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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 5:50 a.m., Sunday, March 30, 2008

Swim: Australia's D'Arcy in bar fight after named to Olympic team

Associated Press

SYDNEY, Australia — Swimmer Nick D'Arcy was involved in a nightclub fight hours after being named in Australia's Olympic team for Beijing, officials confirmed today.

Police were investigating an altercation which took place in Sydney's King Street wharf area around 2:30 a.m. and left Simon Cowley, a former Commonwealth Games swimmer for Australia, with facial injuries, including a suspected broken nose.

Retired swimmer Cowley was a three-time gold medalist at the 1998 Commonwealth Games.

The incident came about six hours after 20-year-old butterfly swimmer D'Arcy was officially named in the team for his first Olympics.

Swimming Australia confirmed D'Arcy was involved in an incident in a nightclub and said it had begun its own investigation and would also assist police to gather information.

It also said D'Arcy had withdrawn from Australia's team to contest the world short-course championships in Manchester starting next week.

"Swimming Australia will consider disciplinary action upon completion of the police investigation and its own internal inquiries," a statement said, adding that no other members of the Australian swimming team were involved in the incident.

Police confirmed the incident took place, but did not identify those involved.

"A 27-year-old man from Sylvania suffered facial injuries and a suspected broken nose, he was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent's Hospital and was later discharged," police said.

"A 20-year-old Queensland man has been spoken to by police, no charges have been laid at this time but investigations are continuing."

D'Arcy said last week he may quit competitive swimming after the Beijing Games to focus on medical studies.