- Australian swimming star Zac Stubblety-Cook wants a clean Olympics
- He believes that his Chinese rival Qin Haiyang is a drug cheat
- Two bitter rivals are expected to battle it out for gold in the 200m breaststroke final
Australian Olympic swimming champion Zac Stubblety-Cook says the anti-doping system has failed before confirming he is considering a possible protest if he loses in the pool to a drug-tainted Chinese star.
And if Stubblety-Cook makes her feelings known publicly in Paris, she could face a harsh penalty.
Stubblety-Cook, 25, will look to defend her Olympic 200m breaststroke title at the Paris Games against a field that includes Chinese world record holder Qin Haiyang.
Haiyang is among 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive ahead of the Tokyo Olympics but were still given the green light to compete at the Games three years ago.
World anti-doping authorities have accepted China’s explanation that the positive results were due to “swimmers eating contaminated food at a team hotel.”
Stubblety-Cook remains disappointed by revelations of positive drug tests in China.
“I absolutely believe in clean sport and I hope these Games are clean,” he said.
‘Obviously, it’s disappointing to hear that news and to know that athletes leading up to Tokyo 23 have tested positive, some multiple times.
Australian Olympic swimming champion Zac Stubblety-Cook has confirmed he is considering a possible protest in Paris if he loses to a drug-tainted Chinese star.
If Stubblety-Cook makes her feelings about world record holder Qin Haiyang known, she could receive a heavy penalty.
“And for me, competing with someone who was one of those athletes and finding out that he was one of those athletes was disappointing.
“It’s not so much about their country of origin as it is about the system and how, ultimately, the system seems to have failed. And that’s the truth.”
Haiyang defeated Stubblety-Cook for the 200m breaststroke title at last year’s world championships in Japan, when the Chinese swimmer set a world record.
Now-retired Australian swimmer Mack Horton famously refused to stand on the podium at the 2019 world championships alongside China’s Sun Yang, who had previously been suspended for drug use.
Stubblety-Cook stopped short of committing to repeating Horton’s protest at the Paris Olympics.
Rule 50 of the International Olympic Committee allows athletes some freedom to express opinions on political or social issues, but protests on medal podiums or the field of play are prohibited.
“Probably everyone is aware of Rule 50 and the repercussions that come with it,” Stubblety-Cook said.
“I think we could potentially see protests at other events as well. Personally, I think I’ll make a decision probably on the same day.”
Qin Haiyang and Zac Stubblety-Cook are expected to compete for the gold medal in the 200m breaststroke in Paris
‘At the end of the day, I’m a clean athlete and I try to abide by those rules and I just hope my competitors do the same.’
Stubblety-Cook’s comments came as World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka said doping could never be eradicated.
“It is obvious that doping will never be eliminated from the sporting landscape,” Banka told reporters.
“You’ll always find someone who wants to cheat.”
The 200m breaststroke heats in Paris begin on 30 July AEDT at the Paris La Défense Arena.