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Jonathan White

It was nearly all over before it started for Sun Yang.
At 7.39pm on August 4, 2012, the eight swimmers were atop the starting blocks of the men’s Olympic 1,500m freestyle final.
“Take your mark,” said the announcer inside the Aquatics Centre at London’s Olympic Park.
Then there was an audible groan as China’s Sun was in the pool, the only swimmer who had left the blocks, and the favourite was facing disqualification in his favoured event.

The official had told the swimmers to stand up after asking them to take their mark and all but Sun had followed. He appeared bemused as he climbed back out of the pool, looking to the officials for an answer.
“My mind went blank – I thought, I practised for four years for this moment, I never imagined this would happen,” Sun told China’s state broadcaster CCTV after the race. “I thought to myself, I have to calm down – this way I’ll still have a chance.”
‘I am the king’: doping ban ends swimming career defined by taunts, tantrums
No official walked to over to Sun, now sat in the chair behind his starting block attempting to regain his composure, which they would had he been disqualified.
The false start was put down to noise in the crowd and the swimmers readied to go again. Sun’s mother could be seen on television shushing other spectators ahead of the restart.

Such drama before the race and then so little after it started.
Sun hit the pool first and stayed there, swimming two seconds under world record pace from the outset and finishing in 14:31.02.
“I didn’t set up any aims or objectives for the record before the race,” Sun told the media of the aim to break his own world record. “But my coach did because I am in a good condition and there was a possibility.
No decision on Sun appeals yet, says Swiss Federal Tribunal
“The environment helped me to achieve the objective. Maybe you don’t understand [about his emotional reaction]. I really, really wanted to get this gold medal.”
Sun beat Ryan Cochrane in silver by 8.61 seconds, a swim which made the Beijing 2008 bronze medallist from Canada the fourth fastest of all time. Reigning Olympic champion Oussama Mellouli (Tunisia) was beaten into third.
Sun had beaten his own record of 14:34.14 set the summer before at the world championships in Shanghai. That mark had finally beaten Grant Hackett’s 14:34.56, which had stood since the 2001 world championships.

Sun’s new mark shaved an astonishing 3.12 seconds off his previous best and smashed Australian Hackett’s Olympic record of 14:38.92, set in the heats in Beijing.
Hackett’s mark was swimming’s longest standing world record after many fell at the 2009 worlds in Rome, where swimmers took advantage of body suits.
“From 2008 until now I’ve put a lot of effort in and this really means a lot to me,” an emotional Sun said. “The USA have done it and Europeans have done it so why can’t a Chinese do it?”
Sun had the weight of expectation on his shoulders. He was the great hope for a country that had never had a male swimming gold medallist before London. This was Sun’s second gold after winning the 400m free final and he would leave the British capital with four Olympic medals.
‘I can’t go lower than zero’ – CAS lawyer ranks Sun Yang’s performance
Looking back on the false start, he said: “I didn’t expect the little accident to happen. It’s really not easy to adjust from this accident and to achieve this result. I put a great deal of effort into swimming. I couldn’t hear the beep – there was some noise.
“I looked at my parents at first. I don’t know what they were thinking and I had to prove myself if I was given a second chance. I can do it as long as I had the chance. I have achieved my objectives. Not only me, but my coach and my parents have put a great deal of effort into this result.”

Sun thanked his parents again when he wrote on Weibo after the race.
“Today, I am truly overfilled with excitement. I have a lot of people to thank – the leadership, my coaches, and the team doctor; everyone who has ever helped me, including my fans. Without you, there wouldn’t be the Sun Yang today. I must thank my parents, for without their painstaking care and upbringing, I would not have done it today!
In Rio four years later, Sun had changed his focus to middle distance events and was unable to defend his crown after swimming the 16th fastest time in qualifying, finishing outside 15 minutes.


