In the rare air of the Olympic Games, where a few hundredths of a second can be the difference between a medal and none, athletes will scrape for every advantage. She’d have been a lead story just from winning the 100-meter breaststroke.
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“Efimova has been through a very severe ordeal, and in an atmosphere of distrust and uncertainty I think she showed very strong character – resilience and focus – and so I think she deserved her medal”, said Salnikov. “Even going into the first Olympic final, the pressure is going to be on but especially standing up for what I believe is right I felt I needed to perform better than I have in the past”.
Cothran, a kinesiology professor at Indiana University, was referring to Lilly King’s now-famous display of disapproval for Yulia Efimova, who had previously been banned from Olympic competition as part of Russia’s doping scandal, but was reinstated without explanation.
Not sure what the reporter was thinking that asked this question but someone asked what Efimova thought of Michael Phelps, of course, eluding to his bong-hit and DUI infractions. Efimova received the silver.
Now, if you think this is just those “dang uppity Americans complaining because they didn’t win another gold medal”, nope.
The problem is that no one fails a doping test anymore and says, “Oh, you got me! But that was all I could do right now”. King reacted immediately, with her own finger wag at Efimova on the screen.
He implied King’s comments were unsporting.
These all-important nuances got drowned in the Olympic pool. Efimova walked away by herself.
Tuesday night in the ready room, King ignored the nearby Efimova as each went through their pre-race routines, glared at her in the adjacent starting block, then torpedoed her way through the water like the USS Dallas chasing down the Red October, touching the wall first and setting off a celebration of good triumphing over evil.
Australia’s Taylor McKeown was the fastest qualifier for Thursday’s final, followed by Japan’s Rie Kaneto and Britain’s Molly Renshaw, with Efimova sixth and King 12th. “I’m just not a fan”.
“If that’s what she feels she needs to be able to compete, whatever, that’s her deal”.
But King was joined in the war of words by U.S. legend Phelps and Frenchman Camille Lacourt among others who lashed out at a Chinese victor. In actual fact, you have to understand how fantastically United States swimmers are performing as they are winning one gold medal after another. Their last loss came at the 1992 Barcelona Games. She also swam at the Beijing Olympics that year and has been a regular medalist in the European Championships with 6 career golds.
And there, still in her lane with her arms draped over that rope, was Efimova. She had a fantastic swim and I always look forward to racing her.
About Sun Yang, Lacourt said: “He pisses purple”. “In my career, I don’t know if I’ve ever competed in a clean sport”.
Le Clos settled for silver in 1:45.20 with American Conor Dwyer third in 1:45.23.
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U.S. Swimming also picked up a medal in the men’s 200-meter freestyle, in which Conor Dwyer won bronze.
