Hours before smashing defending title holder Yang to take gold in the 400m freestyle on Sunday, 20-year-old Horton said he had no “time or respect for drug cheats”.

He then went on to back up his comments in the pair’s post swim press conference, saying: “I used the words drug cheat because he tested positive. He’s one of the athletes here who has tested positive.”

China - where Yang is considered a national hero - has responded explosively, with Horton receiving online death threats.

The swim team has now upped their attack and demanded Horton back down.

“We have been noticing what has been said in the past two days by Horton, who launched a malicious personal attack (on Chinese swimmers),” swim team manager Xu Qi said, according to reports in online news service Chinagate.

General Union

abc

Related