This and the literal embrace of swimming’s governing body – Sun was hugged by Fina executive Cornel Macrulescu after winning gold in Rio – built up the cult of Sun.

He had no reason to fear a ban from the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) as Fina cleared him of any wrongdoing in the hearing that led to the World Anti-Doping Agency appeal and also supported a move to get the CAS hearing stopped.

It’s little wonder that he is seen as arrogant. Googling “Sun Yang” and the word “arrogant” brings up nearly three million results, with examples such as at the 2018 Asian Games – when Sun took to the podium in his sponsor 361’s clothes rather than the team outfit from Anta. He continued wearing his own but covered the offending logo with a China flag.

There have been missed training sessions and sponsor commitments, then there was the sacking of long-time coach Zhu Zhigen in 2013 after falling out over Sun dating a flight attendant.

Sun also spent a week in jail that year for crashing his SUV while driving without a licence.

The most arrogant act of all took place in the leisure complex of his compound on a September night in 2018 when he shone his phone torch on the blood vial his security guard smashed with a hammer.

It was this act that led CAS to come down on him so hard. “It is one thing, having provided a blood sample, to question the accreditation of the testing personnel while keeping the intact samples in the possession of the testing authorities,” they said. “It is quite another thing, after lengthy exchanges and warnings as to the consequences, to act in such a way that results in destroying the sample containers.”

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Even more bizarre were Sun’s claims that the act was intended to stand up for other athletes. Britain’s Adam Peaty described that as an “absolute joke”, while other swimmers have made their feelings about Sun clear over the years. France’s Camille Lacourt said the Chinese swimmer “pissed purple” in reference to a 2014 drug ban served in secret – a ban which Sun’s mother, Yang Ming, still considers to be unfair.

Horton refused to share the podium with Sun after finishing second to the Chinese swimmer in the 400m freestyle at the world championships in South Korea. Horton was reported to have been given a standing ovation on his return to the athlete’s village.

Fellow swimmers have complained of his antics. Sun was accused of trying to elbow and kick Brazilian women swimmer Larissa Oliveira after a confrontation in the practice pool at the 2015 Worlds. Fina said it was over-congestion. Sun splashed Horton in Rio and the two were kept apart at last year’s Worlds.

This is why, outside China, he is seen as a “bad sport” – even if not a doper.

They point to Sun’s victory celebrations in the 200m free at last year’s Worlds that did not tally with a man who had finished second, only to be handed gold because of the disqualification of Lithuania’s Danas Rapsys for a false start.

That was the view when he screamed “You’re a loser. I’m a winner” at Duncan Scott when the Briton refused to shake his hand after that same final in Gwangju, South Korea.

When not screaming, he has been crying. There is a strong case that it should have been Sun, not Chinese sporting superstar Yao Ming, that sparked crying memes.

Sun was reportedly in tears at the Beijing university pool he was training at when he heard the news last week.

For all the tears and tantrums, Sun was undoubtedly a great swimmer – but there is doubt over his record. Even Fina has said it is “open” to stripping him of the titles won at last year’s Worlds.

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There has been a worrying air of nationalism and xenophobia throughout Sun’s career, and the notion that criticism of him is criticism of China.

This has been clearest in the targeting of Sun’s critics online – most notably Horton and former NBA player Andrew Bogut. The racist rage is not likely to change whatever the result of Sun’s appeal with the Swiss federal court.

Sun has helped. “It was unfortunate because disrespecting me is OK but disrespecting China was very unfortunate and I felt sorry about that,” he said after Horton’s podium protest at the Worlds.

It’s not the only incidence of nationalism in his career – he called the Japanese anthem “ugly” after losing the 200m freestyle final at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea.

But swimming authorities and media have fuelled the flames, too.

The Chinese Swimming Association demanded an apology from its Aussie counterpart, after Horton’s “drugs cheat” jibe, while state media called Australia “an offshore prison”.

Sun has been enabled at every turn. Now there may be no more turns for the swimmer as his career hits the wall.