Olympic hopeful Nick D'Arcy has denied using as much force as he could muster when he lashed out at a fellow swimmer in a Sydney bar.
D'Arcy told the NSW District Court on Thursday he couldn't recall thinking about any force when he struck Simon Cowley in the early hours of March 30, 2008.
D'Arcy, who is being sued for damages of up to $750,000, had previously pleaded guilty in the local court to recklessly causing grievous bodily harm over the incident at The Loft bar in Sydney's CBD.
The two had been celebrating with other friends after the Beijing Olympic trials.
D'Arcy, 23, was given a suspended jail sentence of 14 months in 2009, which he has completed.
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Cowley, a triple Commonwealth Games gold medallist, suffered serious injuries, including multiple facial fractures as a result of the attack.
His lawyer, Patrick Saidi, said Cowley was king hit without reason but D'Arcy, who is fighting the civil suit, says he acted in self-defence when he "lashed out".
In cross examination on Thursday, Mr Saidi suggested to D'Arcy that the reason he approached Cowley was actually to assault him, rather than to ask why he had hit him moments earlier.
"It's incorrect," D'Arcy said.
Mr Saidi continued that "you used as much force as you could muster so this man ... could not retaliate to your blow".
D'Arcy replied that he couldn't "recall thinking about any force".
Earlier, D'Arcy said he was in a state of fear and shock when he took the "wild defensive swing", because Cowley had been the first to strike.
Cowley needed corrective surgery to his jaw, cheekbones and nose, and had titanium plates inserted in his face as a result of the attack.
His mouth was wired shut for about seven weeks and still wears orthodontic braces today.
"It's not a pleasant feeling to know your face is being held together by a number of plates and screws," he said earlier this week.
The hearing, before Judge Anthony Puckeridge, is continuing.
