Australia refuses to apologise for Mack Horton’s Sun Yang ‘drug cheat’ comment

• Australia’s chef de mission says Horton has a right to express his views about the need for a clean sport
• International Olympic Committee says it does not intend to investigate further, despite China’s demands for an apology

Australia has flatly rejected calls for an apology over swimmer Mack Horton’s controversial comments about Chinese swimmer Sun Yang.

A war of words was sparked by Horton, who dismissed Sun as a drug cheat after beating him to claim the 400m freestyle gold medal on the opening night of the Rio Games.