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In the jungle of legal verbiage that surrounds the Nick D’Arcy case, it is easy to lose sight of what is at stake here.
D’Arcy, a talented 20-year-old with his life ahead of him, is fighting to preserve his dream of swimming for his country at an Olympic Games.
In a way, it’s understandable. D’Arcy has chased the black line for years in pursuit of that dream, and from his perspective it must seem cruel that what he earned on merit in the pool has been taken from him by a bunch of lawyers.
In the eyes of the law D’Arcy remains innocent until proven guilty and he obviously believes AOC boss John Coates has pre-judged him before he gets to put his side of the story in court.
D’Arcy admits he hit Simon Cowley in the face with his elbow, but says it was in self defence after Cowley slapped him.
Cowley says he merely approached D’Arcy with his hand held out to introduce himself.
Whatever the courts eventually decide, the story is a tragic one on both sides.
Cowley is still trying to get his life back together and come to terms with the fact that he will have five titanium plates in his face until his dying day.
His painful rehabilitation still has some way to go, and he and his family have suffered greatly.
So, too, have D’Arcy and his family.
He is facing a possible 10-year jail term.
His chance of competing at an Olympic Games seems over.
Whether he is found guilty or innocent, he will regret that night in Sydney’s Loft Bar for the rest of his life.