How a forgotten camera helped 5-time Olympic champion Ian Thorpe escape 9/11

On September 11, 2001, 18-year-old Australian swimming star Ian Thorpe narrowly avoided visiting the World Trade Center after returning to his hotel for a forgotten camera. Already a five-time Olympic champion and six-time world champion, Thorpe later described the near miss as a “very, very close call” and a moment of fate. His extraordinary swimming career continued with further Olympic and world titles before his retirement in 2006.