Australian swimming champion Ian Thorpe is to spearhead Virgin Blue's Asian expansion following his decision to return from retirement and swim in the London 2012 Olympics.
Thorpe is expected to appear in marketing activity for the airline as it expands its footprint in Asia, where Thorpe has a high profile.
Virgin Blue Group of Airline chief executive and managing director John Borghetti said: "We have been supporting Ian over the past few months as he began his initial training. We were willing to support him even when he was still unsure about whether he could get back to that elite level, as we believed his focus and dedication as a world champion would see him succeed in the pool."
Thorpe announced his intention to return to the pool yesterday. "While there was a time in my life that I thought I would never swim competitively again, things have changed, and I’m very excited to once again be back in the pool."
Thorpe is also sponsored by Adidas, Westpac and Audi. His interests are handled by sports agency IMG, who signed Thorpe in September of last year.
Meanwhile, the Virgin Blue Group of Airlines is currently undergoing a restructure and rebranding. The company has recently appointed a raft of new advertising agencies from within the Clemenger Group, including Clemenger Sydney and Raydar New Zealand.
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