Scots swim star suspended over drink-drive case
SWIMMING champion Dan Wallace has been suspended from competition after he admitted drink-driving.
Dan Wallace has been suspended from competition
Wallace – who took silver last year for Team GB in Rio and gold for Scotland at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 – is due in court next Wednesday.
The 24-year-old was ordered to appear before a sheriff in Stirling.
He has been suspended from swimming programmes for three months.
Wallace has been suspended from swimming programmes for three months
It is with much regret that I was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Not only have I let myself, my family and team-mates down, I have put others at risk and I’m profoundly sorry
British and Scottish Swimming called it “clearly unacceptable behaviour”.
Wallace, who trains at Stirling University, said: “It is with much regret that I was found to be driving under the influence of alcohol. Not only have I let myself, my family and team-mates down, I have put others at risk and I’m profoundly sorry.”
The drink-drive charge, which came after Edinburgh-born Wallace was stopped by police in Bridge of Allan, Stirlingshire, on June 1, is his second brush with the law.
Wallace took silver for Team GB in Rio
In May 2014, the former Warrender Baths Club swimmer was arrested in Florida, where he was attending the state university, for urinating on a police car.
Later that year he became known for his yell of “for freedom” when he won the 400m individual medley at the Commonwealth Games.
He said at the time it was a “spur-of-the-moment thing”, inspired by the film Braveheart.
He was stopped by police in Bridge of Allan
Wallace was part of the GB men’s 4x200m Olympic silver medal-winning relay team at the Rio games.
In a statement, Wallace said: “I recognise I am in a position of influence and this type of behaviour is not acceptable. I am deeply sorry.”
British Swimming and Scottish Swimming say that Wallace is banned from all national programmes until September 12.