Ex-swimmer Cowley undergoes face repair
Monday Apr 7 18:55 AEST
Former swimmer Simon Cowley will have five titanium plates in his face for the rest of his life after suffering horrific injuries when he was king-hit in a Sydney bar last week.

Cowley, 27, was discharged from hospital on Monday, three days after a complex series of operations to repair his face.

He is in considerable pain and will have to be fed through a straw for at least the next few weeks.

"He's a bit of a mess at the moment," said Peter Cowley, who is helping care for his son in the family home in Sydney.

"He's had five plates inserted - two each side of his jaw and another one up near the eye socket."

Cowley has been told the plates will be there for the rest of his life.

He suffered fractures to his jaw, eye socket, hard palate, cheekbone and nose. He also had bones broken above the bridge of his nose.

"With his nose they had to straighten it all up and he's got a splint on that," Mr Cowley said.

"But he's in good spirits, which is good.

"He realises it's going to be a long process to recovery and we're just keeping our fingers crossed that everything has gone well and there's no problems," he told AAP.

"The surgeons are very happy with the result. They've been able to repair all the damage and they're reasonably confident."

Cowley suffered the injuries at a celebration following the naming of a 42-member Australian swim team for the Beijing Olympics.

Nick D'Arcy, who won his place in the team after breaking the Commonwealth 200m butterfly record, is facing charges of grievous bodily harm and assault.

Cowley's friend and former manager Rob Woodhouse said Simon had not heard from D'Arcy since the incident.

"He's had no contact," Woodhouse said.

"He's got horrific injuries and I think the last thing he's been thinking about is what happens to Nick or whether Nick's going to apologise or whatever."

Woodhouse revealed that Cowley had won a work promotion the day before the incident and is now looking forward to returning to his job in financial planning when he is well enough.

"He's a very positive kid, Simon. He's got a very positive outlook on life and I think that will stand him in good stead through all this," Woodhouse said.

Meanwhile Peter and Elaine Cowley are preparing all their son's food with a blender.

"It's quite uncomfortable for him," Mr Cowley said.

"He's someone who likes his food, too, so I think that's not helping either."

Cowley is scheduled to see his surgeon next Friday for further assessment.

If he won his spot he should be allowed to go although should be charged and serve his sentence for the crime.

I dont agree, as much as I hate to say it, letting this kid go through to the games gives entirely the wrong message to those younger coming through. Alot of the good young ones have a little too much given too them because theyre talented, kids like this one need to learn that they cant do what ever they want whether you blame it on the booze or not.
If anybody else did it there is no way the courts would let them leave the country whether to work or not.

I just think he needs to be taught a lesson, he has too severely impacted cowleys life, its not like it was a small hit by the sounds.

__________________
My Ani-mall Pet Food
76a Hogarth Road
Elizabeth South
(08) 8252 3830
myanimall@mail.com

No, he should not be allowed to go, because it is wrong what he did and so he should pay the price.

i reckon let him go, you dont usually get king hit for no reason,there must be more to it.

What about all the dumb footballers out there who stuff every 2nd week on the piss and get into shit they get away with it.

Let the kid swim.

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."

So it looks like he's not going to the olympics.

Should control his anger next time.

I think he should be suspended until the court procedings are finished. If guilty dump from team if not or extenuating circumstances back in team.

let the kid swim

bugger him...he has bashed the living daylights out of an innocent kid, causing horrific facial injuries from which the lad may never recover. I don't want him representing my country.