Four months on from his bold - and global - attack on sporting drug cheats, Olympic swimming champion Mack Horton isn't backing down.
Unsure if anti-doping bodies are winning the battle, Horton is disappointed that the very public stand he made at the Rio Olympics hasn't led to greater numbers of athletes being caught out.
Outspken: Mack Horton participates in a 'grinder challenge' as part of promotions for the Sydney to Hobart yacht race.Credit: Daniel Munoz
"If it is changing, it's probably not quick enough," Horton said on Wednesday.
"It needs to happen faster. It needs to happen instantly and maybe one day we'll get there, I don't know.
Rivals: Horton with Sun Yang on the dais at the Rio Olympics in August.Credit: AP
"There's always going to be stuff that goes on, though, which is sad."
Instead of being able to bask in the glory of his surprise 400m freestyle win in Rio, Horton remains equally known as an anti-doping crusader for calling out his Chinese rival Sun Yang.
Even after his appearance as a celebrity "grinder" at a Sydney to Hobart promotion on Wednesday, the 20-year-old found himself ambushed by a Chinese journalist asking if he had anything to say to irate Chinese swimming fans.
"Not really," Horton said.
"I have a strong stand for clean sport and I think that all that needs to be said."
Horton later said he's used to such inquisitions by now.
"It always happens," he said.
"It's nothing against China or Yang. It's a stand for clean sport.
"A lot of swimmers think it, a lot of clean athletes think it, so it was just good to get it out there and start the conversation."
Horton's next crusade, while long term, is to atone for his disappointing fifth in the 1500m Olympic final with success in his pet event at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
After a well-earned seven-week break, Horton is back in the pool training for next year's world titles in Budapest, where the countdown to Tokyo begins.
"The 1500's my favourite but obviously I didn't go that well in Rio so I want to try and improve that and have that in a good position come Tokyo," he said.
"So we're going to be focusing on the 1500 a bit more. Hopefully that will work out with the 400 [too]."
AAP