Former Olympic rower pleads guilty to hitting woman
An Australian Olympic rowing silver medallist and two-time world champion has pleaded guilty to assaulting a woman by slapping her in the head several times.
Simon Peter Burgess, 56, had previously denied the charge and was expected to face a hearing in Hobart Magistrates Court on Thursday.
However, he changed his plea to guilty over the assault at Franklin, a township in southern Tasmania, on December 2, 2023.
Burgess slapped a woman to the head multiple times and punched a hole in a bedroom plaster wall, according to court documents.
He had previously pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching a family violence order and a charge of injuring property at the same location on the same day.
According to the documents, he breached conditions of the order which stated he must not directly or indirectly threaten, abuse or assault the woman.
He also breached conditions stipulating he not enter the home or damage property.
Burgess, whose bail was continued, is expected to return to court for sentencing on August 13.
He represented Australia at three Olympic Games, winning silver medals in 2000 in Sydney and 2004 in Athens in lightweight rowing categories.
He competed in 10 world rowing championships between 1990 and 2003, winning gold on two occasions and was also a national champion.
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