Rice scoops pool, again!

Another day, another gong for Stephanie Rice. The darling of the Beijing Olympics was named Australia’s Swimmer of the Year at an awards ceremony in Sydney tonight.

The awards night was Rice’s final fling before training for March’s national titles begins in earnest.

She has spent her post-Olympic break juggling partying with picking up awards - and tonight she combined both as she frocked up with a who’s who of Australian swimming.

Her award-winning ways continued when she took out the top prize and featured in the International All Star team.

The Golden Moment award went to the Australian women’s 4×200m freestyle team - featuring Rice, Kylie Palmer, Bronte Barratt and Linda MacKenzie - which claimed surprise Olympic gold in world record time.

Rice’s mentor Michael Bohl was named Coach of the Year.

Rice was recently named in the nation’s top 100 Olympians of all time - at the tender age of 20.

She was also ranked the athlete with the most marketing appeal, along with Libby Trickett, in the Sweeney Sports poll.

Meanwhile, disgraced butterflier Nick D’Arcy capped his return by being named in the International All Star Team.

He was booted off the Beijing Olympic team in April.

But D’Arcy made a winning return to the pool at the World Cup meet in Sydney on the weekend by tying for first in the 200m butterfly in an Australian record time.

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