Disgraced swimmer Sun Yang seeks competitive return as drug ban ends
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Sun Yang’s return is too late for him to compete at the Paris Olympics, but he hinted that he was setting his sights on longer-term goals.
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SHANGHAI – Disgraced three-gold Olympic champion Sun Yang hopes to return to competitive swimming “as soon as possible” after his four-year ban for a doping violation ended on May 28.
The Chinese freestyle specialist was originally suspended for eight years
The ban was reduced on appeal to four years and three months
“I hope that I’ll be able to pick a competition and return to the starting block as soon as possible,” the 32-year-old told state-run media outlet The Paper.
His return comes with China’s swimmers under intense scrutiny since it emerged that Wada allowed 23 of them to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, despite testing positive for a banned substance.
Wada accepted China’s explanation that the swimmers unwittingly consumed the substance
Sun’s return is too late for him to compete at the July 26-Aug 11 Paris Olympics, but he hinted that he was setting his sights on longer-term goals.
“The Olympics are just a competition for me, they will end, and after they end, there will be another one,” he said.
“I am frequently doing some simulated competition tests now that I’ve returned to training... I am constantly trying to recapture that feeling.”
Sun is the first male Chinese swimmer to win Olympic gold. He won 400m and 1,500m free gold at the 2012 London Games, but has long been a controversial figure in the pool.
Some rivals called him a cheat at the 2016 Rio Olympics and two competitors refused to stand with him on medal podiums at the 2019 World Championships.
Sun was also given a three-month ban in 2014 after testing positive for a banned substance.
“I think compared to other athletes I am very lucky, and I am very grateful and thankful,” he added, referring to his achievements which also include 11 world championship golds from 2011 to 2019.
He also said he had felt “very dark” when he initially found out about his second ban, but that his time away from the pool had given him the space to develop other interests.
“When I look back (on the past four years), I think it’s really no big deal,” said the Chinese, who married gymnast Zhang Doudou in July 2023.
“In fact, the biggest change in my past four years is that I started a family and now have another half. These four years have added some colour to my life.” AFP
