Swimming: Mack Horton breaks silence on Sun Yang protest and Shayna Jack

Silver medalist Mack Horton of Australia refused to stand with Sun Yang on the podium. Photo / Getty

Australian swimming champion Mack Horton has delivered an explosive claim that swimming is rife with drug cheats after breaking his silence on his podium protest against Sun Yang.

The 23-year-old Aussie spoke to Channel 7's Sunday Night about his protest and the subsequent positive drug test of fellow Australian Dolphins team member Shayna Jack.

Long a campaigner against drugs in sport, Horton was asked how dirty the sport is and it was then he dropped his bombshell allegation.

"We don't know how many athletes, how many swimmers aren't clean. I don't think there's any point in speculating but yeah, a lot," he said.

Despite the claims, Horton was quick to hit back at claims of hypocrisy against both himself and Swimming Australia after Jack's positive test.

Mark Horton has long had a feud with Sun Yang in the pool. Photo / Getty

Those claims come on the back of Horton refusing to take the podium with Yang after the 400m freestyle final.

Sun finished with the gold medal, 0.73 seconds ahead of Horton in silver but after refusing to stand on the podium with the Chinese star, Horton sparked a wider debate around drugs in sport.

Horton hit back at claims of hypocrisy aimed at the Aussies after Jack's positive test to the banned substance Ligandrol exploded.

"We are not hypocrites. We are enforcing what we are standing for and I think Australia is definitely standing for clean sport," he told Melissa Doyle.

"No one was really sure what to think or feel, I think, at the time and, you know, we still had another finals session ahead of us, we still had another day of competition.

"I think the difference being as soon as she returns a positive sample, she's returned to Australia, she's not competing at a World Championships and that gives me faith in the Australian system and that Australians demand clean sport. We won't let our own athletes get away with it and because we won't let our own athletes get away with it, we can question and demand more from the rest of the world."