Ian Thorpe

Athens, 2004. Additionally, Missouri has several regional public universities in different parts of the state, the largest being Missouri State University (after heated political debate in Jefferson City, the name was changed from Southwest Missouri State University in spring 2005) having the second largest student enrollment after University of Missouri-Columbia. Sydney, 2000. The University of Missouri is Missouri's statewide public university system, having campuses in Saint Louis, Kansas City, Columbia and Rolla. He has recently bought a $2.9 million house in Caringbah, a southern suburb of Sydney. Missouri's public school system includes kindergarten to 12^th grade and requires all children between the ages of 7-16 inclusive to be enrolled in a school. The race attracted unprecedented media attention in Australia, and Thorpe's victory made him one of the most celebrated Australian athletes of all time. (see [1] (http://www.virtualtourist.com/m/6d7ce/515/) and [2] (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/slogan.asp)).

Thorpe's performances in Sydney and Athens have made him a national hero in Australia, a country which reveres sporting stars. His victory in the 200 metres at Athens pitted him against American swimming phenomenon Michael Phelps, Sydney gold medallist Pieter van den Hoogenband of the Netherlands and his fellow Australian Grant Hackett. People from Missouri have a reputation for being skeptical. Instead, his other enthusiasm appears to be fashion, as an ambassador for Armani clothing and his own range of designer jewellery. There is an idiom "being from Missouri" which relates to the state's unofficial slogan: "show me" (which even appears on their license plates). His lack of interest in (and aptitude for) other sports is well-known. Springfield is the headquarters of the Assemblies of God. He is quiet, mild-mannered, thoughtful, articulate, but extremely guarded in his statements, and he reportedly makes considerable efforts to insulate himself from the media when preparing for and during important events. Independence, outside of Kansas City, is the headquarters for the Community of Christ (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints), and the Latter Day Saints group Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Away from the pool, Thorpe in many ways defies the stereotype of Australian sportspeople. Kansas City is the headquarters for the Church of the Nazarene. After some deliberation, the second qualifier, Craig Stevens, withdrew from the event, and Thorpe accepted the offered place. Louis. Australia's Olympic selection rules allow for a qualifier to stand down, and for another swimmer to be selected in their place. A number of religious organizations have their headquearters in Missouri, including the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, which has its headquarters in Kirkwood, outside St. He was disqualified from the 400 m freestyle (his best event) after making a false start. Louis.

In late March 2004 Thorpe competed in the qualification events. Approximately 1 out of 5 Missourians are Roman Catholics; many of those live in central Missouri as well as around Kansas City and St. Thorpe's preparations for the Athens Olympics were clouded by controversy. Baptists, Methodists, and Lutherans account for most of those belonging to the Protestant faiths. He has however, been able to maintain a trademark six-beat kick to power away to victory in the closing stages of races, attributed to his unnaturally large feet. Two-thirds of Missourians are Protestants. At 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in) and 105 kg (231 lb), he is very large for a swimmer and many thought that as he matured and continued to grow he would be unable to maintain his performance as a teenager. The religious affiliaitions of the people of Missouri are:.

Thorpe's success is based on a strong work ethic, attention to detail, flawless technique, mental strength, and a physiology suited to swimming. There were 11.7% (637,891) Missourians living below the poverty line in 1999. In total, he has broken world records (either individually or as part of a relay team) 22 times. The median household money income for 1999 was $37,934 with the 1999 Per Capita Money Income of $19,936. Thorpe has also pushed Australian relay teams to unprecedented success, anchoring the winning 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle relay teams in Sydney, the first time the United States had ever been beaten in the events. There were 2,194,594 househoulds with 2.48 people per household. He has been nicknamed "Thorpedo" by the Australian press for his swimming prowess. The homeownership rate in 2000 was 70.3% with the mean value of the owner occupied dwelling being $89,900.

His dominance has broadened to include the 200 and 400 metre freestyle (at which he holds the world record), and he is one of the fastest 100 metre freestylers in the world. The mean commute time to work was 23.8 minutes. Since 1998 Thorpe has completely dominated the 400 metre freestyle event, winning the event at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, the 2001 Fukuoka World Championships (at which he won a total of six gold medals), and again in Athens. 81.3% were high school graduates (higher than the national average) while 21.6% had a bachelor's degree or higher. He also excelled in the 200 metre freestyle and the 200 metre butterfly. The 1997 birth and death rates were:. He came second to another Australian teenager, Grant Hackett, in the 400 metre freestyle, beginning a rivalry which has continued ever since. 2.7% of Missourians are foreign-born, and 5.1% speak a language other than English at home.

