RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 7: Mack Horton won his grudge match against China�s Sun Yang and Australia�s 4x100m free relay women added another gold as records tumbled on day one at the Rio Olympics pool on Saturday.
While it was a triumphant night for Australia, the mighty US team were shut out of the gold � coming up with three silvers from the four finals.
Horton clocked 3min 41.55sec to hold off a feverish challenge from 2012 gold medallist Sun, who briefly looked to have the Australian beaten on the last lap but had to settle for second in 3:41.68.
Italy�s Gabriele Detti roared home in the final 50 metres to capture bronze in 3:43.49.
Sun, stung after the heats by Horton�s attack on his doping record, was left weeping after the race.
Horton, whose mild manner and Harry Potter-style spectacles belie his toughness, said he knew that by calling Sun out he�d put himself on the spot.
�Well that last 50 I was kinda thinking about what I said and was like, if he gets me here it�s not going to look great,� Horton said.
�So I really didn�t have a choice but to beat him.�
Horton�s terse comment that he couldn�t respect a drug cheat reverberated at an Olympics that started under the cloud of the Russian doping crisis.
Sun, who served a three-month doping suspension in 2014 which wasn�t revealed by Chinese authorities until after the fact, insisted he was being unfairly branded.
�I don�t think I need to explain myself any further. I�m clean and have done what it takes to prove I�m clean... All athletes should be shown respect,� he said.
Horton�s victory ensured Australia wouldn�t suffer their ignominious London fate of failing to earn a single individual gold in the pool. � AFP