He would not swim under the 15-minute mark until 2019’s Chinese National Championships last March, his 14:55.00 being his fastest 1,500m time in four years. He did not compete in the 1,500m at the worlds in South Korea that summer, winning the 200m and 400m.
Sun’s legacy is now in doubt as he appeals an eight-year, career-ending ban handed out by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February over a disputed 2018 doping test.
Whether he will be remembered for smashing world records or blood vials remains to be seen but eight years on from London, Sun’s 1,500m mark looks to stand the test of time.


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Sun Yang

On this day: Sun Yang smashes 1,500m world record at London 2012 after false start drama

China’s Sun Yang with his 1,500m freestyle gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: EPA

China's Sun Yang poses with Australian coach Denis Cotterell (R) after winning the men's 1500m freestyle final during the swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London. AFP PHOTO / MARTIN BUREAU (Photo by MARTIN BUREAU / AFP)

TOPSHOTS China's Sun Yang competes in the men's 1500m freestyle final during the swimming event at the London 2012 Olympic Games on August 4, 2012 in London. He won gold. AFP PHOTO / FABRICE COFFRINI

China's Sun Yang reacts after he won gold in the men's 1500m freestyle final in world record time during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 4, 2012. Sun clocked 14 minutes, 31.02 seconds to set a new world record. REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: OLYMPICS SPORT SWIMMING TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY)

FILE PHOTO: China's Sun Yang celebrates with his gold medal and national flag after winning the men's 1500m freestyle final during the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Aquatics Centre August 4, 2012. REUTERS/Jorge Silva/File Photo

Sun Yang fan group disbands as supporters ditch swimmer on Chinese social media

Sun Yang reacts to winning the 400m freestyle final at the 2019 world championships in South Korea. Photo: EPA

Sun Yang is ‘suspended’ says Chinese Swimming Association after Tokyo 2020 training reports

Sun Yang is still hoping to compete at next year’s Olympics in Tokyo. Photo: DPA

No word on Sun Yang CAS ban appeal but Tokyo 2020 delay raises Olympics hopes

China’s Sun Yang recovers after a 4x200m freestyle relay heat at the 2019 world championships. Photo: EPA

epa08254845 (FILE) - Chinese swimming star Sun Yang (2-L), reacts, as he arrives for the Court of Arbitration for Sport, (CAS) public hearing, in Montreux, Switzerland, 15 November 2019 (issued 28 February 2020). China's multiple Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang, 28, has been banned from competing for eight years for breaking anti-doping rules, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced on 28 February 2020 in Lausanne, Switzerland. EPA-EFE/JEAN-CHRISTOPHE BOTT *** Local Caption *** 55634140

Sun Yang’s career over? CAS appeal, Wada code change and swimming’s ‘darkest secrets’

Could Sun shine again? Photo: DPA

Sun Yang coach Denis Cotterell drops swimmer after CAS ban over doping test

China’s Sun Yang with Australian coach Denis Cotterell after winning the men’s 1,500m freestyle final at the London 2012 Olympics. Photo: AFP

China's Sun Yang (top C) attends a training session ahead of the 2019 World Championships at Nambu International Aquatics Centre in Gwangju on July 16, 2019. (Photo by Manan VATSYAYANA / AFP)

epa03341513 Yang Sun of China celebrates winning the Men's 1500m Freestyle with a new world record at the London 2012 Olympic Games Swimming competition, London, Britain, 04 August 2012. EPA/DENNIS M. SABANGAN

China's Sun Yang, bottom left, listens to his coach Dennis Cottrell, right, during a training session ahead of swimming competitions at the World Swimming Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, Tuesday, July 16, 2019. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

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Chinese star crushes his previous best by 3.12 seconds to become his country’s first male Olympic swimming champion
Eight years on, the 14:31.02 time looks untouchable as Sun’s legacy remains in question over CAS ban



Chinese star crushes his previous best by 3.12 seconds to become his country’s first male Olympic swimming gold medallist.


Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games

IOC (International Olympic Committee)