Aust rower faces action, team under fire

2 Aug 2012, 10:26 pm   -   Source: AAP
James Magnussen has missed out on a gold medal by 0.01 seconds in the 100m freestyle final. (AAP)

James Magnussen has missed out on a gold medal by 0.01 seconds in the 100m freestyle final. (AAP)

Police are investigating an alcohol-related incident involving an Aussie rower which has added further pressure to the nation's struggling Olympic squad.

Olympics: Day 5

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A rower faces a police investigation and possible disciplinary action over an alcohol-fuelled incident as Australia's under-performing Olympians come under pressure inside and outside the London Games venues.

Olympic debutant Josh Booth, a member of the eights crew that finished last in Wednesday's six-nation final, was detained by police after a shop front was damaged in what Australian team boss Nick Green confirmed was an alcohol-related incident.

The 21-year-old Melbourne rower had fainted and hit his head at a police station, then received hospital treatment before being released and returned to the athletes' village, Green said.

No charges had been laid but Booth would be required to help with continuing police investigations on Friday.

Green said he would wait until those investigations were over before considering any disciplinary action.

The drama adds further stress to a 410-strong Australian contingent which is struggling to meet its own top-five performance target in London, with just one gold medal and nine in all for 15th position after five days of competition.

Nowhere is the team's disappointment more keenly felt than at the swimming pool, where the normally high-flying Aussie squad is sinking towards its worst Olympics in two decades.

James Magnussen fought back tears as he absorbed the pain of missing the 100m freestyle gold medal by an agonising one-hundredth of a second on Wednesday night.

"I just felt pretty much bullet-proof coming into this Olympics and it's very humbling," Magnussen said.

"It's a pretty tough time to learn that you're human."

The swimmers have watched their three long course world records all fall in London, and after collecting just one gold among their eight medals they face the prospect of failing to win two titles for the first time since Barcelona in 1992.

"If we don't win more than one gold medal I'm sure we will all be disappointed," Green admitted on Thursday.

"I'm sure the swimmers are as well because they have lofty expectations as a team to perform exceptionally well.

"We would love to have more gold medals, absolutely.

"The swim team is trying to get their athletes to fulfil the expectations of the athletes, the Australian public and the media."

Magnussen still has hopes in the 50m freestyle after he and compatriot Eamon Sullivan qualified for the semi-finals.

Magnussen's 100m freestyle silver was one of three won by Australian on day five.

The women's 200m freestyle team of Bronte Barratt, Melanie Schlanger, Kylie Palmer and Alicia Coutts also had to settle for silver behind the fast finishing Americans.

Women's rowing Pair Sara Tait and Kate Hornsey also finished second behind Britain.

Beach volleyballer Natalie Cook's 20-year Olympic career ended when she slumped to a third straight defeat with partner Tamsin Hinchley.

In early rowing action on Thursday, Kim Crow ensured she will contest two finals in successive days after cruising through the semi-finals of the single sculls.

The men's four of Drew Ginn, Josh Dunkley-Smith, James Chapman and Will Lockwood will need to pull out a massive row on Saturday to earn the right to be called the new Oarsome Foursome after losing out to Britain in their semi-final.

The men's light weight four narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth, while and women's eight was sixth and last in the final.

The Hockeyroos continued their solid progress to a semi-final berth with an important and nail-biting 1-0 win over the United States.

And the Boomers kept in contention for a basketball quarter-final sport with a much-needed 81-61 win over China.

But 1996 shooting gold medallist Russell Mark missed the final of the men's double trap, his worst result in six Olympics.

And judo player Daniel Kelly will leave his fourth Olympic Games still searching for a win after being defeated by Artem Bloshenko in the first round of the under 100kg division.

Olympics 2012

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