D'Arcy up against it in the US

COACH Brian Stehr says he is not sure “if we'll see the same Nick D'Arcy” at this week's Los Angeles Invitational.

Nick D'Arcy in action.

COACH Brian Stehr says he is not sure “if we'll see the same Nick D'Arcy” at this week's Los Angeles Invitational.

Mooloolaba's D'Arcy (pictured) headed to the US earlier this week to compete in his last major meet for five months, but his Noosa-based coach said a gruelling court case had sucked the life out of his star charge.

D'Arcy spent a week in Sydney recently due to a civil case launched against him in relation to his assault of former swimmer Simon Cowley in 2008.

D'Arcy missed the Australian Short Course Championships because of his legal commitments.

The case came just days after he beat superfish Michael Phelps in the 200m butterfly at the Santa Clara Grand Prix.

“I don't know if we'll see the same Nick D'Arcy as we did at Santa Clara,” Stehr told the Daily yesterday.

“There's two reasons for that. He had that week in Sydney and it was a very tough week emotionally. He wasn't able to train properly either.

“And I don't think the same (standard of) competition is going to be in LA as there was in Santa Clara, because the (FINA) world championships are a week later.”

D'Arcy will swim in the 100m and 200m butterfly events in LA as well as the 200m freestyle, the latter just to gain extra race experience.

Ashlea Gierke, another of Stehr's athletes, is also competing in LA.

Gierke, a former breaststroker, is targetting the 400m individual medley.

Originally published as D'Arcy up against it in the US