Five-time Olympic freestyle champion Ian Thorpe announced his return to swimming for the 2012 London Games yesterday, saying he could “actually taste” his desire to compete.

“Ian Thorpe is very much back,” said John Borghetti of sponsor Virgin Blue, opening a joint press conference with Thorpe.

“He registered this morning with the international drug testing register and he’s planning to win lots of gold at the 2012 Olympics.”

Australia’s most decorated Olympian, Thorpe said he decided to return to the sport back in September and started training on the sly, using eight different pools to dodge suspicion and telling friends to “lie through their teeth” about his plans.

Touring the “extraordinary” Olympic swimming venue in London sealed his decision, he said.

“I could actually taste it – I haven’t felt like swimming like that for a very long time.”

He sketched out a plan for his comeback with sports psychologist Deirdre Anderson, who helped counsel him through his 2006 retirement, and was secretly trained via text message by Australia’s team coach Leigh Nugent.

Thorpe was so determined to minimise the pressure on himself he didn’t tell his family until just a few weeks ago, and Nugent supervised his training just once in the four months.

“It hasn’t been something that I have taken lightly, making a decision to return to competitive swimming,” Thorpe told reporters .

“I never thought this would happen. I never thought that I’d be swimming in a competitive way again.

“I’m very glad that I am. I’m glad I spent four years away from the pool. I needed those four years,” added Thorpe, 28.

Sporting a deep tan, the self-effacing Thorpe seemed at ease with the huge press contingent, joking that contesting another Olympics was on his list of must-dos before he turned 30, along with joining a rock band and becoming a pilot.

Five-time Olympic champion Thorpe won 11 world titles and set 13 long-course records before announcing his retirement from swimming in November 2006 after 10 years on the Australian team, saying he had lost the desire to compete.