SYDNEY - Five-time Olympic swimming champion Ian Thorpe has dropped a defamation case against the publisher of a French newspaper and a journalist over doping allegations because neither of the defendants responded to the claims.

Thorpe was suing the French newspaper L'Equipe, its publisher, and journalist Damien Ressiot, in an Australian court over an article published in March 2007 during the world swimming championships in Melbourne. The newspaper claimed Thorpe gave a urine sample in May 2006 that showed abnormal levels of testosterone.

Thorpe's lawyer Tony O'Reilly said Monday that despite being served with the proceedings several times, counsel for L'Equipe or Ressiot failed to appear in the New South Wales state Supreme Court.

"In these circumstances Ian has decided not to pursue the proceedings as he sees little point in obtaining a verdict in the absence of Mr. Ressiot and the publisher of L'Equipe,'' O'Reilly said in a statement.

In August 2007, the Australia Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) cleared Thorpe after investigating the claims, stating there was no evidence to support the allegation he used performance enhancing drugs. FINA, swimming's world governing body, made similar findings.

O'Reilly said Thorpe brought the legal proceedings to vindicate his reputation as a clean sportsman, and to show the damage that can be done if an athlete's privacy is not respected during routine drug testing.

"Ian remains grateful for all the support that he received from Australians and people all over the world, as well as from the swimming fraternity and athletes from a number of other sports, who have let him know that they never doubted his integrity as an athlete,'' O'Reilly said Monday.

Thorpe's manager David Flaskas said the court case had been frustrating for the former swimmer.

"It is an expensive process and at some point in time you have to make the call,'' Flaskas told Australian Associated Press. "Ian feels he has been vindicated and that it is time for him to move on and let it go. This has dragged on over two years and how long do you keep going?''

Besides his Olympic titles, Thorpe won 11 world championships and set 13 world records. He retired in November 2006. His gold medals in the 200- and 400-metre freestyle at the 2004 Athens Olympics were achieved in his last major international meet.

Thorpe, now 26, burst onto the swimming scene as a teenager and broke his individual long-course records between 1999 and 2002, becoming an international star after dominating the Sydney Olympics. He won three gold medals at the 2000 Olympic Games - all world records - and two silver medals.