CHINA’S Sun Yang qualified fastest for the men’s 200m freestyle final at the Rio Olympics, easily winning his semifinal Sunday.

    The 24-year-old clocked 1 minute 44.63 seconds, 0.82 seconds ahead of Japan’s Kosuke Hagino at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium. The USA’s Conor Dwyer was third in 1:45.55.

    Sun is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, having won the 400m and 1,500m freestyle titles at the London 2012 Games.

    The war of words between Australian gold medalist Mack Horton and his main rival Sun has boiled over yet again in Rio, with the Chinese swimmer declaring he is “no friend” of the Olympic 400m champion.

    Sun had regained his swagger when he spoke to Australia’s Channel 7 outside the aquatic center Sunday.

    At first he was reluctant to speak but, when asked about Horton as he waited to catch a bus back to the athletes’ village, Sun replied: “No, no friend.”

    Asked if he would beat Horton in the upcoming 1,500m freestyle event Saturday, Sun said: “1,500 meters. I am the king. Yeah?”

    Meanwhile, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) said it will look into the unfriendly comment Horton made about Sun before it gave any comment.

    IOC spokesperson Mark Adams said that he did not know the incident until reporters told him that Horton called Sun a “drug cheat” before and after the men’s 400m freestyle final. “I didn’t know the incident. I need to look into it,” said Adams.

    Sun missed the 400m title Saturday evening by the length of a finger tip behind Horton.

    After the race, Horton was asked to give an explanation of why he called him that.

    Sun was banned three months in 2014 for testing positive for trimetazidine, which he used to treat his heart problem for years and failed to report for a therapeutic exemption to the anti-doping authorities when the drug was put in the WADA banned substance list in 2014.

    “I used the words drug cheat because he tested positive,” he said. “I just have a problem with athletes who have tested positive and are still competing.”

    Horton’s hostility already showed early in the practice when Sun tried to greet him and Horton ignored and later told reporters “Sun splashed me to say hello, and I didn’t respond because I don’t have time for drug cheats.”

    Sun defended himself and said he would ignore Horton’s “trick.”

    “I am clean. I think every single athlete who is able to compete at the Olympic Games deserves respect. It is unnecessary to disturb an opponent with such little tricks,” he said.

    (SD-Xinhua)