Horton Family Faces Constant Harassment, Intimidation Since Sun Yang Call-Out

Dating back to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Australian Mack Horton has been very vocal advocating for clean sport, and has publicly let his disdain be known regarding Sun Yang and how he was able to continue competing despite multiple doping controversies.

At the end of February, Sun received an eight-year period of ineligibility for having tampered with the doping control process.

But, since 2016, when Horton called Sun a “drug cheat”, his family has been under “virtual siege” from Sun supporters at their home in suburban Melbourne. Things have only escalated since the 2019 World Championships, where Horton opted not to stand alongside Sun on the podium of the men’s 400 freestyle.

Speaking to The Weekend Australian Magazine, Mack’s parents, Andrew and Cheryl, shared the story of what’s been going on the last four years, including their house being broken into with threats aimed towards their youngest son, Chad. The computer system at Andrew’s firm was hacked, resulting in death threats and online abuse.

Per the article, Sun supporters, most believed to be on student visas, “Regularly bang pots and pans late at night in the alley behind the back fence and abuse the family from the driveway.” They’ve also had plants poisoned, dog feces thrown over the fence, and Andrew regularly receives calls with threats towards a non-existent daughter.

After last summer’s Worlds in Gwangju, Cheryl found “a bucket load” of broken glass at the bottom of the pool when cleaning it.

The situation is believed to be part of a systematic pattern of harassment and intimidation directed at perceived critics of China. “This is not an amateur operation,” said a nationa­l security analyst who decline­s to be named. “The Hortons’ story is very disturbing … It says something about the reach of foreign powers within Australia.”

Andrew Horton receives regular national security briefings. It was at these meetings that he was told that 24 hours after Mack’s comments in Rio, they received nine million messages, and “none of them were pleasant.” He also learned that after the podium snub, it was the lead on 6000 global media outlets.

Mack, a 23-year-old who already has one Olympic gold medal and five World Championship medals to his name, has been more worried about his family situation rather than any abuse he’s received.

“My primary concern has been my family,” he says. “To be honest, initially I wasn’t aware of a lot of what was going on as my parents tried to protect me. To see and hear the impact it has had on those I love most has been the most upsetti­ng part.”

Horton and his family now wait to see if Sun will appeal his eight-year sentence like he said he would. The Swiss Federal Tribunal, who would be the recipients of the appeal, had suspended most judicial work until April 19.

“To date, CAS has not been advised that an appeal has been filed,” a spokesperson told The Weekend Australian.

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Mushi Mushi Atsui
4 years ago

Well, what do you expect… That’s the consequence of being outspoken. A lesson for future protesters.

Steve
4 years ago

The free World must stand-up to communist China’s intimidation.

Corn Pop
4 years ago

One thing for certain is Australia is not going to war with China . Carry on venting everyone .

Vic
4 years ago

I can see when these crazy Chinese nationalist are asked at the airport of they are here for business or pleasure.
“Um pleasure”

Verram
4 years ago

Any news on Dennis Cotterell? Is he back working for swimming Australia ? As a distance coach maybe he can help to train Mack Horton instead of sun yang like he used to help Australia win long distance gold back in the day

M d e
Reply to  Verram
4 years ago

Why would Mack be interested in moving when his current situation is working fine?

Vic
Reply to  Verram
4 years ago

Do you think Dennis knew about Sun Yangs extra stuff he was taking?

Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

There’s crossing the line, and then there’s going after your non-existent daughter crossing the line. That’s seriously f’d up.

Vic
Reply to  Ol' Longhorn
4 years ago

Yeah they suck.

Sir Swimsalot
4 years ago

This is sickening. National security briefings? 9 million messages? I hope he and his family don’t have to deal with this for much longer.

Admin
Reply to  Sir Swimsalot
4 years ago

9 million messages is un-real.

I wonder how many messages a Lebron James receives in a day?

Ol' Longhorn
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

If he bad-mouther Yao Ming, it would be a new indoor record.

RenéDescartes
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Lebron would never speak ill of the Chinese. He knows where the bread comes from.

Vic
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Hey Braden back in 1994 when the Chinese were breaking all those world records at the world champs with the swimmers seriously looking like the hulk. Was there this backlash then when we accused them?

Admin
Reply to  Vic
4 years ago

Don’t recall, as I was 7 years old at the time. I can ask around though if you’re curious.

Vic
Reply to  Braden Keith
4 years ago

Serious? Wow yeah I think they broke 5-7 world records at the World champs. However they did mask there looks very well at all. The 50m Champs stuck out the most, HUGE lats and shoulders. They made Jenny Thompson look small.

Paella747
Reply to  Vic
4 years ago

There wasn’t an organized way for the issue to swirl around and boil over like there is now. The Chinese (like everybody else) love their social media, and it connects everyone in an instant. Obviously it wasn’t around then. Swimming in the PRC was nowhere near as popular as it is now. I remember asking my friend in Beijing if he’d heard of Lin Li (or a few other swimmers from back in the day) and he hadn’t…. Now, you’d have to search far & wide to find someone in China that doesn’t know who Sun Yang is.

Amongst swimmers & coaches, the mid-90’s world record rush was an issue for sure, and there were some pretty entertaining interviews… Read more »

Meeeeeee
4 years ago

I believe this is a process initiated by the Chinese communist government. I made a comment on LinkIn a few weeks ago simply with an article about defected personal protective equipment delivered from China throughout the EU. I said ‘be careful and check your shipments to the US.’ The firestorm of nasty comments, explitives, hundreds of ‘visits’ to my profile ensued from hundreds of people with Chinese names. I looked at a few profiles and they were all Chinese nationals who went to undergrad in China and grad school in the US and were either still in school or in a job still in North America (some in Canada). I’ve never had anything like that before and it was unnerving.… Read more »

About James Sutherland

James Sutherland

James swam five years at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, specializing in the 200 free, back and IM. He finished up his collegiate swimming career in 2018, graduating with a bachelor's degree in economics. In 2019 he completed his graduate degree in sports journalism. Prior to going to Laurentian, James swam …

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