Sun Yang’s high-profile retrial at the Court of Arbitration for Sport takes place subsequent week with the Chinese swimming star’s Tokyo Olympics and his entire profession hanging within the stability.
It is the newest — and maybe decisive — twist within the triple Olympic champion’s vibrant life inside and out of doors the pool, and the clock is ticking with the Tokyo Games simply two months away.
The 1500m freestyle world record-holder was banned by Lausanne-based CAS for eight years in February final 12 months for refusing to give a pattern following an incident wherein a member of his entourage smashed a vial containing Sun’s blood when doping inspectors visited his residence.
However, the 29-year-old Sun appealed and Switzerland’s federal supreme court docket overturned the career-ending punishment final December over alleged bias in the direction of the swimmer, who stays an enormous star in China.
Sun, who was banned for 3 months in 2014 for a separate doping offence, has all the time protested his innocence within the murky occasions of September 2018.
He says the doping testers weren’t certified or authorised.
The new listening to will happen by video hyperlink and is scheduled to final from Tuesday to Thursday. CAS says a choice might be introduced “at a later date”.
The conclusion will be eagerly watched both inside and outside China, especially with the coronavirus-delayed Tokyo Olympics coming up fast.
Sun is the reigning 200m freestyle Olympic champion, as well as an 11-time world champion, and is feted at home for his success and perceived good looks.
But long-simmering antipathy towards him from some of his rivals burst out into the open at the Rio 2016 Olympics when Australian Mack Horton blasted Sun as a “drug cheat” earlier than pipping him to gold within the 400m freestyle.
The normally steely Sun broke down in tears.
He hit again to win the 200m however not earlier than French swimmer Camille Lacourt brought about one other storm by declaring, in a nod to Sun’s 2014 doping ban: “Sun Yang pisses purple.”
Then, at an ill-tempered 2019 world championships, Horton refused to pose for pictures with Sun on the medal podium, a protest repeated by Britain’s Duncan Scott.
That enraged Sun, who shouted “I win, you loser” at Scott, in offended scenes not often seen in swimming.
Flashpoints
The solely youngster of an athletic household, Sun introduced himself to the broader public at the world championships in Shanghai in 2011. Aged 19, he shattered Grant Hackett’s long-standing 1500m freestyle world file and in addition gained the 800m.
He grabbed two extra golds at the London 2012 Olympics, once more setting a brand new mark within the 1500m — a file that also stands.
But then got here the primary in an extended record of flashpoints. In 2013, Sun fell out with long-time coach Zhu Zhigen after a row over the swimmer’s romantic ties with a flight attendant.
Months later, Sun, driving and not using a licence, slammed a borrowed Porsche SUV right into a bus in his residence metropolis of Hangzhou, close to Shanghai. He spent seven days in police detention and later vowed to mend his methods.
At the 2014 Asian Games, Sun was at the centre of controversy once more, describing the nationwide anthem of Japan, China’s arch-rivals, as “ugly” after losing to Kosuke Hagino in the 200m freestyle.
In November 2014 came the bombshell announcement that Sun had served a three-month suspension earlier that year for taking a banned stimulant.
He has always maintained it was prescribed medicine for a heart condition.
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