Sun’s ban ends too late for him to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but he says he will restart his swimming career.
Disgraced three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang hopes to return to competitive swimming “as soon as possible” after his more than four-year suspension for doping violation ends.
The Chinese freestyler was originally banned for eight years by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 2020 for breaking vials of blood during a 2018 test, circumstances he still disputes. His suspension from competitive swimming ended Tuesday.
The ban was reduced on appeal to four years and three months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2021.
“I hope to be able to choose a competition and return to the starting block as quickly as possible,” said the 32-year-old in an interview published by state media outlet The Paper.
Sun’s return comes with Chinese swimmers under intense scrutiny since it emerged that WADA allowed 23 of them to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance.
WADA accepted China’s explanation that the swimmers unwittingly consumed the substance through food at their hotel.
Sun’s return is too late for him to compete at this summer’s Paris Olympics, but he hinted he was aiming for long-term goals.
“The Olympics are just a competition for me, they will end, and after they end there will be another one,” Sun said.
“I often do some competitive mock tests now that I’m back training… I’m constantly trying to get that feeling back,” he said.
Sun, 2 meters tall (6 feet 7 inches), was the first Chinese swimmer to win Olympic gold, in the 400m and 1,500m at the 2012 London Games, but has long been a controversial figure in the pool.
Some rivals called him a cheater at the 2016 Rio Olympics and two competitors refused to stand with him on the medal podiums at the 2019 World Championships.
Sun was also banned for three months in 2014 after testing positive for a banned substance.
“I think that compared to other athletes, I am very lucky and I am very grateful and grateful,” Sun said, referring to his past achievements, which also include 11 world championship gold medals from 2011 to 2019.
He said he felt “very dark” when he initially found out about his second ban, but that his time away from the pool gave him space to develop other interests.
“When I look back [on the past four years]I don’t think it’s a big deal,” Sun said.
“Actually, the biggest change in my last four years is that I started a family and now I have another half,” he said, referring to his marriage to gymnast Zhang Doudou.
“These four years added a little color to my life.”
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
