Thorpe only wants to clear his name and put his size 17 feet up

Australian swimming great Ian Thorpe has undergone 'six months of hell' as he still waits for the world governing body, Fina, to fully clear him from allegations that his golden success in the pool was drug-fuelled.

'The system clearly does not work,' said Thorpe, who has been in town this week and been involved with Hong Kong's 2009 East Asian Games awareness programme.

'We need a system in place that will protect innocent athletes, which I am.'

Thorpe, a freestyle specialist, aimed his broadside at the official investigations carried out by doping authorities after a suspicious drug test result, just before his retirement in November last year. In March this year, the French newspaper L'Equipe reported that Thorpe - Australia's most successful swimmer having won five Olympic gold medals - tested positive for a banned substance in 2006.

Last month, the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority cleared Thorpe of any wrongdoing.

Thorpe is now waiting for Fina to clear his name. Fina had lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, to clarify issues surrounding the report.

'We need a system in place which will educate people that when an athlete performs well, you don't have to question that performance. It is not fair for athletes who have done the right thing. I am innocent,' Thorpe said.