Olympic swimmers in hot water over gun photos

At left is a March 25, 2008 file photo showing Australian swimmer Nick D'Arcy. At right is an Oct. 5, 2010 file photo showing Australian swimmer Kenrick Monk. / AP Photo/File

(CBS/AP) SYDNEY - Olympic swimmers Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk are in hot water again after being ordered to remove photos of themselves posing with guns from their social media sites.

The photo of Monk holding two pump-action shotguns and standing beside D'Arcy, who had a pistol in each hand, in a U.S gun shop spread quickly in social and traditional media Thursday, with Sydney Daily Telegraph taking to Twitter to ask: "Are you offended by this photograph of Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk in a US gun shop?"

See the photo of Nick D'Arcy and Kenrick Monk posing with guns here

Swimming Australia issued a statement saying it became aware of "inappropriate photos" and "instantly contacted the athletes involved to ask for them to be removed."

"It was all just meant to be a bit of fun, the photos were just a bit of fun," D'Arcy told reporters at Brisbane Airport as he and Monk returned to Australia on Friday.

"If anyone's been offended I deeply apologize. It was never the intent, it was never supposed to be offensive."

Monk, who took the photos off his Facebook page, also apologized.

"I deeply am sorry and I'm sorry if I offended anyone out there," he said.

Gun Control Australia spokesman John Crook told Australia's Herald Sun: "It's a disgrace to the Olympic swimming team."

D'Arcy and Monk have faced disciplinary panels before and will be asked for an explanation for the photos.

D'Arcy was excluded from the Australian team for the 2008 Olympics after assaulting another swimmer in a bar fight in Sydney the night he won selection in the squad. He was later convicted and ordered to pay former Australian swimmer Simon Cowley compensation for serious facial injuries, but declared himself bankrupt claiming massive personal debts.

The AOC had to approve his nomination for the 2012 Olympics. Monk was lucky to avoid charges after hitting the headlines last year for falsely claiming to police that he'd been the victim of a hit-and-run auto accident. He later admitted that he was injured when he fell of his skateboard.

The Australian Olympic Committee said it would wait for the Swimming Australia investigation into the latest episode before considering sanctions for what it described as "foolish and clearly inappropriate for members of the 2012 Australian Olympic team."

"This incident serves as a warning to all athletes ... about the dangers of social media," Nick Green, Australia's chef de Mission for the London team. said in a statement. "We say again to our athletes, do not put anything up on social media that you would not share with your mother or your grandmother.

"There is no such thing as privacy on social media. Anything that is put up will be in the public domain."

D'Arcy is a medal contender in the 200-meter butterfly at London, and Monk is a member of the 4x200 freestyle relay.

[gep1955]

So many delicate, sensitive and tender people in the world, they offend me!

[Rick03466]

Shame on the people of Australia for allowing the government to be so oppressive.

[1notrub11]

This is just out of control.

No one is forcing anyone to view the social media pages of these athletes. And Empire's comment regarding the biathalon is well taken. Let me guess - the biatheletes will not be allowed to pose privately with the weapon they use either?

[rightofwrong]

Why is this news?

[tomanyt]

Am I missing something here? They had their picture taken while holding a weapon and they (Swimming Australia) consider the photos "inappropriate"? How exactly are they inappropriate?

[pbaird2]

Ordinarily this would not be an issue, but because of the similarities to horrendous incidents this picture is insensitive to many. Monk was holding the same pump-action shot guns used by Martin Bryant, who murdered 35 people in Port Arthur in 1996. D'Arcy was pictured holding semi-automatic pistols, similar to those used by Virginia Tech gunman Cho Seung-Hui.

[KnowerseekerReturns]

pbaird2, thanks for supplying that important piece of information. Shame on you, cbsnews!

[AOCGUY]

Are guns illegal in Australia? Any Aussie's on here care to comment?

[KnowerseekerReturns]

Not an Aussie, but I was thinking the same thing.

[AOCGUY]

How is posing in a legal store with a legal product and posting the pic on your personal page inappropriate? A gun is an inanimate object.

[nojoy01]

Swimming Australia issued a statement saying it became aware of "inappropriate photos" and "instantly contacted the athletes involved to ask for them to be removed."
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It is said that "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". One of the corollaries is also true. "Innappropriate photos" are also in the eye of the beholder. Different country, different mores, different perceptions.

[jt92202]

They didn't bring the guns to Australia nor does it sound like they bought a gun just posed with them!! Nothing illegal about it in the US so what's the probem! OH that's right since they are on the Olympic Team they are ROLE MODELS so they shouldn't be human and just be robots that only think of the children!! Give me a break, they are young men with talent, they signed up to be swimmers not Role Models!!!

[jsutaguy]

Well, looks like George Orwell had the right idea in 1984, but perhaps the wrong country. Australia implements "Thoughtcrime" punishment. Sanctioning people because they took a (non obscene) photo.

This is absurd.