Ian Thorpe fails in Beijing

Five-time Olympic goal medallist Ian Thorpe has suffered a setback as he looks to establish himself as one of the world's best swimmers once again.

The Australian finished sixth in his heat and 15th overall at the World Cup meet in China with a time of 50.21 seconds in his first freestyle race since 2004.

The 29-year-old made a return to sport in Singapore last week, but failed to make the butterfly final and finished seventh in the 100m individual medley.

Thorpe last competed in 2006 before retiring aged just 24, claiming that he lacked motivation.