Huegill, wife plead guilty to cocaine possession

Sydney (AFP) - Former Australian Olympic swimmer Geoff Huegill and his publicist wife on Wednesday pleaded guilty to cocaine possession after the pair were caught with the drug at a horseracing event in Sydney last month.

Waverley Local Court magistrate Clare Farnan put the two-time Olympic medallist, 35, and his wife Sara, 30, on a six-month good behaviour bond, saying it was a shame to see "people in your circumstances in this court".

A good behaviour bond denotes an undertaking by people charged with a crime to be on their best behaviour for a specified period of time.

"It's even more of a mystery for someone with so much to lose like you do," she said.

Huegill was an inspirational figure in Australian swimming after a comeback from retirement in which he shed a whopping 45 kilograms over 18 months to win gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

The couple's lawyer, Dean Woodbury, said his clients felt remorse and humiliation as a result of the media scrutiny over the charges.

Outside court, the pair, who have two young daughters, said the experience would haunt them for the rest of their lives.

"We have let down a lot of people, those who supported us and trusted us," the Olympian told reporters.

"That's the part that hurts us the most."

Huegill is the latest high-profile former Australian swimmer facing unwanted time in the spotlight, after fellow Olympians Ian Thorpe and Grant Hackett both recently entered rehab.

Thorpe sought help for depression after a mixture of painkillers and anti-depressants left him disoriented on a Sydney street while Hackett needed help for an addiction to sleeping pills.