to each other.
He mentioned that after the London Olympic Games, “All the athletes were freaking out that Hollywood stars and musicians were messaging them on social media.”
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So the athletes decided to put these connections to good use, creating a charity event called “Gold meets Golden”.
According to their website, Gold Meets Golden is “a star-studded event platform bringing together Hollywood entertainers, professional athletes, medal-winning Olympians, and enthusiastic partners to generate awareness and support for sports-related causes.”
Taking place at the beginning of Hollywood’s awards season, the celebrities and athletes work together to raise money for groups such as underprivileged kids in LA, Thorpe mentioned.
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The 2020 event was hosted by Nicole Kidman – who has chaired the event since its beginnings in 2013 – and was attended by the likes of Chris Hemsworth, Hugh Jackman, Kerry Washington, Chris Evans, Sofia Vergara, Jessica Chastain, Amy Adams, Nick Jonas, Matthew McConaughey, Keith Urban, and numerous more.
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