Winton Dong

    dht620@sina.com

    ON the first day of competition at the 2016 Rio Olympics, defending champion Sun Yang was upset by Australia’s Mack Horton, losing out on the gold medal for the men’s 400m freestyle swimming final.

    Horton clocked 3 minutes 41.55 seconds, surpassing Sun by just 13-hundredths of a second. However, the competition between China and Australia has gone beyond the limits of the swimming pool, with Horton’s insulting comments about Sun triggering heated debate and confrontation.

    During a poolside interview before the men’s 400m freestyle final, Horton called Sun a “drug cheat.” According to media reports, Sun was once banned for three months by the Chinese Swimming Association after testing positive for trimetazidine in March 2014. He later provided sufficient evidence at a hearing that the substance was prescribed by his doctor to treat heart palpitations that he had suffered from since 2008.

    Horton’s comment caused an outrage in China. On Aug. 7, one day after the men’s 400m freestyle final, the Chinese Swimming Association sent an official letter to Swimming Australia, the governing body of the country’s swimming affairs, demanding an apology from Horton for his inappropriate remarks. In a statement issued later that day, the Australian Olympic Committee commented that Horton had the right to express his own views.

    The International Olympic Committee also aired its view on this issue. “We support freedom of speech. But on the other hand, there should be a line somewhere between where people should be free to speak and have respect for others,” said its spokesman Mark Adams.

    Political tussles and verbal wrangles are pale and useless. For an athlete, the best way to respond to critics is to prove oneself by performance. On Aug. 9, Sun delivered a stunning riposte and won the men’s 200m freestyle gold. “This means more than the gold medals from the 400m and 1,500m in London,” Sun said. “I have already won those events, but the 200m freestyle had remained elusive till now,” he said.

    After winning a gold medal, the 24-year-old Chinese athlete declined to comment on his row with Horton. “I just want to focus on my own competition and not on what other people are saying,” Sun said.

    As a Chinese saying goes, there are ups and downs for everybody. On Saturday, Sun lost in the men’s 1,500m freestyle. Such a frustration, together with the setback in the 400m freestyle, has put Sun in an embarrassing situation not only abroad, but also at home. I say this because many Chinese prefer to paint the lily, but few are willing to render timely help for others to tide over difficulties.

    Sun shot to fame in the 2012 London Olympics by clinching two gold medals in men’s 400m and 1,500m freestyle finals. Due to his handsome appearance, athleticism and performance in the Olympics, Sun is regarded as an idol by many Chinese. As we know, the road of life for each person is uneven, especially for those celebrities like Sun who are under the spotlight. Sun’s frustration in Rio will serve as a landmark for his future life and will serve to help him mature as a person. I am sure that such an experience will also make him more confident, compatible and responsible in his future careers.

    It is not the first time that Chinese athletes are verbally insulted in important sports events. In the 2012 London Olympics, then 16-year-old Chinese swimmer Ye Shiwen scored two victories in the women’s 200m and 400m individual medley finals. Without any evidence, some American media hinted that she used drugs. Ye was later cleared by the British Olympic Association after making public official drug test results.

    Some developed nations can’t stand other countries making progress. However, I am glad to see that, while Chinese swimming athletes have made a splash at the Olympics, more and more people in China are making their way to pools for fun or exercise. It goes without saying that with its large population and its robust economic growth and social development, winning more titles in different events and disciplines is just a by-product for China.

    (The author is the editor-in-chief of the Shenzhen Daily and guest professor of Shenzhen University with a Ph.D. from the Journalism and Communication School of Wuhan University.)