Sun Yang: Chinese swim star out of Tokyo Olympics after ban from Court of Arbitration for Sport
- New ban lasts four years and three months, backdated to last February, ruling him out of 2020 Games that begin next month
- Original ban, overturned by Swiss Tribunal last year, saw champion banned for eight years over a contested doping test
Sun – the reigning 200m freestyle gold medallist – was originally banned for eight years by CAS following a 2019 hearing before that ruling was overturned.
The new verdict, which is backdated to last February, could see Sun return for the Paris 2024 Games, by which time he will be 32.
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China’s swim star Sun Yang to miss Tokyo Olympics despite doping-ban reduction
Sun’s original ban, given after a hearing that proved controversial, was overturned after the Swiss Federal Tribunal found questionable social media posts from the panel judge.
The new hearing took place last month with a verdict promised by the end of June ahead of the Games, which begin on July 23.
Sun Yang – why is China star banned from Tokyo Olympics?
China had left it open for Sun to represent them if his new trial allowed.
The original incident – which saw the World Anti Doping Agency take on Sun and swimming governing body Fina – related to an out-of-competition doping test at the swimmer’s home in Hangzhou in September, 2018.
After questioning the credentials of the doping officials on the night, Sun and his team destroyed the testing vials.
‘Delaying the inevitable’ – mixed reaction to Sun Yang news in China
The first hearing was held in public at the swimmer’s request, but this new hearing was held in private. Sun has not swum since the 2019 World Championships in South Korea.
Today’s verdict ensures that Sun and his Australian rival Mack Horton will not meet in the pool in Tokyo. Horton failed to qualify earlier this month.
