Sun Yang questioned by fans for missing China swimming team’s military training camp in Beijing
- China’s swimmers sent to PLA camp after disappointing medal haul at World Championships in July
- Team captain Sun defends himself on Weibo over doping charges, saying people have been ‘twisting the facts’
Controversial swimmer Sun Yang is under the spotlight again after missing a military training camp attended by his fellow China team members following a disappointing world championships this summer.
Sun did not join other top swimmers such as Xu Jiayu, Fu Yuanhui, Ye Shiwen and Liu Shuang for the five-day camp at the People’s Liberation Army Sports Training Centre in Beijing that ended on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old faces a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing over anti-doping violations involving a test at his residence compound last September.
Documents leaked to the media allegedly revealed Sun questioned the credentials of the testers before members of his entourage smashed the vials containing his blood samples with a hammer.
While fans have questioned his absence, especially as he is captain of the team, China team manager Cheng Hao said the 1,500m world record holder was still recovering from a hectic world championships effort in July and would join the team in the future “when his body has fully recovered and military camp becomes part of their regular training”.