its clear that he has anger issues and i dont think he should be a part of the team.

if he was a footballer he would be seen as a hero

June 16, 2008

NICK D'Arcy's fight to be included in the Australian Olympic team for the Beijing Games is officially over after the controversial swimmer had a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal rejected.

An Australian Olympic Committee spokesperson has confirmed that the CAS had knocked back D'Arcy's final avenue for appeal after the AOC executive board had backed an earlier decision by its president John Coates to sack him from the team.

It is the end of a drawn out saga - at least from an Olympic perspective - that started when D'Arcy allegedly assaulted former swimmer Simon Cowley in a Sydney bar incident in the early hours of March 30.

He was subsequently kicked off the team by Coates for bringing himself, his sport and the Olympic team into disrepute - but an initial appeal to CAS found that, while D'Arcy had brought himself into disrepute, in breach of the AOC guidelines, the AOC chief did not have the authority alone to remove the swimmer from the team.

It was then referred back to the AOC executive board, who concurred with Coates' view that D'Arcy should not be allowed to compete in Beijing.

D'Arcy then appealed that decision unsuccessfully in a five-hour CAS hearing in Sydney on Monday.

While his fight to be included in the Olympic team may be over, D'Arcy has another battle on his hands starting Tuesday.

He is due in court to answer a charge of recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to Cowley, an offence which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years' jail.

November 25, 2008 - 1:08PM

Australian swimmer Nick D'Arcy has pleaded guilty in a Sydney court to assaulting swimmer Simon Cowley.

The guilty plea to recklessly causing grievous bodily harm came after lengthy negotiations between the Director of Public Prosecutions and D'Arcy's defence team at Downing Centre Local Court.

D'Arcy will be sentenced in the same court in February and faces a maximum of 10 years in jail.

His coach Brian Stehr says it has been a difficult time.

"It means it's the beginning of the end of quite a stressful time for him but not just him, but also his family and all of us I guess," he said.

"We'll have to wait now until the new year to know the final outcome, but yeah, it'll be nice to have it all over with."

Stehr said D'Arcy now faces an anxious wait to find out if he faces jail time.

"I certainly hope that doesn't happen, there'd be very few people out there in on the streets who would think that Nick deserves that," he said.

"He certainly has paid already a large price for the incident and it would be nice if he could just get over that and get on with his life."

The assault on Cowley, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, occurred on March 30, just hours after D'Arcy had won a spot on Australia's Olympic swimming team for Beijing.

Cowley sustained multiple fractures to his face and needed to have five permanent titanium plates fitted.

D'Aarcy was subsequently axed for bringing his sport and team into disrepute.

D'Arcy did not attend court today and instead had solicitor Jack Leitner enter the guilty plea on his behalf.

But Mr Leitner was at pains to stress that D'Arcy was not the instigator.

"It is true that there was a physical altercation between Simon Cowley and my client, whereupon without any warning Simon Cowley slapped my client to the face," Mr Leitner said outside court.

"Cowley then attempted to introduce himself and approached my client shortly thereafter and my client, fearing another strike, responded by punching Cowley once to the face.

"Although my client acted defensively, his response to the threat of Mr Cowley was excessive in the circumstances."

D'Arcy launched his swimming comeback in October at a short course World Cup event in Sydney.

Courtesy of the Daily Telegraph

'I just hope D'Arcy can learn'

February 20, 2009 05:10pm

COMMONWEALTH Games medallist Simon Cowley has told a magistrate of the devastating effects of being assaulted by fellow swimmer Nick D'Arcy.

Mr Cowley, 28, said the physical and emotional effects had been "extremely disturbing and very profound''.

He was reading out his victim impact statement in Sydney's Downing Centre Local Court at the sentencing hearing for D'Arcy, who himself later took the stand to apologise for his actions and tell of his remorse.

D'Arcy has pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm on March 30 last year.

After the hearing, Mr Cowley said he appreciated D'Arcy's apology but declined to say he accepted it.

"I haven't really had a lot of time to process it,'' he told reporters.

