Australian Olympic legend Mack Horton unloads on Chinese swimming dopers amid drug scandal that has rocked the sport

An exasperated Mack Horton has been left infuriated by the Chinese doping scandal, with the Australian Olympic legend insisting his teammates have been let down by a 'failed system'.

Shockwaves were sent through swimming after it emerged that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned substance, before the Olympics in Tokyo three years ago.

Despite this, they were allowed to compete as they had not been provisionally suspended. China's team went on to win three gold medals in swimming races involving Australians. 

Horton, who famously called out rival Sun Yang - China's most famous swimmer who has failed drugs tests - was left livid by the news. 

'This news is infuriating for the entire sporting community,' Horton told the Sydney Morning Herald.

His feelings have been echoed by plenty of Aussie swimmers, with Emma McKeon and Ariarne Titmus taken to social media to denounce the latest development.

The World Anti-Doping Agency, known as WADA, accepted the explanation of the Chinese team, being that athletes' drug samples had been contaminated by food they were served at the team accommodation during their camp. 

An investigation deemed that the TMZ found in the samples would not have given significant improvement in performances.

But WADA have been accused of a lack of transparency, with Australia's Shayna Jack provisionally suspended while she was the subject of an investigation.

And Horton has called for greater accountability from the relevant authorities following the latest scandal. 

'People compete because they love to push themselves and race fairly,' he said.

'The news compromises the integrity of sport in general, not just swimming. One of the greatest things about sport is the values and morals it instils in us all, the misalignment seen in this incident is jarring.