Australian swimmers Nick D’Arcy and Stephanie Rice found themselves in two completely different kinds of trouble this past Sunday.

Following a last-minute Australian rugby win over South Africa, Stephanie tweeted: “Suck on that faggots. Probs the best game I’ve ever seen!! Well done boys.” This was probs not the best choice of words, a lesson @ItsStephRice realized after a media storm made her life hell for a few days.

The tweet was taken down, and Stephanie thoroughly apologized for the comment. After being called a homophobic, ignorant, idiot, Stephanie got some backup from openly gay Australian diver, Matthew Mitcham who tweeted in her defense: “She’s not a homophobe. She luvs gays but used very ill-chosen language.”

You can also check out her public apology video here.

Nick D’Arcy also got himself into a bit of trouble on Sunday, when he tested positive for a banned substance (formoterol) only a month before the Commonwealth Games (source). Apparently, the drug is from Nick’s asthma medication that he has been using for the past five years. The drug acts as an anabolic agent, increasing oxygen uptake, and is permitted as long as swimmers have filed the appropriate Therapeutic Use Exemption forms.

The confusion seems to be in the paperwork, but Swimming Australia is confident that Nick will have no problem being cleared. Nick stated that he is not worried (source).

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I just read a story on TheDaily.com.au that Aussie swimmer Nick D’Arcy will compete this weekend in the 2009 Telstra Australian Short Course Swimming Championships in Hobart. In April, D’Arcy was dropped from the Aussie World Team that competed in Rome (previous post) and was further suspended from Swimming Australia competition until last Monday (August 3rd).

The end of D’Arcy’s suspension hopefully marks the end of the difficult aftermath he faced following his conviction and eventual guilty plea for “recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm” to former Commonwealth Games medalist Simon Cowley in March of 2008.

The story goes, that Cowley provoked D’Arcy by slapping him, at which point D’Arcy retaliated with a single punch that fractured Cowley’s jaw, eye socket, palate, cheek and nose. The injuries required 5 surgically implanted titanium plates (source). After the incident, D’Arcy was dropped from Swimming Australia and not allowed to compete in the Beijing Olympics.

D’Arcy told the Sunshine Coast Daily: “This is a really important meet for me and my family to move forward from all the stuff that happened and move on to a new era of my swimming career” (source). He went on to say that he thinks he has grown as a person, and that he is a lot more mature and focused as a result of the ordeal.

Related: D’Arcy Dropped From Aussie World’s Team
Related: Aussie Nick D’Arcy Avoids Prison Time

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It was decided on Monday that Australian swimmer, Nick D’Arcy, would not be allowed to represent his country at the World Championships in Rome this July.

As reported by Reuters and posted on Universal Sports, Swimming Australia (SA) dropped D’Arcy from the World’s team two weeks after receiving a suspended sentence resulting from assault charges (previous story).

D’Arcy’s coach was quoted as saying the repercussions go beyond what most decent people think is reasonable punishment. D’Arcy will serve no jail time for breaking the jaw, eye socket, palate, cheek and nose of fellow swimmer Simon Cowley, and agreed to abide by Swimming Australia’s by-laws (a swimmer can be cut from the team if he was convicted of a crime) prior to the court’s decision. Photo: www.abc.net.au

Update: The17thman found a ton of sources talking about this latest development, including some not so nice fans of Nick D’Arcy attacking Simon Cowley on Facebook (link).

In November 2008, Australian fly swimmer Nick D’Arcy pled guilty to assault charges after “recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm” on fellow swimmer and retired Commonwealth Games gold medallist Simon Cowley (source).

The story goes, that Cowley provoked D’Arcy by slapping him, at which point D’Arcy retaliated with a single punch that fractured Cowley’s jaw, eye socket, palate, cheek and nose. The injuries required 5 surgically implanted titanium plates (source). After the incident, D’Arcy was dropped from Swimming Australia and not allowed to compete in the Beijing Olympics.

ABC News reported that the court was told D’Arcy had a binge drinking problem and the combination of drunkenness and poor impulse control had led to the attack. D’Arcy apologized to Cowley, and his lawyers had asked for a non-custodial sentence. Also under consideration was the fact that this was an isolated incident.

AFP provided the following information:

Magistrate John Favretto sentenced D’Arcy to 14 months in jail but suspended the term on condition of good behaviour, saying there was “nothing to suggest that he presents a continuing danger to the community”.

D’Arcy’s lawyers had argued he had already suffered enough by being dropped from the Olympic squad and subjected to public humilation.

Favretto said there was no doubt the swimmer was intoxicated and had been provoked by Cowley, who slapped him in the face shortly before the attack, but found his response was excessive.

It is still to be determined whether D’Arcy will be attending the World Championships in Rome this July. Earlier this month he was selected for the championship squad after breaking his own Australian record in the 200m Fly. Swimming Australia will confirm his attendance at World’s early next week (source).

> D’Arcy Escapes Prison Time by the17thman
> Swimmer Nick D’Arcy handed suspended sentence… by Adelaide Now
> Australian swimmer D’Arcy escapes jail for assault by AFP News
> D’Arcy escapes jail term by ABC News (with videos)
> Suspended Sentence For D’Arcy by SwimNews.com