HortonhasalreadyshutdowncommentsonhisInstagramaccountonMonday.
WebusersinChinahavealsoaccusedAustralianmediaofstirringupemotionsbasedonbiasedfacts.
However,theAustralianOlympicCommittee(AOC)hasbackedHorton’sstrongstanceagainstdoping."Mackisentitledtoexpressapointofview,"anAOCstatementsaid."UndertheTeamValuesASPIREtheEstandsforexpressyourself,thatishisright.Hehasspokenoutinsupportofcleanathletes.Thisissomethinghefeelsstronglyaboutandgoodlucktohim.">
Australia'sfirstgoldmedalistattheRioOlympics,MackHorton,hasprovokedoutrageamongChinesenetizensafterattacking400mfavoriteSunYangonhisdopingrecord.
Hortonclocked3minutes41.55seconds,eclipsingSunbyjust13hundredthsofasecondinthemen's400mfreestylefinalattheOlympicAquaticsstadium.Sun,scorchedbytheloss,wasleftweepingaftertherace.
Sunwasthepre-racefavorite,havingwongoldinthesameeventattheLondon2012Games.The24-year-oldisalsothedefending1500mOlympicchampion.
HortonsparkedawarofwordsafteratrainingsessionwhenSunsplashedwateronhim,whichtheAustraliandidnottakeitlightly.Hetauntedhimbycallinghima"drugcheat."Afterhissuccessinthe400monSaturday,Hortonsaiditwasa"winforthegoodguys,"whichwaslargelyinterpretedtobeadigatSun.
Sunservedathree-monthbanfortestingpositivetobannedstimulanttrimetazidineusedtotreatanginain2014.SunclaimedhedidnotknowithadbeenaddedtotheWorldAnti-DopingAgency'sbannedlistmonthsearlier.Afterhissuspensionended,hecompetedinthatyear’sAsianGamesinIncheon,SouthKorea,wherehewonthreegolds.
SunsaidataRiopressconferencehewasnowcleanandcalledforsomerespect."I'vedonewhateverittakestoproveIamacleanathlete,"hesaid."Alltheathleteshereneedtoberespectedandthere’snoneedtousethesecheaptrickstoaffecteachother."
HortonsaidonSundaythathewouldnotwithdrawhiscomments.Hortonsaid,"Iusedthewords‘drugcheat’becausehetestedpositive.Ijusthaveaproblemwithhimtestingpositiveandstillcompeting,"theSydneyMorningHeraldreported.
Horton’ssocialmediaaccountsincludingTwitter,InstagramandFacebookwasbombardedbyfuriousChinesenetizens.Theydemandedanapologyforhis"maliciouspersonalattack"onSunwithhashtag#apologizetosunyangandaccusedhim“winningthegamewhilelosinghischaracter.”Somecalledhimaracist.
By5pmonMonday,hisInstagramaccount"mackhorton"hadattractedmorethan16,000comments.Apreviousselfieposthadmorethan12,000comments.Horton’slatestFacebookposthadover52,000commentsby6pmonMonday.
Netizensalsotypedemoji"peach"inclearreferencefor"bitch"inEnglish,and"snake"withaconnotationof"cruelandvenomous"incomments.
HortonhasalreadyshutdowncommentsonhisInstagramaccountonMonday.
WebusersinChinahavealsoaccusedAustralianmediaofstirringupemotionsbasedonbiasedfacts.
However,theAustralianOlympicCommittee(AOC)hasbackedHorton’sstrongstanceagainstdoping."Mackisentitledtoexpressapointofview,"anAOCstatementsaid."UndertheTeamValuesASPIREtheEstandsforexpressyourself,thatishisright.Hehasspokenoutinsupportofcleanathletes.Thisissomethinghefeelsstronglyaboutandgoodlucktohim."

TheChineseSwimmingAssociationhasofficiallyapproacheditsAustraliancounterpart,demandinganapologyfromMack,sayingitisa"proofofalackofgoodmannersandupbringing."
"WethinkhisinappropriatewordsgreatlyhurtthefeelingsbetweenChineseandAustralianswimmers."
TheInternationalOlympicCommittee(IOC)spokesmanMarkAdamssaidtheywouldinvestigatetheincident.