Olympic swimming champ Ian Thorpe sells his Hollywood Hills retreat

Ian Thorpe, the Olympic freestyle champion known as the Thorpedo, may not have set a record for a speedy sale, but he did sell his home in the Laurel Canyon area of Hollywood Hills for its asking price of $950,000.

The hillside home, which sold in 55 days, was built in 1961 and was first owned by actor John Compton, who appeared in such films as “Mildred Pierce� and “The D.A.’s Man.� Among other former owners is celebrity publicist Elliot Mintz, whose clients have included such mega music stars as John Lennon, Diana Ross and Bob Dylan.

The rustic post-and-beam hideaway has 960 square feet of living space — it could easily fit in an Olympic-size swimming pool. An updated kitchen with white subway tile, an open living room, a wood-paneled office, two bedrooms and two bathrooms are within the tidy space. Walls of glass look out onto an arch-topped balcony and the canyon below.

A large deck has a trellis-topped dining area and a wet bar. There’s another deck reached by a wooden staircase.

Thorpe, 34, bought the house a decade ago for $879,000, records show. One of Australia’s most decorated athletes, he won a combined five gold medals at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games.

Denise Hamilton of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage was the listing agent. Eileen Walsh of Keller Williams Larchmont represented the buyer.

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Twitter: @LATHotProperty

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