Russians are furious at the U.S Olympic swimmers Lilly King and Michael Phelps over their shared stance against Russia’s Olympic swimmer Yulia Efimova, who has tested positive for doping.
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Efimova refused to comment on her rivalry with King when questioned later, saying only: “I am sad that I could not win a gold for Russian Federation, but I am happy to have won silver”.
She will be on the USA Relay Team which is scheduled to compete August 13. “I’m just not a fan”, King said. King has been especially critical of Efimova, who was approved for competition in Rio just hours before being scheduled to swim.
Backstage, King was watching, and she raised her finger right back, wagging it at Efimova with an artfulness that would make Dikembe Mutumbo proud.
“One, I was really in the moment with Katie and celebrating the US victory”, she said.
After the race, Efimova broke down, sobbing uncontrollably as she started to speak to journalists. “Second time it was not my fault”. But King did not dodge questions about the Russian competitor, and made it clear she thinks rules should be followed.
It was an extra jab at Efimova, whom King took issue with on Sunday after Efimova raised a finger to say “I’m No. 1” when she took first in her 100-meter breaststroke qualifying heat.
Indiana University’s Lilly King of the United States won her showdown with Yulia Efimova after plenty of the bad blood between the two over the Russian’s doping record. “All athletes should be above politics, but they just watch TV and believe everything they read”, Efimova told Russia’s Tass agency in Rio.
When asked about how to distinguish between freedom of speech and trash talk, International Olympic Committee spokesman Mark Adams said on Monday, “We support freedom of speech but on the other hand, at the Olympics it’s also about respecting your rivals”.
King and Meili, who finished third to earn the bronze medal, threw their arms around each other in the pool and again at the medal presentation. You know I think [Lilly] is right.
Murphy won in 51.97 seconds, setting a new Olympic standard and updating a mark set by Matt Grevers at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Because she has lived in the USA, she has been a part of American drug testing.
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In the press conference after the final men’s 400m freestyle swimming, Horton repeated his pre-race claim that Sun Yang was a cheat.
