Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe has revealed that he wants to compete at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

The 30-year-old came out of retirement last year but failed to qualify for the London Olympics in the summer.

"A driven part of me loves elite performance and I may be able to capture that again," he told The Guardian. "I want to swim as well as I used to and if I do that it would mean winning medals again.

"If I get to a point in training where I don't think that's achievable, I'll have to rethink everything. In 2016, at the Rio Olympics, I'll be 33. It's completely feasible I could swim there.

"But I'm taking it step by step. We have trials for the 2013 world championships in April. That's my next big goal."

Thorpe won five gold and three silver medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.