It’s just as well that Thorpie is returning to the pool for sprint events only, because Australian distance swimming has a bright new star . . . Danette the wonder cow.
Danette, a Murray Grey, survived an epic 95km swim during the January floods.
After being swept away by the torrent that raged through a small property near Lowood in the Brisbane Valley, Danette was found three days later bobbing at the mouth of the Brisbane River near Luggage Point.
For awed youngsters in the Brisbane Valley, fairytales such as The Cow That Jumped Over the Moon have been replaced by the real-life drama of The Cow That Swam Through The Monsoon.
Brisbane council workers used the tag inside Danette’s ear to identify her, but were still in a state of confusion about how she got there when they rang her owner.
Danette is a show cow who last year won a third prize at the Brisbane Exhibition; locals quip she is so tough that this year she may enter the wood chop.