Thorpe made his first impact in 1997, when he was selected at 14 for the Australian team at the Pan Pacific competition in Fukuoka, Japan. Females made up approximately 51.4% of the population. Instead, he followed his sister, Christina, into competitive swimming. 6.6% of its population were reported as under 5, 25.5% under 18, and 13.5% were 65 or older. Although Thorpe's father, Ken, excelled as a cricketer, Ian did not have the same ability. The five largest ancestry groups in Missouri are: German (23.5%), Irish (12.7%), American (10.5%), English (9.5%), French (3.5%). Thorpe was born in Milperra, in the western suburbs of Sydney, and was educated at East Hills High School. The racial makeup of the state is:.

Ian James Thorpe (born October 13, 1982), Australian swimmer, is regarded as one of the greatest middle-distance swimmers of all time after winning the 200 and 400 metre freestyle races at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. He has won five Olympic gold medals, more than any other Australian. Major cities include Saint Louis and Kansas City. Bronze : Men's 100 freestyle (48.56). As of 2003, the population of Missouri was 5,704,484. Silver : Men's 4 x 200 m freestyle relay (7:07.46). Tourism, services and wholesale/retail trade follow manufacturing in importance. Gold : 200 metre freestyle (1:44.71) - Olympic Record. Missouri produces the most lead of all of the states in the Union with most of these mines in the central eastern portion of the state. Missouri also ranks first or near first among the production of lime.

Gold : 400 metre freestyle (3:43.10). Other minerals mined are lead, coal, portland cement and crushed stone. Silver : 4 x 100 metre medley relay (3:35.27). Missouri has vast quantities of limestone. Gold : 4 x 200 metre freestyle relay (7:7.05). As of 2001, there were 108,000 farms, the second largest number in any state after Texas. Gold : 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay (3:13.67). Missouri is ranked 6th in the nation for the production of hogs and 7th for cattle.

Gold : 400 metre freestyle (3:40.59). The agriculture products of the state are beef, soybeans, pork, dairy products, hay, corn, poultry, and eggs. Silver : 200 metre freestyle (1:45.83). Major industries include aerospace, transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, printing/publishing, electrical equipment, light manufacturing. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (http://www.bea.gov/) estimates that Missouri's total state product in 2003 was $195 billion. Per capital personal income in 2003 was $29,464, 27^th in the nation. For example, Mark Twain, who grew up in Hannibal, Missouri, in Life on the Mississippi described his upbringing as in "the South".

Although now generally considered part of the Midwest, Missouri was once thought of as Southern. The Bootheel area was the focus of the great New Madrid Earthquake of 1811 - 1812. It is here that one finds cotton and rice production. It is also the most fertile.

This region is the lowest, flattest and wettest part of the state. The southeastern part of the state is home to the Bootheel, part of the Mississippi Alluvial Plain or Mississippi embayment. Francois Mountains. Southern Missouri is the home of the Ozark mountains, a dissected plateau surrounding the Precambrian igneous St.

Springfield, Missouri in southwestern Missouri lies on the Ozark plateau. Oklahoma. E. Kansas, and N.

E. The Ozark plateau begins south of the river and extends into Arkansas, S. Here, gentle rolling hills remain behind from a glacier that once had extended from the north to the Missouri River. North of the Missouri River lie the northern plains that stretch into Iowa, Nebraska and Kansas.

Missouri is bounded on the north by Iowa; on the east, across the Mississippi River, by Illinois, Kentucky, and Tennessee; on the south by Arkansas; and on the west by Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska (the latter two across the Missouri River.). Main Article: Geography of Missouri
. The executive branch is headed by the Governor. Superior and inferior courts are also provided.

The Judicial department consists of a supreme court consisting of 7 judges. The Senate consists of 34 members from districts divided such that the population of each district is approximately equal. The House of Representatives has 163 members that are apportioned based on the last decennial census. These bodies comprise the General Assembly of the State of Missouri.

The legislative branch consists of two bodies, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The current constitution of Missouri, the fourth constitution for the state, was adopted in 1945 and provides for three branches of government, the legislative, judicial and executive branches. House of Representatives. Missouri has nine seats in the U.S.

Talent (Republican). "Kit" Bond (Republican) and James M. senators are Christopher S. Missouri's two U.S.

The capital of Missouri is Jefferson City and the current governor of the state is Matt Blunt (Republican). Main Article: Law and Government of Missouri
See: List of Missouri Governors. Missouri was the starting point for the Lewis and Clark Expedition. During the Civil War, Missouri, a slave state, was split with portions adhering to the Union, and others seceding with the southern states.

It earned the nickname "Gateway to the West" because it served as a departure point for settlers heading to the west. Originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, Missouri was admitted as a state in 1821 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Main Article: History of Missouri. USS Missouri was named in honor of this state.

The Mississippi and Missouri rivers are the two large rivers which flow through this state. Post Office abbreviation for Missouri is MO and the state public university's main branch is located in Columbia. The state's nickname is the Show-Me (http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/slogan.asp) State; the U.S. Missouri, named after the Missouri Siouan Indian tribe meaning "canoe", is a Midwestern state of the United States with Jefferson City as its capital.

Springfield Cardinals (Class AA, Texas League). Baseball: