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D'Arcy faces ban over brawl
31/03/2008 09:30 - (SA)
Sydney - Australian swimmer Nick D'Arcy is facing expulsion from the Olympic team following a bar-room brawl that left former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Simon Cowley with serious facial injuries.
Cowley was rushed to a Sydney hospital by ambulance after
the incident and was due to undergo surgery on Monday to have
metal plates inserted into his face.
Cowley's father Peter told Sydney's Daily Telegraph that his son had suffered a broken jaw, a broken nose, a fractured eye socket, a crushed cheekbone and a fractured pallet.
"There is a lot of damage," he told the newspaper. "The doctors were amazed what one punch could do."
Police are investigating the alleged incident, which
occurred at a Sydney nightclub in the early hours of Sunday
morning where some of the country's top swimmers were
celebrating after the national Olympic trials.
Swimming Australia said it was carrying out an
investigation and the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) was
considering whether to charge D'Arcy with bringing the sport
into disrepute.
Internal investigation
"Swimming Australia is aware that swimmer Nick D'Arcy was involved in an incident in a Sydney nightclub early on Sunday
morning that is now the subject of a NSW Police investigation," Swimming Australia said a statement.
"Swimming Australia has begun its own internal
investigation into the matter and will be assisting the NSW
Police to gather further information.
"Swimming Australia will consider disciplinary action upon completion of the police investigation and its own internal
inquiries."
D'Arcy, 20, had qualified for his first Olympics in the 100m and 200m butterfly and was due to fly to Britain to
compete in next month's short-course world championships in
Manchester.
But the Brisbane university student immediately announced
he was withdrawing from the short-course team.
Australia's head swimming coach Alan Thompson said the
decision on whether he would compete at Beijing would be made
by the AOC.
"I probably haven't resolved in my own mind what I would suggest there," Thompson told reporters on Monday. "But that'll be a little bit further down the track I think."
Nightclub fights
The incident has received huge media coverage in Australia
after eight world records were set during last week's national trials, raising expectations of a golden haul in Beijing.
While nightclub fights are commonplace in Australian
football and rugby teams, they are rare in swimming.
"I think we take a lot of pride in the behaviour of our
athletes and I don't think that one incident will take away
from that," Thompson said.
"Certainly I'm disappointed after such a great week, we were on a very big high, and it's disappointing that an
incident such as this occurs."
Australian team captain Grant Hackett, speaking on
breakfast television on Monday, said the incident was out of
character.
"Certainly there's nothing wrong going out with a few mates and having a couple of drinks and letting your hair down,
unfortunately incidents do happen sometimes in these contexts,
and you have to be very careful of that," he said.
"The great thing about our sport is that this stuff doesn't normally happen. This is very much a one-off incident, it's unfortunate."
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