Salnikov said the American was entitled to her opinion, but noted that Efimova had been cleared to compete last week by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), the highest appeal tribunal, and was therefore fully entitled to take part.
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“We’re competing clean and we’re going to stay that way”.
“I’m not this sweet little girl”, she said earlier this week.
“We have some tough young kids in our team and I think that’s something special”, Phelps added.
King’s time of 1:04.93 set an Olympic record, as she gave the USA its first gold medal in 16 years in women’s breaststroke.
King then voiced her criticism.
King’s hard-nosed anti-doping stance became internationally known on Sunday night when King pointedly disparaged Efimova over the Russian’s drug history. The US victor was backed up by her teammate, swimming legend Michael Phelps.
“I don’t think we need more explanation, I am clean”. Pressure on me because I was saying what I believe is right. It’s kind of sad today in sports in general, not just in swimming, there are people who are testing positive who are allowed back in the sport and multiple times. “She has come through very tough times and I’m sure she will cope”.
Efimova is also expected to swim the 200m breaststroke and presumably the 4x100m medley relay.
“We train fair”, she said. She’s tested positive twice since the games in London.
There had already been tension between Team USA’s Lilly King and Russia’s Yulia Efimova.
“U.S. Olympic swimmer beats Russian she called ‘drug cheating, ‘” wrote CBS.
King condemned Efimova for waving her finger in a No. 1 gesture after winning her semifinal Sunday, while Swedish swimmer Jennie Johansson, who fell short of moving on to the final, protested that a lane had been “taken by someone that doesn’t deserve it”. The Clean Athletes Matter brigade found a ready, able and ardent leader: Lilly King of the United States, who entered the Rio Games with the top time in the world in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke.
Kirsty Coventry of Zimbabwe, a seven-time Olympic swimming medalist competing in Rio, serves on the International Olympic Committee’s athletes’ commission.
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But after her loss, Efimova seemed overwhelmed by the moment and reportedly broke down during her post-swim interview. “I think it just breaks what sport is meant to be and that really annoys me”.
