After Winning Gold, USA Swimmer Slams Russia in Greatest Way Possible: ‘We Can Still Compete Clean’

It was a dramatic ending two days in the making.

On Sunday night, USA’s Lilly King — the 19-year-old upstart darling on the swimming team — was caught on camera shaking a finger at Yulia Efimova, the Russian-born swimmer who has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs… twice. Efimova, 24, has been a force on the global stage to be sure, and despite prior disqualifications and the looming ban on Russian athletes for similar offenses in the Olympics, Efimova was allowed to compete.

Speaking to NBC’s Michele Tafoya, King said Sunday, “[Y]ou’ve been caught for drug-cheating. I’m just not a fan,” setting the stage for Monday night’s Women’s 100m Breaststroke final that would pin the two head-to-head:

People were shocked by King’s bravado, but as she revealed, “That’s just my personality. I’m not this sweet little girl, that’s not who I am. If I do need to stir it up to put a little fire under my butt or anybody else then that’s what I’m going to do.”

And boy did she ever.

On Monday night, Lilly King set an Olympic Record in that Finals, finishing in 1:04.93.

Efimova finished in second place in 1:05:50.

Admittedly, Tafoya pushed the subject on the 19-year-old, but she didn’t back down. “Do you feel like you made a statement for the United States and other athletes?” regarding the Efimova battle.

King, who was joined by her teammate Katie Meili who won the bronze, replied immediately, “Yeah, I hope I did, that we can still compete clean and do well at the Olympic games and that’s how it should be.”

Sorry Putin… U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!

Watch the videos above via NBC Sports.
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J.D. Durkin (@jiveDurkey) is an editorial producer and columnist at Mediaite.
[image via screengrab]

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