Olympics-Swimming-No place for dopers on Team USA, says American King
RIO DE JANEIRO, Aug 9 (Reuters) - Athletes with past doping convictions should not be on Team USA, Olympic breaststroke champion Lily King said on Monday in response to a question about the inclusion of sprinter Justin Gatlin.
King beat Russian Yulia Efimova to win the women's 100 meters breaststroke gold medal, a day after publicly criticizing her rival, who has served two previous doping-related suspensions.
She was then asked at a news conference if Gatlin, who also has two past offenses, should be taking part in the Rio Games.
"Do I think people who have been caught for doping offenses should be on the team? No, they shouldn't," she told reporters at a tense news conference alongside Efimova.
Gatlin tested positive in 2001 for an amphetamine contained in a medication he had taken for attention deficit disorder (ADD). The 2004 Olympic gold medallist and 2005 world champion then failed a test for the banned steroid testosterone in 2006.
Revelations of state-sponsored doping in Russia have dominated the build-up to the Rio Olympics and increased pressure on athletes and officials to take a stand on the divisive issue. (Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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