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New allegations say D`Arcy damaged house

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SWIMMER Nick D`Arcy`s grip on Olympic selection has been further shaken by allegations he was part of a group which damaged the house of a Sunshine Coast family who hold a unique place in Australian Olympic history.

The Courier-Mail can reveal D`Arcy allegedly threatened dual Olympian Ray Boyd and his son Matt two years ago when angered about a friendship Matt had entered into with a woman who had previously been involved with D`Arcy.

A glass door was smashed and a letter box at the Sippy Downs home of the Boyds was damaged when D`Arcy and an unknown number of his friends arrived to vent D`Arcy`s anger towards pole vaulter Matt Boyd, now 19.

It`s the latest blow for D`Arcy as he prepares to plead with the Australian Olympic Committee to keep his place for the Beijing Games in August.

The AOC is investigating a stoush last Sunday morning involving D`Arcy and Simon Cowley which left the retired swimmer with severe facial injuries.

D`Arcy, 20, was charged with assault and grievous bodily harm over the incident and will appear in a Sydney court later this month.

A few days later, it emerged D`Arcy had allegedly been involved in a clash with Sunshine Coast ironman competitor Tim Peach 18 months ago which left Peach with facial injuries.

D`Arcy`s father Justin last night refused to comment about the incident with the Boyds but it is understood he paid restitution to the Boyds for damage to the home and the Boyds made no complaint to police. Ray Boyd, a 1972 and 1976 Olympian who is married to Olympic 200m finalist Denise Boyd, last night declined to deny information obtained by The Courier-Mail.

His daughter Alana, who went to the same high school as D`Arcy, last month was selected in the Beijing Games team as a pole vaulter, becoming the first Australian Olympian to have two Olympians as parents.

Nick D`Arcy said he could not comment on any of the incidents when he contacted The Courier-Mail for his first interview since the Cowley charges were laid by NSW Police.

He said his bid to go into hiding in Perth had backfired as his swimming career hung in the balance.

"I can`t go down to the beach here, because of the tension around Tim Peach. It`s really put gas on the fire.

D`Arcy admitted that he would probably never swim again if he was not allowed to go to the Olympics.

"Yes, that`s probably correct," he said. "I haven`t been in the pool since it happened."

The AOC this week started an investigation into whether there was cause to expel D`Arcy from the Australian team for the Beijing Olympics.

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