Sun Yang Aims to Make Comeback as Doping Ban Ends

After serving a four-year doping ban, Chinese Olympic gold medalist Sun Yang is eyeing a return to competition. The freestyler, who won multiple gold medals at the London and Rio Olympics, expressed his desire to get back in the pool in an interview with China’s state-run outlet, The Paper.

Sun’s ban stemmed from an incident in 2018 where he smashed vials of blood during a testing attempt. Initially handed an eight-year suspension, the Court of Arbitration for Sport reduced it to four years in 2021. Despite missing out on the opportunity to compete in this summer’s Paris Olympics, Sun is back in training and eager to make a comeback.

In the interview, Sun downplayed the impact of missing out on the Olympics, stating that there will always be another competition. He emphasized his focus on regaining his form through simulated competition tests in training.

Sun’s return to competition comes amidst another doping controversy involving Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine in early 2021. Despite the clearance by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency and World Anti-Doping Agency, the incident raised concerns about doping practices in Chinese swimming.

Looking ahead, Sun has his sights set on the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore and the short-course World Championships in Budapest in 2024. He also reflected on the past four years, noting that starting a family with gymnast Zhang Doudou has been a significant highlight during his suspension period.

As Sun prepares to make his comeback, the swimming world will be watching to see if he can recapture his previous success and leave his doping past behind him.