Swimmer Ian Thorpe left yesterday for his new training base in Abu Dhabi refusing to reveal the identity of the new coach he hopes will take him through to next year’s London Olympics.

Thorpe, 28, who announced his return to the sport three weeks ago, said he was on track to resume competition on November 2, when he will have been on the international drug-testing register for the required nine months.

While the five-time Olympic champion said Abu Dhabi would be his main training base, he said he would also be heading to Europe by the end of next month.

“I’m really happy with how I’ve been performing over the last three weeks since I made the announcement,” Thorpe told reporters at Sydney Airport.

“Things are progressing well and I’ve just really wanted to get on the plane and really be able to start.

“This kind of feels like this is the next part of it.”

Australian head coach Leigh Nugent will join Thorpe in the Middle East next week, but Australia’s greatest Olympian would not reveal to reporters who he has chosen as a long-term option.

“I have a coach,” Thorpe said. “You can guess as much as you want.

“Look it’s not a secret ... it will be public knowledge as soon as I start training. It’s no big deal.

“At the moment, the people that I’m bringing in, I want to be able to train with them and pretty much be by myself and to be left alone during that training process.

“And until everything pans out as planned, I won’t be letting you know. But it’s exciting, I’m happy with who I’m training with.”

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