Swimmer rapped for 'cheat' comment

Australian champion swimmer Kieren Perkins was officially reprimanded on Tuesday for calling American Gary Hall a "drugs cheat" as tension rose between the two nations expected to dominate the Olympic swimming competition.

Australian Olympic Committee president John Coates told a news conference he had already spoken to Perkins's manager and would tell the swimmer himself he should not say such things.

Perkins had been responding to comments made by Hall who wrote in his Olympic internet column that the Americans would smash the Australians "like guitars" in the Sydney Games, which open on September 15.

World record holder Perkins, attempting to win gold in the 1,500 metres in his third successive Olympics, referred on Tuesday to Hall's three-month ban for testing positive for marijuana two years ago.

"I don't take a lot of notice of drug cheats so you know, don't worry about him," said Perkins.

"He got suspended didn't he? It's fact then, there you go."

Asked if he really meant what he said, Perkins added: "I don't have to race him. What am I worried about?"

Coates said: "Kieren knows he shouldn't have said it and will be more careful. I'll remind him of that as well."

"His manager has had a talk with him and he (Perkins) acknowledges he shouldn't have said it. I will have a talk with him and just explain again the values under which our Australian team are going to compete in these Games."

Coates apologised to the U.S. team last week after Australian long jumper Jai Taurima made inflammatory comments.

Taurima upset the Americans when he dismissed the medal chances of their Afro-American jumpers, Melvin Lister and Savante Stringfellow, saying they would struggle to cope with the mild conditions in Sydney.