Fellow champ backs Hackett

Troubled Olympic gold medalist Grant Hackett can still be a good mentor to Australia's swimmers at the Rio de Janeiro Games, former breaststroke queen Leisel Jones said on Monday.

Long distance swimming great Hackett, who missed out on qualifying for the Rio Games last week, was questioned by police over an altercation with a passenger on a flight to Melbourne on Sunday.

The 35-year-old, who won back-to-back Olympic 1,500 metres freestyle titles at the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, issued a public apology on Monday after the male passenger claimed the swimmer had pinched his nipple and "groped" his chest.