Sun’s setting for Horton

Aussie Olympic champion not worried about rival

IF Olympic hero Mack Horton is upset over the latest revelations about controversial Chinese champion Sun Yang ahead of the world swimming titles, he hides it well.

Australian assistant Michael Bohl claimed Rio 400m gold medallist Horton had not breathed a word about his arch-rival being cleared to contest the eight-day world titles trials in Gwangju, South Korea, starting on Sunday.

It seems Horton is in the minority.

Sun, who spent time training on the Gold Coast in 2017 before being banned from local pools, has created dismay from critics ahead of the world titles after being given the green light to compete following a delay in setting a date for his latest doping case.

Sun – who served a secret three-month doping ban in 2014 – faces a lifetime suspension after allegations a vial of his blood was smashed by a hammer during a clash with testers in China last year.

Reports claimed Sun objected to an out-of-competition test at his Zhejiang home last September and it was alleged his mother ordered security to destroy a vial of the swimmer’s blood that had been taken.

World body FINA decided not to reprimand Sun amid claims the testers had not shown adequate identification but World Anti-Doping Agency lodged an appeal.

However, Sun will still compete at the world titles with his Court of Arbitration for Sport tribunal date yet to be finalised. It seemed it would be enough to earn the ire of Horton, who called Sun out as a “drug cheat” before upstaging the Chinese great to claim Rio 400m gold.

But Horton, who is trying to regain his mojo in Gwangju, is staying quiet this time.

“I am actually looking after Mack here,” Bohl said.

“I haven’t spoken a word to Mack about it (Sun) and he hasn’t spoken a word (about Sun) – he (Horton) is a real cool customer.

“He stood up for what he believes in at the last Olympics and said what he thought and that is the end of it.

“But Mack is here to do the best job that he can because he didn’t have a great trials.”

Horton clearly has more immediate problems to tackle than Sun. Remarkably Horton only got on the world titles team after head coach Jacco Verhaeren used his discretionary powers to grant the 23-year-old a spot following a shock trials display.