China’s most decorated swimmer, Sun Yang, made a triumphant return to the pool, winning gold in the men’s 400m freestyle at the National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei on Sunday after serving a contentious four-year doping ban. Overcome with emotion, the 32-year-old broke down during a post-race interview, expressing deep gratitude to his family for their unwavering support. Once vilified as a drug cheat, Sun’s comeback has been celebrated across state media, contrasting sharply with the criticism he faced earlier. His victory follows China’s claims of unfair treatment of its athletes during a recent anti-doping controversy at the Paris Olympics.
Sun was suspended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in 2020 for refusing to provide samples during an out-of-competition test at his home in 2018. Despite a previous three-month ban in 2014 for using the banned substance Trimetazidine (TMZ), Sun denied any wrongdoing in the 2018 incident, where a vial of his blood was allegedly smashed by a member of his team. Though initially cleared by swimming’s governing body FINA, CAS later imposed an eight-year ban, reduced to four years and three months on appeal. As Sun never tested positive for banned substances, he retained his medals.
Sun’s emotional win was met with widespread praise in China, with state media highlighting his determination and perseverance. Social media platforms were flooded with supportive messages, with many fans expressing admiration for his resilience and looking forward to his potential participation in the Los Angeles Olympics.