Sun Yang could take charge of Chinese swimming after earning unprecedented 'officer' title

Controversial swimmer Sun Yang could become the official in charge of the sport in China after he was revealed to have become the first active mainland athlete to carry an “officer” title, an honour not even accorded to such eminent sporting personalities as hurdler Liu Xiang, tennis ace Li Na or basketball great Yao Ming.

The 27-year-old, who captured two gold medals at the world championships in Gwangju, South Korea, last month, was asked by mainland media over the weekend if he had any ambition to become the head of Chinese swimming. Sun did not reject the idea, but said he still had a long way to go as he was just a “division chief” at the Zhejiang Sports College.

“Chairman Zhou [Jihong] is one of our best leaders, but as an assistant division chief at the college, of course I want to try one day,” said Sun. “But whether I can do a good job in such a position will depend on whether I have the capability and the support of the senior management. At the moment, my role is to focus on training.”

Zhou is the chairman of the Chinese Swimming Association. She won China’s first diving gold medal, at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

Sun, from Zhejiang province, was the first Chinese male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal, at the 2012 London Games. He also won gold medals, ranging from the 200m freestyle to 1,500m at various world championships.

The swimmer’s fans immediately put up the news on social media platform Weibo, congratulating Sun not only on being a gold medal-winning swimmer but also on being an officer at the provincial sports academy, an unprecedented appointment for an active sports star. Normally, athletes will be given roles in the bureaucracy after their retirement. And the news became a hot search in Weibo.