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D'Arcy and Monk fire up Swimming Australia with gun photo

June 7, 2012 - 9:53PM
Comments 104

Australian swimmer Nick D'Arcy and teammate Kenrick Monk posing with guns in a picture on D'Arcy's Facebook page. Photo: Channel Seven News

London-bound swimmers Nick D’Arcy and Kenrick Monk are being investigated by Swimming Australia after posting online ‘‘foolish’’ photos of each other posing with weapons in the United States.

The images appear to have been taken in a gun shop while both athletes were in California for a training camp with fellow Olympic team members Stephanie Rice, Bronte Barratt and Meagen Nay.

The swimmers, who were travelling home to Australia last night, were yesterday ordered under a clause in their Swimming Australia contracts to take down the photos from social media sites Facebook and Twitter and quickly warned similar posts would not be accepted when they join the Australian Olympic team in London.

‘‘These postings today are foolish and clearly inappropriate for members of the 2012 Australian Olympic Team,’’ chef de mision Nick Green said. ‘‘There is no such thing as privacy on social media. Anything that is put up will be in the public domain.

‘‘This incident serves as a warning to all athletes on the 2012 Team about the dangers of social media. We say again to our athletes, do not put anything up on social media that you would not share with your mother or your grandmother.’’

Both D’Arcy and Monk have known controversy before.

D'Arcy was convicted of assaulting former swimmer Simon Cowley in 2008 and was subsequently kicked off the Australian team named for the 2008 Olympics and then banned from the world championships the following year.

He filed for bankruptcy after being ordered to pay Cowley damages and also met with Green and the AOC selection committee in late September last year, to assure them he would meet the high behavioural standards expected from athletes leading into London.

It was an informal meeting with D'Arcy and other athletes, to make sure they all clearly understood there is a level of behavioural expectation, and they were told that if that level was not met, the AOC would look on that "very, very seriously".

In February this year, three weeks out from Olympic trials, he was given the all clear by both Swimming Australia and the AOC that he would be free to compete in London if he fulfilled the selection criteria at trials, and that his decision to go into bankruptcy would not have an impact on that selection.

Monk ran into trouble last year after claiming he broke his elbow after being hit by a car in a hit-and-run incident before admitting he actually fell off his skateboard.

He surprised many by qualifying for his second Olympics so soon after recovering from the injury.

104 comments
Why are these photos so bad? The last time I checked guns aren't illegal. Why is posing with them illegal and why is this such a 'terrible crime' that they have to pull them down? No this is actually just another case of bureaucrats overreacting. If an olympic shooter posed with their weapons would they also have the same reaction?
CommenterMary Location ACT Date and time June 08, 2012, 7:06AM

We have have got some sport stars with a bit of fire, as usual the conservative want to put them out. They do something which is not illigal and ppl get upset I have pics like that.
U think USA is trying to control ppl, have you look at Australian govt. Latley its a lot lot easier to control a big island which which dosnt border other countries, nbn is coming and big brother!
Commenternate Location Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:11AM

What an unbelievable beat-up of a story. Seriously, who cares that they were posing with the guns they used at a gun range. They did nothing illegal. There is clearly a case of hyper sensitivity/ Political Correctness leading into the Olympics mixed with with the media's desire to get their boots stuck into D'arcy. People who are overly critical should consider what they critical of.
CommenterCD Location Melbourne Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:12AM

Everywhere that arrogant little D'Arcy goes there is trouble. How did he get to think he's so clever?
CommenterEBAB Location St Lucia Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:13AM

They're just emasculating men again, what a nonsense fuss over nothing, its scary how much men have to hide who they are nowadays and its nice to know these two are not sensitive new age guys. I pose with my rifle when I shoot a deer or pig, so? what is happening to Australian culture to react like this?
CommenterBevan of Qld Location Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:15AM
If you go to the gun nirvana of the world, where everyone can own a gun, and as Mike Moore pointed out in Bowling For Columbine, you can even be given a new gun for opening a bank account, the photo is more like a pot shot at American culture than anything else. If posing for a shot like this is a terrible crime, god help us all as political incorrectness has again gotten well out of hand. How is this not maintaining a standard of behaviour, what invisible standard did they break? This is more akin to a witch hunt than anything else...
CommenterCol the Pariah Location Faulco Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:21AM
EBAB, please explain how posing for this photo is "trouble"?
Commenterliklik Location sydney Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:38AM
So if Michael Diamond posed in his speedo's would Nick Green be as upset as he is being made out to be here?
CommenterIan Location Wollongong Date and time June 08, 2012, 8:46AM
The issue here, Mary, is not whether it is legal or not - it is whether it's *appropriate*. Many things are not illegal yet considered faux pas. For example, it would not be illegal to post a picture of oneself on the toilet, but such a picture going public would hardly enhance one's career prospects. What I see in this photo is two individuals of very average intelligence and certainly below-average sense of responsibility. It needs to be kept in mind that, over the years, Australian government has probably spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to enable them to compete at the Olympic level. Apart from providing a couple of imbeciles with livelihoods, what exactly has been the social return on this investment? If anything, the return has been negative because of the negative local and international publicity surrounding Australian sports. I hope this story will make a few people ask the real question: Why is Australia spending a disproportionate amount of money on elite sports? It would be spent much better elsewhere.
CommenterK Location Qld Date and time June 08, 2012, 9:22AM
Really. This is news worthy. Who cares if they took a picture holding guns. They are good swimmers, that's what matters.
CommenterWhocares Location Date and time June 08, 2012, 7:08AM
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_D'Arcy