Australian Olympic Committee Removes Nick D’Arcy From Olympic Roster; D’Arcy’s Coach Says Swimmer’s Career Over

Updated April 18, 2008

SYDNEY, Australia, April 17. IN a statement posted by the Australian Olympic Committee today, John D. Coates, the president of the AOC announced that Nick D'Arcy has been removed from the Australian Olympic roster.

That decision, according to an article in The Advertiser, probably finished D'Arcy's career.

In the article, D'Arcy's coach Brian Stehr "told reporters outside the D'Arcy family home on Queensland's Sunshine Coast that Coates' decision had probably ended D'Arcy's swimming career.

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

Full text of The Advertiser article.

Here is the complete statement from Coates:

Nicholas D'Arcy was confirmed as a member of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team for Beijing on 29 March 2008.

In the early hours of 30 March 2008, amongst celebrations by Team members upon their selection, Nicholas was involved in an incident which resulted in facial injuries to a former Commonwealth Games Team member, Simon Cowley.

Nicholas was charged on 31 March 2008 with the criminal offences of assault occasioning grievous bodily harm and assault. The criminal proceedings are now taking their course. 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.

Notwithstanding this, 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 not limited to the above incident.

Nicholas has been given the opportunity to make any submissions and place any matters before me that he thinks may affect my decision. He has done so on a private and confidential basis including providing me with numerous references by coaches and supporters as to his high standing and reputation and which I have taken into account.

This is obviously a difficult decision to make but the question is whether his conduct has brought or is likely to bring himself, the sport of swimming, the Team and the AOC into disrepute and censure.

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.

I have decided that Nicholas's Membership of the 2008 Australian Olympic Team must be terminated and conveyed my decision to him this morning by a private and confidential letter.
Nicholas has the right to appeal my decision to 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.

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. Those standards and the achievements of our Team are matters of which Australians are justifiably proud.

I am very mindful of the criminal proceedings against Nicholas. As stated earlier, I express no view about the outcome of those proceedings and in the interests of Nicholas receiving a fair trial will not be commenting beyond this statement.

John D Coates
President
Australian Olympic Committee

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