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Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
SportChina

Sun Yang faces lifetime ban: Chinese swim star’s career in balance as Wada appeal to CAS to overthrow Fina inaction over doping incident

  • Sun clashed with officials during an out-of-competition doping test at his home in Zhejiang in September last year
  • The Chinese star swimmer later threatens to sue any media after report by The Sunday Times

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Sun Yang stands on the podium holding his national flag after receiving his gold medal in the men’s 400m freestyle final at the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018. Photo: AP
Chan Kin-wa

Sun Yang’s future still hangs in the balance after the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) lodged an appeal over his drug testing refusal – which may hand the Chinese star swimmer a lifetime ban if the agency wins.

Swimming website SwimSwam confirmed Wada had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against Fina’s decision to not reprimand Sun, a three time Olympic gold medallist, over the incident last year.

The CAS declined to provide any further details, according to Swimswam, such as when the appeal hearing will take place, citing the process’ confidentiality.

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In January, The Sunday Times reported Sun had rejected an out-of-competition doping test at his home in Zhejiang last September and clashed with the testers. It was alleged Sun’s mother had ordered security guards to smash a vial of Sun’s blood taken in a nearby clubhouse.
Sun celebrates in the pool at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: Reuters
Sun celebrates in the pool at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: Reuters
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China’s Xinhua news agency later said the doping testers had failed to show adequate proof of identification.

The dispute was referred to Fina and at a panel meeting in January, the world swimming governing body ruled in favour of Sun after a 13-hour hearing, stating that the body would “never know” what had happened.

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