"It was very difficult to stand up there and give my victim impact statement and I realise there have been things preventing Nicholas D'Arcy from giving a public apology on legal advice.

"It is good to be able to finally get some form of apology from Nicholas D'Arcy.

"I've got no doubt that he is very sorry for what he's done.

"I just hope that he can learn from this and be a better person at the outcome and hopefully he doesn't do this to anyone else and no one else has to suffer at the hands of Nick D'Arcy.''

Darcy, 21, was dumped from Australia's Olympic team for Beijing after being charged with the attack, which left Mr Cowley with numerous fractures including to his jaw and eye socket.

"Before this criminal act I was an extremely fit, confident and happy person,'' Mr Cowley early told the court.

But as a result of his injury, he underwent major operations where plates and screws were inserted in his face, and lost 12 kilograms in five weeks.

"I became aware there was serious difficulties with my bite and it became necessary to undergo orthodontic treatment,'' he said.

He now has braces, which he will have to wear for about two years, and if this treatment is not successful, he will have to undergo more surgery.

"I find it very distressing to have to wear braces at this time in my life.''

He said he had struggled to deal with the intense media exposure he attracted as a result of the assault, and now gets anxious in crowded social situations.

"Sometimes I cannot relax as I am fearful I will be attacked again,'' Mr Cowley said.

Giving evidence later, D'Arcy took the opportunity to offer a face-to-face apology.

"It may not be possible for you to forgive me now, but one day I hope it is a possibility,'' he said, looking at Mr Cowley, who had a front row seat in the court.

"I am extremely sorry. If there's anything I could do to take it back, I would.''

D'Arcy said while he had apologised to Mr Cowley before, his lawyers had advised him not to apologise personally before today's hearing.

D'Arcy also told the court he now realised he had an alcohol problem and referred to an exchange he had at the birthday party of swimmer and friend Kenrick Monk in January.

He said a security guard had told him to leave the bar, and D'Arcy had responded saying ``one hit is all it takes''.

The hearing is continuing before Magistrate John Favretto.

According to the agreed statement of facts before the court, D'Arcy had been celebrating his Australian swimming team selection early on March 30 last year when the assault occurred at The Loft bar in Darling Harbour.

Courtesy of Fox Sports

April 07, 2009

Nick D'Arcy has been kicked off Australia's swim team for the World Championships in Rome.

Australian swimming officials have released a statement confirming the decision and explaining in detail why the butterflier has been removed from the team, despite qualifying at the recent Australian championships.

"On 22 March 2009, Nicholas D'Arcy was selected as a member of the Australian swim team for the 2009 FINA world championships," said a Swimming Australia statement.

"On 24 March 2009 and as a condition of membership on the Australian swim team, Nicholas D'Arcy agreed to be bound by the Swimming Australia Limited (Swimming Australia) Team By-Laws.

"Following Nicholas D'Arcy's conviction, the Board of Swimming Australia met on 6 April 2009 and unanimously resolved that Nicholas D'Arcy's membership of the Australian swim team to compete in Rome at the 2009 FINA world championships be terminated immediately under Swimming Australia Team By-Law 17.1.

"The resolution of the Board of Swimming Australia does not affect the investigation being undertaken by the Swimming Australia Judiciary Committee as to whether Nicholas D'Arcy has breached Swimming Australia's General By-Laws.

"Swimming Australia notes that the decision to exclude Nicholas D'Arcy from the 2008 Australian Olympic Team was made by the Australian Olympic Committee and not Swimming Australia."

Australian swim officials found it would be detrimental to the team if a member with a serious criminal history competed in the event, which begins in July.

The decision has the potential to split the Australian team because D'Arcy has support from several big-names, who believe he suffered sufficient punishment by being thrown out of the Olympic Games.

D’Arcy levelled former swimmer Simon Cowley with a punch during a boozy night of celebration following Australia’s national trials last year.

A judge handed D'Arcy a 14-month suspended jail sentence last month after he pleaded guilty to recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm.

D'Arcy says he was provoked by Cowley, with the court accepting his case of self-defence.

The Queenslander had qualified for the world titles after smashing the national record for the 200m butterfly during last month’s trials.