China's champion swimmer Sun Yang has been banned from the sport for eight years for violating anti-doping rules. The ruling was made by the International Court of Arbitration for Sport. The 28-year-old swimmer cannot take part in any competitions including the 2020 Olympics to be held in Tokyo. Eight-year ban may also result in the end of Sun Yang's career.
Here are five facts about champion swimmer Sun Yang
Olympic champion
The champion swimmer won three Olympic accolades including gold in the 200-meter freestyle in 2016 Rio Olympics. He won silver in the 400-meter freestyle in the same year. In the 2012 Summer Olympics, he won gold medals in 400-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle. He had created history for China when he became the first Chinese swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal in 2012.
World Record
When he was 19, Sun Yang broke Hackett's world record of 14:34.56. This record was not broken for 10 years. This was the only men's swimming world record not to have been beaten during the tech suit era.
Ban
Sun Yang was also banned earlier in connection with doping. He was banned for three months in May 2014 by the Chinese Swimming Association. Yang had tested positive for using a banned drug trimetazidine. Yang tried to justify that his doctor had recommended him the drug as he complained of heart palpitations, a problem he suffered since 2008.
In 2018, when he was accused of doping outside competition, Yang and his staff had destroyed blood sample vials and said that those who conducted blood test were not credential. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) took up the case and held a public hearing in November 2019 and pronounced him guilty on February 28, 2020, However, the CAS has ruled that Yang should not be stripped of any of his medals and accolades.
Comes from family of athletes
Yang was born on December 1, 1991, in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. He is the only child of basketball player Sun Quanhong and volleyball player Yang Min. Yang started swimming in 1998 and his talent was first recognized when he was a student of Jinglun Sports School in Hangzhou.
Controversy
In 2016, Yang won 400-meter freestyle but this win was marred by controversy. Yang was accused of splashing water into his rival, Australian swimmer Horton's face. Horton called Yang drug cheat and told that Yang splashed water on him purposely to distract him. But Yang refuted these claims and said it must be a misunderstanding. Chinese Swimming Association requested an apology from Horton as even Yang's fans stated Horton's claims were racist.
