Australia’s Mack Horton and China’s Sun Yang yesterday continued their bitter feud at the FINA World Championships in Gwangju, hours after the Australian was warned by FINA over his podium snub of the controversial Chinese swimmer.
The pair eyeballed each other as they passed on the pool deck during the morning’s 800m freestyle heats, prompting Sun to glare back over his shoulder at Horton before waving to fans as he left the arena.
The pair swam in separate heats of the 800m freestyle, with Sun scraping through eighth fastest, but there is to be no renewal of their row in today’s final because Horton failed to qualify.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Horton, who took silver in the 400m freestyle behind Sun on Sunday, refused to step onto the top step of the podium for photographs after the medal ceremony, as doping allegations swirl around China’s multiple Olympic champion.
Horton’s protest reignited their row at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, where Horton labeled Sun a “drug cheat” over a prior doping ban before edging the Chinese to gold.
The snub also angered Sun, who accused Horton of “disrespecting China,” and triggered a backlash on social media.
Horton’s Instagram account has been trolled by Chinese users, some even posting death threats against him and his family.
Australian teammate Jack McLoughlin condemned the threats after yesterday’s heats.
“They’re pretty bad — I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy. It’s just really bad for everyone — and swimming and sport in general,” he said. “I think what he’s standing for is right.”
A statement was issued late on Monday from swimming’s governing body warning Horton and Swimming Australia of their responsibilities to the sport.
“While FINA respects the principle of freedom of speech, it has to be conducted in the right context,” the statement said.
“As in all major sports organizations, our athletes and their entourages are aware of their responsibilities to respect FINA regulations and not use FINA events to make personal statements or gestures,” it added.
Horton chose his words carefully after his 800m heat.
“As much as I want to protect the sport, I still need to protect the team,” he said. “The focus now is the team’s performances and making sure we get through the week.”
Swimming Australia backed Horton’s stand.
“Swimming Australia respects the position Mack Horton took during the medal ceremony and understands his sense of frustration,” CEO Leigh Russell said.
Sun, who has always protested his innocence over the three-month suspension that he served in 2014, is again competing under a doping cloud after a leaked FINA doping panel report alleged that he smashed blood samples with a hammer after being visited by testers last year.
FINA cleared Sun to take part in the World Championships, but the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
After the pair clashed in Rio, China’s state-run media called Australia a “second-class citizen” of the West and accused it of “white supremacy.”
The China Daily weighed on their latest run-in, saying that Horton had “humiliated himself” with his protest.
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