Sun Yang was in the middle of controversy at the world swimming championships again.

The Chinese star got shunned on the medals podium again.

Sun won the 200-metre freestyle on Tuesday night after Danas Rapsys of Lithuania finished first and got disqualified for an apparent false start.

Sun touched second, but got elevated after Rapsys had already celebrated in the pool.

Sun appeared surprised, clasping his hands to his face, but quickly sat on the lane rope and raised both arms in the air as a mix of cheers and boos rang out.

Katsuhiro Matsumoto of Japan took silver. Martin Malyutin of Russia and Duncan Scott of Britain tied for bronze.

Lithuania's Danas Rapšys was the first to touch the wall in the men's 200m free final but is disqualified for a false start.<br><br>China's Sun Yang wins gold at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FINAGwangju2019?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FINAGwangju2019</a> 🥇<a href="https://t.co/8yxPNKAZK8">https://t.co/8yxPNKAZK8</a> <a href="https://t.co/PZBOZAHPOe">pic.twitter.com/PZBOZAHPOe</a> —@CBCOlympics

Snubbed on the podium again

On the podium, Scott wanted no part of sharing the moment with Sun.

Scott kept his hands clasped behind his back and refused to shake Sun's hand, standing off on his own while the other medalists joined Sun to pose for photographers.

After leaving the podium, it appeared as though Sun confronted Scott and said, "I win, I win, you lose."

WATCH | Sun Yang gets the brush off:

China's Sun Yang is once again shunned by a competitor on the medals podium, this time by Great Britain's Duncan Scott. Sun faces a lifetime ban if found guilty of smashing vials of his blood with a hammer during a clash last year with drug testers. 1:04

Sun, who served a three-month doping ban in 2014, is being allowed by FINA to compete in Gwangju ahead of a Court for Arbitration in Sport hearing in September that threatens Sun's career.

After Sun won the 400 free, silver medallist Mack Horton of Australia refused to step on the podium or acknowledge Sun during the medals ceremony. FINA, swimming's governing body, sent warning letters to Swimming Australia and Horton for his actions.

"FINA has currently done more to reprimand Mack Horton than they have done to reprimand Sun Yang," said American Lilly King, who won the women's 100 breaststroke.

Strong accusations

Sun has been accused of smashing vials of his blood with a hammer during a clash last year with testers, and faces a lifetime ban if found guilty.

"He does quite a good job of making sure everyone continues to know about it," Scott said, referring to Sun's pending doping case. "So I guess that's all I've got to say about that."

Sun spread his arms apart and looked at Scott as the Brit turned to come off the podium. Sun and the other two medalists stopped for photographers on the pool deck, but Scott kept on walking.

"The athletes are starting to stand up for themselves and stand up for what they believe in so, I commend them," King said. "That's incredibly brave."

There were more boos — and cheers from Chinese fans — in the crowd at Nambu University Municipal Aquatics Center.

"If people are booing him it's for a reason," British swimmer Adam Peaty said of Sun. "He should be asking himself now should he really be in a sport when people are booing him?"

Peaty said Scott's action was "completely right."

"The most important thing as a sports person is you have a right to a voice," Peaty said. "Duncan shared his voice and so did the crowd, so it's completely fair."

Sun, the current Olympic champion in the 200 free, earned his third straight medal in the event at worlds and second gold in a row.

He was timed in one minute, 44.93 seconds.