‘No Regrets’: China’s Sun Yang Banned Following Comeback from Doping Suspension

Sun Yang, the Chinese swimmer previously banned for doping, has stated that he has no intention of retiring and remains motivated to test his limits after securing sixth place in the men’s 400 metres freestyle at the National Games in Shenzhen, China.

The three-time Olympic gold medallist, who will celebrate his 34th birthday next month, faced a ban lasting four years and three months for a doping violation in 2018, during which he and his team destroyed vials of blood samples. This suspension, initially set at eight years, was reduced on appeal and will conclude in May 2024, meaning he missed the national trials for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

Last year, Sun clinched the men’s 400 metres freestyle title at the National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei upon his return to competitive swimming.

Representing Zhejiang province, he qualified for Wednesday’s 200m freestyle final with a semi-final time of 1:48.30, putting him 1.41 seconds behind the 18-year-old leader, Zhang Zhanshuo. However, he was disqualified in the final, with the reason for his disqualification still unclear.

“Each race serves as the ultimate test of my current abilities,” Sun expressed to Chinese media on Tuesday. “There’s no regret—once a race concludes, it heralds a fresh start. Whether it’s young competitors or those of us from older generations, I believe we can all progress and achieve more.

“My determination reflects the final bastion for my generation of athletes. I aspire for everyone to look forward to a more accomplished and well-rounded version of Sun Yang in the pool.

“When I was younger, my goal was to secure China’s first men’s swimming gold medal. Currently, my ambition is to break new ground — to discover how far an older athlete can progress.

During the 400 metres freestyle event on Tuesday, Sun registered a time of 3:49.53, finishing 6.71 seconds behind the leader, Zhang Zhanshuo, who topped the event in 3:42.82.

Zhang also triumphed in the 200m freestyle final, with Ji Xinjie finishing in second place and Pan Zhanle taking third.