Australian eyebrows were raised when Ian Thorpe, their country's greatest Olympic athlete, signed up as a commentator for the BBC's Olympics swimming coverage.

But analysts of the analysts are grading the man dubbed "Thorpedo" as the biggest hit of the games so far. He's drawn rave reviews for his canny predictions of underdog winners, his enthusiasm and insight — and has been sitting on the Beeb's commentary couch from dawn to dusk so long that viewers are speculating he might be superglued to the sofa.

Thorpe's been so good as a broadcaster, critics are hunting for flaws. They complain he starts every sentence with "look" and, for a self-professed fashionista, has appeared in some ill-judged outfits, including a plasticky vest and a blue checkboard sweater. British cross-dressing comedian Julian Clary tweeted he was "very concerned about Ian Thorpe's casual wear."

— Shawn Pogatchnik — Twitter http://twitter.com/ShawnPogatchnik

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EDITOR'S NOTE — "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item.