Rio 2016: Aussie swim coach Jacco Verhaeren backs Mack Horton’s attack on dope cheats, weak bans

MACK Horton looks set to inspire a revolt against doping in swimming with coach Jacco Verhaeren endorsing his decision to voice his anger at weak drug bans.

Coach Jacco Verhaeren speaks to the media. Picture: Adam Head

AUSTRALIA’S outspoken Olympic champ Mack Horton looks set to inspire a revolt against doping in swimming with Dolphins head coach Jacco Verhaeren endorsing his decision to voice his anger at weak drug bans in their sport.

Horton’s decision to brand China’s Sun Yang a “drug cheat” before and after beating him in the 400m freestyle on the opening night of the Olympic Games will become the talking point of the Rio pool.

US superstar Michael Phelps voiced his anger that he’d never swum in a “clean sport” during a press conference a few days ago, but Horton is the first to ever call another swimmer a “drug cheat”.

Coach Jacco Verhaeren. Picture: Adam Head.

Not only that, Horton did it to Sun’s face as he was faced with repeated questions from Chinese media as the 2012 Olympic champ sat 1m to his right in a press conference.

Immediately Chinese swim fans began trolling Horton on social media, issuing thousands of taunts to both his Instagram and Twitter accounts.

But the 20-year-old, who believes his win was a victory for clean sport, refused to back down on his strong beliefs.

“I used the word drug cheats because he tested positive,” Horton said.

“It’s not specifically me and Mr Sun (having a problem), I just have a problem with athletes who have tested positive and are still competing.

“I don’t think it is a big statement, it’s true he tested positive.

“There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes talking about drugs in sport but no athlete has really come forward and said it so I guess I wouldn’t really feel right if I raced at this stage against someone who has tested positive and didn’t bring it up.

“This is the first day and hopefully people follow.”

Australia's Mack Horton with his Gold medal after winning the Mens 400m Final. Picture: Phil Hillyard.

Up until Horton’s heat swim, when in a premeditated attack he said he didn’t “have time or respect for drug cheats”, the Australian team had kept deafly silent on the anti-doping issue plaguing these Games.

It’s been an issuing simmering away in Australia all year. Swim team leader Thomas Fraser-Holmes walked out of a session at his Gold Coast training base because he felt too many Chinese athletes were using their lane space and getting in their way for success.

The Australians have felt uneasy about the lack of drug testing when Chinese athletes train in their pools and there was the suspicious training camp China held in Turkey just a few months before coming to Rio.

But Horton may have just opened the floodgates to athletes taking a stand. Certainly Verhaeren has backed his outspoken approach and hopes it’s inspired everyone involved in the sport to stand up for what they all believe to be right.

“I think to be very honest everybody thinks the same way,” Verhaeren said.

“As a swimming organisation I think we’ve shown in practice we have zero tolerance to drugs. It’s the same as saying we don’t like drug cheats.

“That is definitely my point of view and it will remain that.

“I think he definitely did (inspire others) and I saw a crowd actually wanting him to win (instead of Sun Yang), that is good for the sport.

“I think yeah he made a statement not only in words but also by performing which is fantastic.”

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Originally published as Rio 2016: Aussie swim coach Jacco Verhaeren backs Mack Horton’s attack on dope cheats, weak bans