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Friday, 29 March 2024

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang given eight year doping ban

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Chinese swimmer Sun Yang given eight year doping ban
Chinese swimmer Sun Yang given eight year doping ban

Chinese multiple world and Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang has been banned from the sport for eight years for missing an out-of-competition test, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

Adam Reed reports.

China's three-time Olympic gold medallist Sun Yang expressed his shock at being handed an eight-year ban on Friday (February 28) for a dope test violation that rules him out of the Tokyo Games and said he would immediately appeal the decision.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport earlier accepted an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision by swimming's governing body to clear Sun of wrongdoing for his conduct during a 2018 test.

CAS said the eight-year ban was imposed because the 28-year-old already had an earlier anti-doping rule violation against him.

Sun expressed his angered at the decision saying in a statement, "I firmly believe in my innocence!

Believe that facts must overcome lies!" The Chinese swimmer is reigning world and Olympic champion in 200m freestyle and won two gold medals in 2012 and another in 2016, but is also a controversial figure in the sport.

At the Rio Games, Australian rival Mack Horton accused him of being a "drug cheat" and refused to share a podium with Sun at last year's World Championship while the appeal hung over him.

As did British swimmer Duncan Scott, who won 200m freestyle bronze.

CAS ruled that Sun's world championship results should remain, because he passed doping control before and after the aborted 2018 test, when his entourage smashed vials containing blood samples taken out-of-competition.

The Chinese Swimming Association said it deeply regretted the ruling and supported Sun in defending his interests.

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