Australian gold medal victor Mack Horton is public enemy No. 1 in China after his comments labelling Sun Yang as a “drug cheat” following his 400-meter freestyle win.
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Chinese officials endorsed Yang’s comments and have called upon Horton, who has been subjected to social media trolling, to apologise.
‘Mack obviously has very strong views about the need for clean sport, as every single one of us does, ‘ she said.
Chinese swimming star Sun Yang splashed and taunted 20-year-old Australian Horton in the training pool. He has shown a lack of personal quality and manner.
“We strongly demand an apology from this swimmer”.
But an apology will not be forthcoming.
“Athletes used to be outside politics”, Efimova said.
Briton Adam Peaty couldn’t start counting his gold, but made a statement in the first Olympic race of his career with a world record of 57.55s in the 100m breaststroke heats. “He then needed to come out and deliver and he did”.
A spokesman for the AOC said Horton was entitled to express his point of view. “Under the team values “ASPIRE”, the “E” stands for “express yourself”, that is his right. he has spoken out in support of clean athletes”.
Chiller said she welcomed the support of some of the American swimmers for Horton but did not want the controversy affecting her swimmers’ performances.
The Global Times said that Australia should feel embarrassed with Horton’s remarks: “If Horton won the competition by disrupting his rival in an immoral way, his win is disgraceful, and not in line with the spirit of the Olympics”.
Horton has been defiantly unapologetic about his comments.
Horton has suggested that his discussion of Yang’s light drugs ban – which left many swimmers convinced that he should not be here – was part of an attempt to get into the head of his main rival.
He held off defending Olympic champion Sun Yang, from China, to become the sixth Australian to win gold in the 400m freestyle, joining the likes of sporting greats Ian Thorpe and Murray Rose.
Horton told the Sydney Morning Herald that he made his comments before the race to unsettle Sun, who won the 200m freestyle gold on Monday, but the description was accurate.
“The message sent is abnormal and aberrant”.
“In many serious essays written by Westerners, Australia is mentioned as a country at the fringes of civilisation”.
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It went on, referencing Australia’s “early history as Britain’s offshore prison”. “No one should be surprised at uncivilized acts emanating from the country”.
