We love sporting legends in this country. Bradman, the Honey Badger… even Dermott Brereton when he’s not talking.
And it looks like you can add Mack Horton to that list now.
The new gold medallist really does have everything going his way: boyish good looks, a great name, a gold medal. There’s just the whole China-hating-him thing we have to get over.
But really, you can’t deny his gall. The beef that’s developed has uncovered what appears to be a longer-running beef between Horton and his initial target in the “drug cheat” comment, swimmer Sun Yang.
Horton’s admonishment of drug culture and his win attribution to “the good guys” has framed Rio in controversy, but it’s obvious the man said what he did because he felt it was important.
For the record, Sun claims he is now clean, but the furor the comment sparked seems to have a bit of life left in it yet. His message is shared, it seems, with most of Rio.