Chinese swimmer Sun Yang wins on return from four-year drugs ban

The three-time Olympic golden medallist returned from a 51-month drugs prohibition to triumph a 400m freestyle last successful China.

Disgraced three-time Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang has won his archetypal rubric successful the excavation aft coming backmost from a four-year doping ban.

The Chinese freestyler was primitively suspended for 8 years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) successful 2020 for smashing vials of humor during a 2018 test, the circumstances of which helium inactive disputes.

The prohibition was reduced connected entreaty to 4 years and 3 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport successful 2021. It expired successful May, excessively precocious for him to articulation the Chinese squad astatine the Paris 2024 Olympics.

The swimmer alternatively earned his archetypal post-ban golden medal connected Sunday astatine the second-level Chinese National Summer Swimming Championships.

Sun won the men’s 400m freestyle, pulling up of his rivals aft the archetypal 200 metres to triumph successful 3 minutes 49.58 seconds, considerably slower than his idiosyncratic best, an Olympic grounds 3:40.14 acceptable astatine the London 2012 Olympics.

Sun Yang competes during the Men’s 400m freestyle last connected time 1 of the 2024 National Summer Swimming Championships connected August 25, 2024, successful Hefei, China [Ni Yanqiang/Zhejiang Daily Press Group/VCG via Getty Images]

Sun eyes adjacent Olympics

Sun told Chinese authorities media outlet Xinhua helium could person done better. “I bash consciousness rusty successful controlling the tempo, and I request much competitions,” Sun said.

He wrote successful a station connected the X-like Weibo societal level connected Sunday that his past victories and failures had each “taught [him] however to look life’s galore difficulties and challenges.”

Sun’s comeback comes aft Chinese swimmers faced aggravated scrutiny implicit doping allegations astatine the 2024 Olympics successful Paris.

The two-metre gangly (6 feet, 7 inches) Sun was the archetypal Chinese swimmer to triumph Olympic gold, successful 400m and 1500m astatine the 2012 London Games, but has agelong been a arguable fig successful the pool.

Some rivals called him a cheat astatine the 2016 Rio Olympics and 2 competitors refused to basal with him connected medal podiums astatine the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.

Sun was besides fixed a three-month prohibition successful 2014 aft investigating affirmative for a banned substance.

At 32, Sun has said helium volition “go each out” to suffice for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

He presently holds 3 golden medals, 2 silvers and a bronze from the London and Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

Sun Yang (in red) interacts with fans aft winning the Men’s 400m Freestyle Final successful Hefei, China [Wang Yanfang/VCG via Getty Images]