China's Olympic champion Sun Yang said Friday he is defending the rights of all athletes in an interview after the men's 4x200m freestyle final in Gwangju, South Korea.

(Photo: VCG)

"Thanks my strong heart, I can focus on today. There are millions of swimmers in the world, and it's hard for just a few of them to try to influence me," Sun responded when reporters asked whether he was affected by recent events.

Earlier this week, Mack Horton of Australia, a silver medalist, distanced himself from the podium during the men's 400 meter freestyle medal ceremony on Sunday, when Sun Yang won a gold medal ahead of Horton. Britain's Duncan Scott Tuesday also refused to step onto the podium during a medal-awarding ceremony for the men's 200 meter freestyle, where Sun grabbed his second gold medal in the championships.

"FINA has made it very clear that I have not broken any rules and I am complying with the relevant regulations," Sun said. "What I am doing is trying to protect rights of every athlete, including myself."

Last year, Sun refused to finish a doping test as the doping control officers sent by International Doping Tests & Management (IDTM) "were not properly accredited to carry out the out of competition tests on Sun Yang, as the FINA judgment sets out very clearly," according to a statement by Sun's lawyers.

(Compiled by Xu Zheqi)