Mack Horton’s Sun Yang feud not behind Caulfield Grammar’s pool-naming snub

Swimmers preparing to meet in Tokyo 2020 where Australian will defend 400m freestyle gold as Sun awaits CAS verdict

Melbourne school principal says reported plans to name US$16.5m pool after their only Olympian were ‘never discussed’

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Silver medallist Australia's Mack Horton (left) and gold medallist Sun Yang pose with their medals after the final of the men's 400m freestyle event at the 2019 world championships. Photo: AFP

Published: 1:31pm, 25 Feb 2020Updated: 10:36pm, 25 Feb 2020

A prestigious Melbourne private school has denied that it scrapped plans to name its pool after former pupil Mack Horton in order to protect its commercial interests in China.

Australian newspapers including The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald reported on Sunday that the school pool was set to be renamed for the Olympic gold medallist before he snubbed Chinese swimming superstar Sun Yang at the world championships in South Korea last year.

Caulfield Grammar released a statement on Monday to deny those reports, which had drawn widespread criticism in Australia.

School principal Ashleigh Martin said that naming the swimming facility after the school’s only Olympian had never been discussed.

Sun Yang holds up his gold medal as silver medallist Mack Horton stands away from the podium. Photo: AP

“The school has not started a process for naming the facility after any individual, or decided at this time if it will be named after any individual,” he said in a media statement.

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