US swimmer Lilly King’s finger wag reignites drug-cheat debate

AMERICAN star Lilly King was unknowingly captured by a TV camera as she sent a message to a “drug cheat”.

USA's Lilly King cheers after competing in the Women's 100m Breaststroke Semi-final.

LILLY King didn’t know there was a camera filming her as she sent a pointed message to a Russian “drug cheat”.

But she was hardly bothered when she discovered the world had seen her waving a finger at 100m breaststroke rival and controversial Rio Olympics entrant Yuliya Efimova.

Efimova was popped for steroids in 2014, serving a 16-month suspension. In March this year she also tested positive for meldonium — the banned substance that brought down Maria Sharapova — and was only allowed to compete in Brazil after an 11th hour appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The 24-year-old had an investigation into her positive test delayed while further investigations are made into how long meldonium — which only joined the banned list on January 1 — remains in the body after use. It was hardly a ruling which pleased her competition.

While Sun Yang may have become public enemy number one in Australia because of his heated rivalry with Mack Horton, Efimova is viewed in Rio as one of the real villains of the Games.

She presented as King’s biggest threat in the 100m breaststroke and it went according to plan in the semi-finals.

After being greeted by a smattering of boos, Efimova swam first and celebrated a comfortable win by wagging a finger in the air.

Yuliya Efimova of Russia competes in the Women's 100m Breaststroke.

Watching on a television inside the arena, King was captured waving her own digit back at the on-screen Russian. The 19-year-old followed that by winning the second semi in a marginally quicker time than Efimova to qualify fastest for the final — before waving her finger again in the pool.

Asked about Efimova’s initial gesture and her response by American broadcaster NBC after her race, King didn’t pull any punches. “You’re shaking your finger No. 1, and you’ve been caught for drug cheating. I’m just not a fan,” she said.

“You know I think it’s unfortunate we have to deal with these things in the sport but both [teammate] Katie [Meili] and I were very prepared for her to be swimming so we’re just going to race her just like we would normally,” King added ahead of tonight’s final.

Ruta Meilutyte of Lithuania, the world record holder in the event, said Efimova’s doping history was disrespectful to other athletes. ”We train fair,” she said. “When something like that happens, it’s never nice. These are not the values of our sport.”

American Codey Miller, who won bronze in the men’s 100m breaststroke, was asked if he heard what King had said. “Heck yeah,” he said. “We do things right. We’re going to get the job done the right way.”

Australian distance swimmer Horton became one of the stories of the opening days of the Games after calling out Chinese swimmer Sun Yang as a drug cheat, before defeating him in the 400m freestyle. They square off again in the 1500m in four days.

Australia’s Mack Horton after the medal presentation for winning gold in the Men's 400m Freestyle Final.

Originally published as US swimmer Lilly King’s finger wag reignites drug-cheat debate