On-line trolls continue to attack him but Olympic champion Mack Horton says he has no regrets over his controversial Rio Games campaign.
Horton revealed he was still "copping hate" on social media after branding Sun Yang a drug cheat at Rio before triumphing over his Chinese rival to claim 400m freestyle gold.
And the 20-year-old did not expect it to go away any time soon as he prepared to return to the pool at this week's national short course titles in Brisbane.
Asked if he would have done anything differently at Rio in hindsight, Horton told AAP: "Not a thing.
"I would do everything exactly the same.
"I liked the way it all turned out."
Horton was still adamant he had helped champion the need for clean sport in Rio by targeting Sun, who had served a secret three-month ban in 2014 for a banned stimulant.
But clearly it came at a cost.
Horton was provided a not so subtle reminder that Sun's outraged fans still had it in for him recently.
Horton was inundated by vile responses when he revealed he had a cancerous mole removed from his chest thanks to a tip from an eagle-eyed fan.
Horton copped it after using Twitter and Instagram to thank the fan who had emailed the swim team doctor to say the Olympic champ should get the mole checked.
"It was pretty crazy. I knew I had to eventually get it checked out because I had noticed it grow, but this person saying I should do it really made me finally go out and check it," Horton said of his recent surgery.
"The social media flak? It doesn't really bother me.
"I am still on Twitter and Instagram and still copping hate but I guess I am used to it now.
"I am pretty addicted to it (social media), but I don't even see that (trolling) any more."
Horton had plenty of time to grasp what he had achieved in Rio on a five-week European holiday with his girlfriend.
But Horton reckoned he may never fully comprehend the fact he claimed 400m gold on Olympic debut.
"I am not even close to getting my head around it," he said.
"Especially now because I haven't swum for a while.
"I don't think I will realise until I finish swimming."
Horton on Friday will line up in a world class 200m freestyle field featuring Rio 100m champ Kyle Chalmers, Cameron McEvoy and South Korean Olympic medallist Park Tae-Hwan.
Meanwhile, dual world champions Emily Seebohm (50m butterfly, 200m backstroke) and Mitch Larkin (50m backstroke) were on the national short course day one winners' list.
A rusty Bronte Campbell finished fourth behind 100m freestyle victor Brittany Elmslie.
McEvoy claimed the men's 100m crown.
