Two-Time Australian Olympic Swimmer Jarrod Poort Facing Criminal Charges

by Retta Race 13

August 13th, 2019 Australia, International, News

Australian pool and open water Olympian Jarrod Poort is facing criminal charges for property damage after an apartment complex incident on June 29th in Wollongong: a seaside city south of Sydney.

According to the Illawarra Mercury, in the early morning hours, 24-year-old Poort ‘intentionally or recklessly’ damaged the front door of an apartment belonging to a man named William Lampe. Poort was arrested and taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged and eventually released without bail. His case has been adjourned for 6 weeks in order for the swimmer to seek legal advice.

Police allege that Poort entered an apartment complex in Park Street sometime between 4.25am and 4.45am on June 29 and “intentionally or recklessly” damaged the front door of an apartment belonging to a man named William Lampe.

Poort competed in pool swimming in the 1500m freestyle at the 2012 Olympic Games in London but more recently contested the 10k open water event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio where he finished 21st. Poort led most of that 10km race, at one point leading by 1 minute and 20 seconds, but faded late. He was eventually caught with about 1 kilometer to go and was ultimately passed by 20 swimmers in that final stretch of the swim.

Along with Maddie Groves and Thomas Fraser-Holmes, Poort was one of the Australian swimmers who missed a series of anti-doping tests across 2017 and 2018. He was handed a 12-month suspension by Swimming Australia, a ban which was lifted as of September 5, 2018.

Poort did not race at this year’s Australian Open Water Championships in January, nor has he competed in this year’s FINA World Marathon Swimming Series. Poort has not registered a pool swim in the official Swimming Australia results database since 2016.

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stanislavdavidian
5 years ago

Ah so the chinese and russians are looked as when they dope but australians nothing. They’re no better than the russians or chinese themselves stupid mack horton!!

Chimken nunget
Reply to  stanislavdavidian
5 years ago

This guy is a retired swimmer who didn’t try to cheat his way into winning a competition. Also, what does this have to do with Mack Horton? Big deal, he’s from the same country where a swimmer got arrested

Robbos
Reply to  stanislavdavidian
5 years ago

Let me try to simplify this for you, Shanya Jack failed a drug test & is not competing while under investigation & will be suspended. Poort was suspended for missing drug tests. He is also facing criminal charges for his latest misdemeanors.
Sun is under investigation for smashing his Blood samples, but is swimming & winning gold medals & is a national hero.

13 % Chinese person
Reply to  Robbos
5 years ago

Sun is not under investigation . Wada is appealing the decision by Fina’s to not come to a judgement due to lack of evidence as declared by its qualified drug panel. .

On my reading , any Australian court would dismiss an illicit drugs case if the Forensics / Officers were not accredited . ( At that stage though a lawyer would have halted proceedings until verification came thru ) . At the court stage all officers would have provided evidence /statements but this did not happen at the FINA hearing .

As I see it , a court can only rule on the evidence before it . Im not sure how much more evidence can be submitted .

13 % Chinese person
5 years ago

You are not a local until you have been arrested in Wollongong . It is very proud about this tradition which serves to keep Sydneysiders too scared to come down . 20kms of beaches , free 50 mtr seawater pools for a pop of 300,000.

What a sanctimonious lot here . A feckin door fgs.

Nswim
5 years ago

Ryan Lochte is laughing in the horizon

Jimmy
5 years ago

He retired after RIO i believe – good swimmer – great person – i wish him all the best with what he is going through.

Jred
5 years ago

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for Swimming Australia right now.

Poort was a nice kid too. Shame he turned into a cheat with some pretty obvious personal problems.

Wish him the best in getting his life back together, but I don’t want to see people with these sorts of issues in the sport full stop.

CraigH
Reply to  Jred
5 years ago

Yep, definitely.

SammyJ
Reply to  Jred
5 years ago

Poort is an ok guy, retired. Strange 10k race tactics in Rio though. I reckon the recent allegations that Swimming Australia cheat in Swimming by coaching swimmers to appear disabled to beat the actual disabled Is about as worse as it could get for them. That was a Holy. Cow. moment, some disturbing issues for them to address there.

The Ready Room
Reply to  Jred
5 years ago

Phelps = a guy who’s had some personal problems but has since gotten his life back together.

Jred
Reply to  The Ready Room
5 years ago

If Phelps had a drug suspension in 04 I would have definitely wanted him life banned

Wondering
Reply to  Jred
5 years ago

Phelps got arrested for breaking & entering?

About Retta Race

Former Masters swimmer and coach Loretta (Retta) thrives on a non-stop but productive schedule. Nowadays, that includes having earned her MBA while working full-time in IT while owning French 75 Boutique while also providing swimming insight for BBC.

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