2016 RIO OLYMPIC GAMES
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Swimming: August 6-13
- Olympic Aquatics Stadium, Barra Olympic Park, Rio de Janeiro
- Prelims – 9:00 a.m/12:00 p.m PST/EST (1:00 p.m local), Finals – 6:00 p.m/9:00 p.m PST/EST (10:00 p.m local)
- SwimSwam previews
- Schedule & Results
- Live Stream (NBC)
This morning, after climbing out of the pool from her 200 breaststroke prelim swim, Lilly King spoke about her Olympic record-breaking 100 breaststroke over Russia’s Yulia Efimova. Much has been said since about the race (including an impeccable comparison to Rocky IV), but the original quote that stuck with viewers was King reference to Efimova, saying “you put your finger in the air for number one and you’ve been caught drug cheating…I’m not a fan.”
Today she elaborated further on her comments and the race, saying “My parents raised me to say what I wanted to say even if it wasn’t necessarily what people wanted to hear. It’s always been how I am and I’ll stick to my guns.”
In the meantime, social media has exploded with excitement and support for King, most notably buzz over her meme-worthy finger wag. King says that she has seen a massive social media response to her success.
“I have so many followers now it’s really weird. Reggie Miller of the Indiana Pacers followed me yesterday,” she said. “I don’t know if you know who that is but it’s a pretty big deal for me. It’s been crazy getting all the support from people back home and that’s really nice.”
She added that she has felt encouraged by the general response to her comments on doping.
“Obviously, I got some negative backlash which I expected,” she said. “But for the most part, the support has been really positive and I’ve been really thankful for that.”
King swims in the semifinals of the 200 breast tonight.
SHOTS HAVE BEEN FIRED
I love Lilly
I find it funny she talks of saying what she wants yet doesn’t say it to the person or persons face when talking about them. No she says it around them and they hear about it later. The way she was looking at the Russian, she was acting cocky with her little smirk. At first I found it funny and was happy when she beat the Russian but than saw the woman crying after being booed at and later told what king said. I found it hard to take king seriously with her annoying goggle string in her face ever time she swims. I don’t like those people who boo, I use to get in trouble in elementary school for… Read more »
In an interview, King’s father said he monitors her social media accounts and deletes the negative messages to protect her. This surprised me since she is 19 1/2 years old and a college student. Perhaps she is just REALLY sheltered. If he monitors her social media, perhaps he also has parental controls on the literature she is allowed to read.
This is not about doping! Lilly could care less….. This is about taking her competition out of her game. BULLYING her way to gold.
Lilly is about Lilly and drawing as much media attention to herself as possible. Self serving BULLY! It’s not Lilly’s fault its just the culture of her coach and club team, NSC which has taught her this behavior. I am for american swimmers! But just not this one.
I don’t know anything about Lilly, but the culture in Southern California Swimming (where yulia trains) has a history of constant cheating. The culture allows for rules to apply to some and not others – times are falsified, results are changed, time pads are unplugged, yard times are entered as meter times, swimmers switch spots on relays to obtain a faster time for a slower swimmer, board members vote on whether or not to continue cheating and if it should be for all athletes or “coach’s choice”, review panels are stacked with people with conflicts of interest, hearings not held in mandated time frame – the list goes on. I too feel the culture is to blame and not the… Read more »
Efimova brought this all on herself. She’s tested positive for banned PED’s 3 times. Were there extenuating circumstances? Yes, that’s why she was allowed into the games after a last minute hearing. But that still puts her on tenuous moral ground. Had she gone through the games maintaining as low a profile as possible and a humble attitude, she would have had to endure some scorn, but she wouldn’t have been in the eye of the media storm. When she pompously threw up a #1 hand gesture, after winning a semifinal, no less, she opened the door to and invited people to pile on her. Lilly King just happened to be the one who jumped first. And when Lilly King… Read more »
I think we’re all lucky that your parents did not raise you to do whatever you want to do. We’re also very lucky that you chose swimming and not shooting as your sport. Free speech is well and fine but it should not incite hatred.
Make America great again – Lilly King
I wish her have some empathy and humanity and show the world with class and true sports manship. Being a bully doesnt represent her country well.
BULLY KING!
She’s so full of herself. I wish she shows some true sports manship with some class. She went too far bullying the Russian girl and I hope she will grow some empathy and humanity.