Australian Olympian axed after fight

SYDNEY - Australian swimmer Nick D'Arcy has been dropped from the team for the Beijing Olympics, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) said today.

D'Arcy's place in the squad had been under scrutiny after he was charged by police on March 31 following an incident in a Sydney nightclub in which he was accused of punching former Commonwealth swimming champion Simon Cowley.

AOC president John Coates said D'Arcy's selection had been overturned after an internal investigation and he would not compete at the August 8-24 Games.

D'Arcy, who qualified for the Olympics in the 100m and 200m butterfly, withdrew from the Australian team for the world shortcourse championships in England and was not invited to a training camp in Canberra this weekend.

- REUTERS