Olympic sacking harsh

April 19, 2008, 1:57pm,  206 views

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates emailed swimmer Nick D’Arcy to tell him he was off the 2008 Olympic team.

D’Arcy has been charged with recklessly causing grievous bodily harm to former Australian swimmer Simon Cowley in an incident in the early hours of March 30.

Cowley, who won three gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games, was left with severe facial injuries after the incident.

The 27-year-old required extensive surgery to repair a broken jaw, broken nose, fractured eye socket, crushed cheekbone and fractured palate.

D’Arcy will answer for those charges in court, but I don’t agree with sacking him from the Olympic team.

The kid has trained for this moment most of his life. He hasn’t been convicted yet, and even if he is, it’s not as though he’s been appointed Ambassador to China. He’s a swimmer, not a diplomat.

A bit of biffo after a night on the turps shouldn’t cost someone their livelihood. His reputation has suffered, that’s enough.

And what about the communication; an email? Surely he deserved a phone call.