Australian swimmer Mack Horton took a stand at the 2019 FINA World Championships.
After winning a silver medal in the 400-meter freestyle event in Gwangju, South Korea on Sunday, Horton refused to step up to the podium and take a picture with the gold medalist, China’s Sun Yang.
Horton was protesting Yang being allowed to swim in the event despite a pending hearing before the Court of Arbitration for Sport that could potentially end the Chinese swimmer’s career.
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The 23-year-old has a history of criticizing Yang, who was suspended for three months in 2014 after testing positive for a banned stimulant called trimetazidine.
Following the protest, FINA announced that it would send a written warning to Horton and his country’s swimming governing body.
“While FINA respects the principle of freedom of speech, it has to be conducted in the right context,” the statement said.
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