Swimmer D'Arcy axed from Olympic team
April 18, 2008 - 3:13PM
Source: ABC

Queensland swimmer Nick D'Arcy has been axed from the Australian swimming team for the Beijing Olympics.

D'Arcy was charged with assault and assault occasioning grievous bodily harm after an alleged fight with former swimmer Simon Cowley after the Olympic trials in Sydney last month.

The president of the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC), John Coates, announced the decision in Sydney this morning.

He said the AOC made the decision to drop him from the team after ruling that his presence in Beijing would bring the team into disrepute and censure.

"I was required to consider Nicholas D'Arcy's conduct in a number of respects given widespread media coverage of incidents in which he was reportedly involved," Mr Coates told a press conference.

"It is clear that being charged with criminal offences of such a serious nature is sufficient to bring Nicholas and the sport of swimming into disrepute and is likely to bring the team and the AOC into disrepute if he continues to be a member of the team."

The 20-year-old D'Arcy, from Queensland's Sunshine Coast, had qualified to swim the 100 and 200 metres butterfly in the Olympics.

D'Arcy is expected to appear in a Sydney court on Monday.

"I express no view about the outcome of those proceedings except to note that Nicholas is entitled to the presumption of innocence and the charges must be proved beyond reasonable doubt," Mr Coates said.

Mr Coates says D'Arcy will have the right to appeal the decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

"It goes without saying that the reputation of the sport of swimming, the Olympic Team and the Australian Olympic Committee is of the highest level in this country and must remain so," Mr Coates added.

"Membership of the team is a privilege to enjoy and the standards expected of our athletes is extremely high because of the public reputation which has been established and maintained by our Olympians over many years."

D'Arcy's coach Brian Stehr says the AOC's decision means D'Arcy's career is over.

"I doubt that he'll swim again, this will be the end of his swimming career," Stehr said.

"Basically for him it's a life sentence if you consider that perhaps your one opportunity to swim in the Olympics has been taken away from you."

"I think it's unfair. I think it amounts to a penalty that basically affects him for the rest of his life and that's not fair, doesn't give him an opportunity to move forward from this and show his true character."