World Swimming Championships: British swimmer refuses to stand on podium with Chinese ‘drug cheat’

Duncan Scott becomes latest swimmer at event to snub Sun Yang during podium ceremony

China’s Sun Yang was handed the men’s 200 metres freestyle world title on Tuesday after Lithuanian Danas Rapsys was disqualified, while Britain’s Duncan Scott, who finished joint third, refused to shake hands with the Chinese winner on the podium.

Scott congratulated silver medallist Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan and Russian Martin Malyutin, who finished in the same time as the Briton, but completely blanked Sun.

The Chinese swimmer reacted angrily, shouting and gesturing at Scott, who also refused to take part in a group photo on the podium and kept his distance from Sun as they left the stage.

The incident comes two days after Australian Mack Horton refused to share the podium with Sun after the 400.

Sun, who served a doping ban in 2014 and was labelled a “drug cheat” by Horton before the Rio Olympics final, got the green light to compete in Gwangju after being cleared by a FINA panel of breaching the governing body’s rules earlier this year.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency is seeking to overturn the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, leaving Sun’s career hanging in the balance a year out from the Tokyo Olympics

Sun, who also won gold in the 200 in 2017, touched in a time of 1:44.93, with Matsumoto 0.29 behind in second and Malyutin and Scott taking bronze, 0.70 off Sun’s time.

“My victory was because of my hard work. I continued to keep fighting, I didn't give up when I was in second place,” said Sun, who won the 400 title on Sunday.

“I was the only one to enter the 800 (heats) this morning, so I was very tired. I just slept for an hour and a half this afternoon.”

The crowd at the Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center jeered the decision to disqualify Rapsys, who seemed to twitch on the starting blocks. The Lithuanian did not stop for questions after the race.

There was a mixed reaction to Scott’s behaviour on the podium, with Chinese fans shouting and jeering while others cheered him as he left the pool deck.

Reuters