There’s something happening in Rio, and it has nothing to do with the medal tally.

There’s a growing alignment among the competitors – not along national lines, but among those identifying themselves as ‘clean athletes’ who are shunning and shaming the so-called ‘drug cheats’.

It started with Australia’s Mack Horton when he branded China’s Sun Yang a drug cheat after taking his 400m freestyle title from him on Sunday.

Since then, a succession of high-profile athletes have backed Horton’s stance and called for the banning of convicted dopers from future Olympic Games, even if they have served their sentences.

US swimming great Michael Phelps added his considerable voice to the issue on Tuesday.

“You’re probably going to see a lot of people speaking up more. I think something needs to be done,” Phelps said. “It’s sad that today in sports in general, not just only swimming, there are people who are testing positive who are allowed back in the sport – and multiple times.”

Phelps said he is sad for the sport. Photo: AAP

Phelps made his comments in support of his young teammate Lilly King’s stance that Russian rival Yulia Efimova should not be competing in Rio.

King backed up her claims with a 100m breaststroke victory over world champion Efimova, who served a 16-month steroid ban but was allowed to swim in Rio despite this year testing positive for meldonium, the drug that tennis player Maria Sharapova was banned for.

“I wish somebody would do something about it,” she said.

Lilly King did not mince her words about Russia’s Yulia Efimova. Photo: Getty

Efimova appeared visibly upset after coming second to King and was booed on the podium as she collected her silver medal.

“I understand the people who didn’t congratulate me because the media was full of fake stories about me,” Efimova was quoted as saying by Russia’s Tass agency in Rio.

“But on the other hand I don’t really understand the foreign competitors. All athletes should be above politics, but they just watch TV and believe everything they read. I always thought the cold war was long in the past. Why start it again, by using sport?”

#Efimova is consoled by her agent after losing 100 breast final. #RioOlympics2016 pic.twitter.com/PnsYyLhdG5

— Beth Harris (@bethharrisap) August 9, 2016

King also spoke of her solidarity with Horton’s assertions about Sun.

“I completely agree with him. This is one for the good guys. A 1-3 finish for the USA,” she told Channel Seven.

“We’re competing clean and we’re going to stay that way. It’s still going to bring us success in the pool.”

Horton taunted Chinese swimmer Sun about his three-month drugs ban in 2014, drawing a furious response from Chinese officials and media.

The Australian Olympic Committee has since backed Horton for making the comments in the face of calls for an apology.

Sun Yang ‘pisses purple’

Adding to the growing animosity toward those who have previously tested positive was an extraordinary claim by French swimmer Camille Lacourt against the 200m freestyle gold medalist.

Lacourt made the blatant accusations post-race. Photo: Getty

“Sun Yang, he pisses purple,” Lacourt told French radio station RMCsport after the race.

“When I see the 200m podium I want to be sick. I prefer to remember the crowd that cheered when we went out.

“I am very sad when I see my sport getting like this. I have the impression I am looking at athletics, with two or three doped in each final.

“I hope that [swimming’s world governing body] FINA is going to do react and stop this massacre, because it is getting sad.”

The International Olympic Committee says it has not yet received a formal complaint from China over any of the comments and does not intend to investigate further.

Horton slammed ‘drug cheat’ Sun Yang after winning gold in the 400m freestyle. Photo: Getty

Australian chef de mission Kitty Chiller said there would be no apology.

“Mack obviously has very strong views about the need for clean sport, as every single one of us does,” she said.

“He has every right to express his views and his displeasure in that sense.

“We have no intention of making an apology.”

– with ABC