Ian Thorpe is keeping his ladylove's identity under wraps!

Melbourne, July 14 (ANI): Former Olympian swimmer Ian Thorpe is ready to admit that he's fallen in love. However, he's not ready to tell the world who the woman of his dreams is.

The only thing that the privacy-loving Thorpe will reveal is that the person is not an Australian.

"There is (someone special in my life), but they don't live in this country," News.com.au quoted Thorpe as having told The Sunday Telegraph.

Thorpe, who is preparing to travel to the Beijing Olympics to honour sponsorship commitments, described the relationship as a "newbie" and said it was going well.

The former Olympic gold medallist had been linked to a bevy of women, and in 2006, gossip had him dating television sports presenter Lee Furlong.

And at the Athens Olympics in 2004, the Australian swimming star was rumoured to be in a relationship with American swimming star Amanda Beard.

The 25-year-old's sexuality has also been the subject of speculation with persistent claims the gold-medallist is gay.

However, Thorpe has denied this, saying that the subject was nobody's business.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph last year, Thorpe said he didn't care about such rumours.

"I don't ignore it, I just don't care about it," he said.

"I can argue until I'm black and blue about it, but I don't see the point of arguing with someone when they have already made up their mind and whatever I say won't matter," he added. (ANI)