RIO DE JANEIRO — The president of the International Olympic Committee made a plea for unity at the opening ceremony of the Rio Games last week. But that hope is fraying as some athletes are openly criticizing competitors who have a history of using performance-enhancing drugs.
The friction has been most pronounced at the swimming competition, where Yulia Efimova of Russia and Sun Yang of China, who have served suspensions for doping, have been vilified by rivals. Whether it is antidoping activism by athletes who do not trust the Olympic committee, or vigilantism, the denouncements have created plenty of awkwardness, overshadowing some of the athletic performances.