CHINA’S Sun Yang delivered a stunning riposte to his critics Monday by winning the men’s 200m freestyle gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

    Sun described his victory as the best of his career, usurping his 400m and 1,500m triumphs at the London 2012 Games.

    Sun finished the final in 1 minute 44.65 seconds, 0.55 seconds ahead of South Africa’s Chad le Clos, with Conor Dwyer of the United States 0.58 seconds further back.

    The gold medal, China’s first in the pool at the Rio Games, made up for Sun’s disappointment at taking silver in the same event at the London 2012 Games.

    “This means more than the gold medal from the 400m and 1,500m in London,” Sun said. “I had already won those events at the world championship, but the 200m freestyle has been elusive until now.”

    The 24-year-old declined to comment on his row with his Australian rival Mack Horton, who has described the Chinese swimmer as a “drug cheat.” Sun served a three-month ban in 2014 after testing positive to an illegal substance, which he says he unknowingly took as part of treatment for a heart condition.

    “I just focus on my own competition and not on what other people are saying,” Sun said.

    “I feel responsible for the success of Chinese and Asian swimming and I want to keep working hard to achieve our goals.”

    The International Olympic Committee supports freedom of speech but there should be a line drawn between freedom to speak and “trash talk,” its spokesman Mark Adams said Monday.

    “We support freedom of speech but on the other hand, at the Olympics it’s also about respecting your rivals. There is a line somewhere between people should be free to speak and have respect for others,” he said.

    The Chinese swimming authority wrote to its Australian counterpart demanding an apology from Horton for “his inappropriate comments” while the Australian side backed Horton, saying: “Mack is entitled to express a point of view. He has spoken out in support of clean athletes. This is something he feels strongly about and good luck to him.”

    After winning the 400m freestyle gold medal race Saturday, Horton said: “I used the words drug cheat because he tested positive. He’s one of the athletes here who has tested positive.”

    Previously in practice, Horton said he ignored Sun who tried to greet him and said “I don’t have time or respect for drug cheats.”

    The Australian’s comments prompted a heated response on social media, where many Chinese fans described the remarks as unjustified.

    (Xinhua)

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