D'Arcy and Monk apologise for gun photos

8 Jun 2012, 6:07 pm   -   Source: AAP

Olympic swimming hopes Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk have flown back to Australia and apologised for the controversial gun photos.

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Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk have apologised for their "fantastic" bit of fun, but still have to explain themselves to keep their spots in Australia's Olympic team.

D'Arcy and Monk returned to Australia on Friday and quickly apologised for posing for photos in the US while holding powerful firearms.

Australia's London chef de mission, Nick Green, says the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) will have to determine whether the swimmers breached their team agreement by bringing themselves into disrepute.

"One of the questions is have they brought themselves into disrepute, and have they brought the Australian team into disrepute?" Green told ABC radio.

If they have, they could face serious sanctions.

But swimming great Dawn Fraser has scoffed at suggestions they should be dumped from the team, saying "boys will be boys."

D'Arcy said that he, Monk and some unidentified friends went to a local rifle range for some rare fun after three weeks of hard training and competing in California.

They enjoyed shooting the legal high-powered weapons, D'Arcy said.

"It was pretty fantastic to be honest, because we don't get that opportunity at home. It was just a bit of fun," D'Arcy told reporters at Brisbane Airport on Friday.

"It was all just meant to be a bit of fun.

"If anyone's been offended I deeply apologise. It was never the intent, it was never supposed to be offensive."

He said the rifle range's owner suggested they pose with the guns and took the photos.

Monk also insisted their actions have been misconstrued.

"It was a bit of fun. We didn't mean to offend anyone, it's been taken the wrong way," he said.

In the photos which appeared on Facebook and Twitter, D'Arcy is smirking as he holds up a pair of automatic pistols, while Monk smiles broadly with two pump-action shotguns across his chest.

They were ordered to take the photos off Facebook under Swimming Australia's and the AOC's social media policy.

The 24-year-olds will meet with Swimming Australia (SA) officials next week.

The AOC will decide what action to take after the SA investigation.

D'Arcy is a medal hope in the 200m butterfly in London, while Monk is in the 4x200m freestyle relay team.

Neither is new to controversy.

D'Arcy was kicked off the 2008 Olympic team after assaulting former swimmer Simon Cowley in a bar, leaving him with multiple facial injuries.

He then declared himself bankrupt last year when a court ordered him to pay Cowley $370,000 in costs.

Last year, Monk avoided charges after telling police he was the victim of a hit and run accident but later confessed he broke his elbow when he fell off his skateboard.

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