MELBOURNE, April 1 (Xinhua) -- Retired Australian star swimmer Ian Thorpe said here on Sunday that he was confident evidence would prove his cleanness.

    Thorpe made a statement in front of an over full-house media to response French newspaper L'Equippe's report about his unusual doping test reading.

    The 24-year-old former Olympic champion said he was completely in shock after being contacted by a representative of Swimming Australia Saturday morning to tell him the report and FINA's action in relation to the test.

    As ASADA (Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority) had confirmed Saturday evening, Thorpe also said in his statement, "I can now confirm a test that was undertaken in May 2006 while I was in Australia returned unusual levels of testosterone and a hormone called leutenising hormone.

    "Both these substances are naturally occurring substances;

    "There are many innocent physiological and pathological reasons why a test may return unusual levels of these substances."

    Thorpe was obviously unsatisfying by saying that he could not understand how a test result that supposedly related to him was leaked to the French newspaper when he himself did not know about it.

    But the reputed superfish insisted that "I have made it clear to ASADA that I will cooperate fully with ASADA in providing it with the information that it is seeking."

    Besides, "I have complete confidence that all the medical and scientific evidence will establish that I am clean," Thorpe said.

    Thorpe admitted that he didn't sleep well last night and he believed that his reputation had been tarnished even though he would be finally proved to be clean.

    When he was asked how would he compare this issue to his whole career, the prolific ex-swimmer paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "It just put a question mark to my career. Although the case will finally finish, the question mark will always be there."

    Thorpe knew he was the hero for many children and he really hoped that after the hardest moment of his life, his good image could remain in people's mind.

    Thorpe believed he had been one of the most tested athletes in the sport and he had never cheated in competition.