Russia's Yulia Efimova smiles after competing in the women's 100m breaststroke semifinal in Rio on August 7, 2016 (AFP Photo/Martin Bureau)
Rio de Janeiro (AFP) - Tempers frayed at the Rio Olympic swimming competition as athletes tore into two-time doping offender Yulia Efimova after she won her breaststroke semi-final. The Russian, who was cleared to compete in Rio after a convoluted drugs case, triggered a chorus of boos when she was introduced and after the race as rival swimmers made their feelings known in no uncertain terms.
Defending Olympic breaststroke champion Ruta Meilutyte pulled no punches. "It's never nice," said the Lithuanian of competing against a swimmer who has twice tested positive -- the second time for meldonium, which officials ruled she could have taken before it was banned in January.
"I guess the whole point behind competition is we swimmers around the world, we train the hardest every day to be able to perform well and represent our countries and we train fair.
"And when something like that happens it's never nice and it's a little bit disrespectful," she added. "These are not the values of our sport." ...See More...
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