Olympic Swimmers Eamon Sullivan and James Magnussen talk about taking stilnox ahead of the London Olympics.
Olympic swimmer Jade Neilsen has accused three men's relay team members of inappropriate behavior.
Swimming Australia head coach Leigh Nugent says he wasn't aware of any use of Stilnox by swimmers during the London Olympics, after an independent review of the incidents is revealed.
Swimmers on the block... Olympian Jade Neilsen (left) has lifted the lid on the antics of the men's 4x100m relay team. Source: The Daily Telegraph
Australian swimmers in men's 4x100 freestyle relay team ahead of the London Games (L-R) Eamon Sullivan, James Roberts, James Magnussen and Matt Targett. Picture: Gregg Porteous Source: The Daily Telegraph
UPSET: Jade Neilsen has told her side of the story. Source: The Courier-Mail
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AUSTRALIAN swimming stars have admitted to using Stilnox on a wild bonding night in the lead up to the London Olympics.
In a statement on behalf of the team read by Australian Swimmers' Association general manager Daniel Kowalski, members of the 4 x 100m relay team admitted to the use of Stilnox at a team camp in Manchester ahead of the Games.
The statement was prepared by Tommaso D'Orsogna, Cameron McEvoy, James Magnussen, James Roberts, Matt Targett and Eamon Sullivan.
Swimming Australia's Daniel Kowalski reads a statement prepared by James Magnussen and his teammates admitting to using stilnox.
"As proud members of the Australian Swim team, we acknowledge that by our actions in continuing a recent tradition on the men's team we have let ourselves down and the people who have supported us," it said.
The statement said the team members saw a movie, had dinner and returned to the hotel.
'We're sorry' - read the full statement in here
It was there where they each took Stilnox pill.
They admitted to childish pranks, including knocking on teammate's doors and prank called them.
World 100m champion James Magnussen and Eamon Sullivan insisted taking Stilnox had no effect "at all" on their swim performances in London.
Magnussen said the prescription drug was taken "to bond with these guys".
"In hindsight it was a ridiculous choice and ridiculous method...but I don't feel it affected my performance," Magnussen said.
Roberts later said he had never taken the drug and did not do so then.
"I didn't take Stilnox that night," Roberts said.
They deny there was nothing untoward or threatening towards any other teammate.
They say they were all in bed at 10:30pm.
Leigh Nugent is to face integrity panel over reaction to door knocking incident while James Roberts did not participate in taking stilnox.
Earlier, Olympic swimmer Jade Neilsen spoke out about Australian Swimming's night of shame, accusing three members of the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team of "inappropriate behaviour" towards her and a female roommate.
Neilsen and her roommate at the team staging camp in Manchester were awoken by late night phone calls, door knocking and disruptive behaviour by James Magnussen, James Roberts and Cameron McEvoy.
"I will confirm that they were being inappropriate and it was towards (name withheld) and I," Neilsen said.
"I won't specifically say (what happened). It has sort of already come out pretty much what they've done.
"All I can say is their behaviour was completely inappropriate, it was so inappropriate it was not funny. That is all I can really say about that."
The trio, along with their relay squad members Matt Targett, Eamon Sullivan and Tommaso D'Orsogna, are under investigation from Swimming Australia for alleged misuse of the prescription drug Stilnox during a wild bonding night.
Swimmers to be named and shamed
Former Olympic swimmer Matt Welsh, who comepeted at the Sydney 2000 Games and then at Athens four years later, said this type of behaviour was not the norm.
"I was in a number of relays and we did try to do a few things by ourselves but never at the expense of, you know, I guess trying to separate us, segregate us, from the main team," he told 3AW this morning.
"It was always about trying to sort of do stuff within there.
"I think that's really one of the risks that unfortunately they took and it's happened as they, you know, felt that they were, I don't know, for one reason or another bigger or better than the team and putting other members down or at least affecting their preparation and I think that's really disappointing as well.
"It never should have happened.
"You know arguably, something should have happened straight away. There should have been some sort of disciplined immediately rather than just ignoring us."
Weapons of Mass Dysfunction gallery
Welsh disagreed that the swimmers responsible should be banned from future teams.
"I don't think so, I think that might be a bit much but something had to change and, you know, this wasn't just everything was fine and then this happened," he said.
"It's sort of a culture that unfortunately has been slowly evolving over a number of years and each step probably hasn't felt like it's been needed to be addressed but now all of a sudden the boat's floating in the completely wrong direction.
Welsh said the coaches of the team need to take responsibility.
"They take the kudos when the swimmers do well," he said.
"I think they need to take, sort of, a bit of a hit when the swimmers do poorly as well because, you can really only set the culture and if it's not set properly then unfortunately these sort of thing happen."
It is understood the trouble in Manchester began after midnight with door knocking and phone calls to the females' rooms.
When Neilsen answered the door, Magnussen barged through with McEvoy behind him, with the duo wearing nothing but jeans.
One of the men then tried to lay on the bed of Neilsen's roommate, who ordered him away.
Magnussen in Stilnox probe
Both women have told their coaches they felt frightened by the behaviour of the men, as they were stumbling and acting "strangely", and both men were promptly kicked out of the room.
Later, in the early hours of the morning, two men returned and started banging on the door - Roberts, wearing nothing but his underwear, and McEvoy. They were not allowed to enter the room.
The women told their coaches the next morning who reported the incident to Australian head coach Leigh Nugent, who did not take any action.
Nugent admitted for the first time on Wednesday that he had been made aware of the Manchester incident.
Swimmers didn't want it enough
Nugent said he dismissed it as "childish behaviour" and claimed the identity of the culprits was never revealed to him.
Neilsen and her roommate wanted the issue dealt with privately within the team, but were upset when the men were not disciplined.
They never wanted the issue to become public and are upset that the entire swim team's name was dragged through the mud.
"It should have been handled in Manchester or as soon as we got into the village, but it just wasn't and unfortunately the boys have paid the price for that," she said.
"Well, the whole team has paid the price for that, not just the boys."
