Swimmer D'Arcy still hopeful of competing in Beijing

Dumped swimmer Nick D'Arcy was focused on competing at the Beijing Olympics and still training towards the August Games, he told reporters yesterday. D'Arcy was kicked out of the Australian Olympic squad on Friday by Australian Olympic Committee (AOC)...

Dumped swimmer Nick D'Arcy was focused on competing at the Beijing Olympics and still training towards the August Games, he told reporters yesterday.

D'Arcy was kicked out of the Australian Olympic squad on Friday by Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) chairman John Coates for bringing the team into disrepute after being charged with assault stemming from an incident in a nightclub.

He appeared in a Sydney court yesterday, where prosecutors withdrew one charge of assault against him.

He is now facing just one charge of recklessly inflicting grievous bodily harm during the incident in which Commonwealth swimming champion Simon Cowley was punched, allegedly by D'Arcy.

The 20-year-old butterfly specialist has appealed the AOC's decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and told reporters that he remained hopeful of a positive hearing from the Lausanne-based organisation.

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