Caulfield Grammar will keep the name of its golden graduate Mack Horton off its newly-opened, $25 million aquatic centre to preserve the school’s commercial interests in China.

A plan to name the state-of-the-art centre after Horton, the school’s first Olympic champion, was quietly ditched late last year in response to the public fall-out from Horton’s refusal to share a medals dais at the FINA World Championships with Sun Yang, one of China’s most-celebrated athletes.

The new Aquatic Centre at Caulfield Grammar School. Source: Facebook CGS Credit:Facebook CGS

Sources familiar with the matter say that prior to Horton's decision to snub Sun Yang on the podium, the school intended to name the pool in his honour.

A spokeswoman for Caulfield Grammar declined to comment on the decision to disassociate the pool from Horton. She said no decision had been made on the name of the pool, which remains generically known as the Caulfield Grammar Aquatic and Wellbeing Centre.