Ian Thorpe, the 2004 Olympic 200m and 400m freestyle champion on the comeback trail, will fly to Switzerland after only a couple of weeks training in Abu Dhabi, according to a report by AAP that seems to confirm that his Gulf mission had more to do with publicity for an airline that doing what it will take to take on Michael Phelps et al - and that his real destiny may well be former Australian Institute of Sport coach and Alex Popov mentor Gennadi Touretski.

A source told the agency that Thorpe had told those close to him that he would move next month to Switzerland, where Touretski is the head of the Swiss national training centre at Locarno. If the choice is confirmed, focus will switch to what the Russian sprint guru can do for the only man in history to own Olympic medals over 100m, 200m and 400m at the same Games (Thorpe achieved that in 2004 with two gold and a bronze in the 100m).

"Everyone's saying 'why aren't you telling us?' and I just think 'well I'm not saying it because you'll know exactly where to go to find me'," said Thorpe in Abu Dhabi. "I mean if I can get away for the next two weeks where people aren't finding me I'm up for that. Leigh (Nugent, Australia head coach) has been doing a lot of my programming and we'd discussed from virtually day one who'd be coaching me. There was a checklist of a few people and basically I'm able to train with the person on the top of that list. Everyone will know sooner rather than later, people will find out. It's quite obvious I think, I'm just not going to say it."

Nugent arrives in Abu Dhabi this week to see how Thorpe is settling in for his short Gulf camp, where he trained at the Armed Forces Officers Club pool. Australian film director Gregor Jordan, of Two Hands fame, and a film crew were also in Abu Dhabi following Thorpe for an upcoming documentary about his comeback to competitive swimming.

So far, the tale has been one of sponsorship and royalties. Thorpe is eligible to make his race comeback from early November, by which time the answer to the burning question will be more obvious: a case of Michael Jordan or Michael Schumacher?