The head of Hungary's swimming federation should resign because, among other issues, poor training conditions haven't improved, three-time Olympic champion Katinka Hosszú has said.
However, AP reports that the federation has rejected her claims. This is not the first time Hosszú, coached by her American husband Shane Tusup, has clashed with Hungarian officials.
In her latest criticism, she wrote on her Facebook page that federation president Tamás Gyárfás is Hungarian swimming's "most harmful factor" and rejected his comments that everything was fine between them.
"Tamas Gyárfás was the first one who said in 2008 that I should quit swimming and retire," said 27-year-old Hosszú. "If it was up to him, Hungary would have returned from the Rio Olympics with three fewer gold medals and one less silver medal."
Hosszú also faulted the federation for taking undue credit for the results of Hungarian swimmers; said the organization's decision-making process was undemocratic; and implied that financial pressures were involved in the election of its leadership.
"They are working to have people believe that there is no life outside the system," Hosszú wrote. "This is simply laughable. I myself am the living example that there is life after the Hungarian Swimming Federation. In fact, that's when there really is (life)."
In a lengthy reply to Hosszú, the federation said it was "baffled" by her comments, adding that officials had been unable to have substantive talks with her since October 2015, when they said their relationship deteriorated after Hosszú declined to take part in a promotional video.
"The federation's leadership ... is baffled by Katinka Hosszú's latest comments," the federation said, while praising her results and denying that Gyárfás had told her to quit in 2008. "The accusations in her serious criticism are equally unfounded."
While calling it "a gift of fate" that Hosszú and Tusup had met, the federation said swimming officials and competition organizers were increasingly critical of Tusup's behavior, with most clashes occurring due to financial conflicts.
"Professionalism is fully recognized in the sporting world, but Shane Tusup's behavior and style have become increasingly unacceptable in world swimming," the federation said.
Hosszú won three gold medals and a silver medal at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August, holds several world records in individual medleys and was named FINA female swimmer of the year in 2014 and 2015.
Budapest will host swimming's world championships in 2017.