China’s Sun Yang wins 400m free in domestic meet on return from doping ban

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang won the men's 400 metres freestyle title at the National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei after returning from a four-year ban for doping.

The 32-year-old was banned from competing for four years and three months for a dope test violation in 2018 in which he and members of his entourage smashed vials containing blood samples.

The ban, reduced from the original eight years on appeal, expired on May 28. Sun missed national trials for both the Tokyo and Paris Games due to suspension.

On Sunday, the three-gold Olympic champion, representing Zhejiang province, won his race in 3min 49.58sec, quite a way off his personal-best 3:40.14 set at London 2012.

"I could have done better," he told local media after the final. "Four years away from competition, and without intensive training, I do feel rusty in controlling the tempo and I need more competitions.

"But it's a good start for my comeback and I'm happy with this result."

Sun, who also served a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking trimetazidine (TMZ), which he said was to treat a heart condition, won Olympic gold in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle in London and took the 200m title in Rio four years later.

China's swimming team were under intense scrutiny during the Olympic Games in Paris over the country's doping record. China secured 12 medals in swimming at the Games, including two golds. REUTERS