While Chinese Olympian Sun Yang‘s attorney said that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ‘listened to prejudice’ and ‘accepted all lies’ in his case, which resulted in an 8-year-ban, Sun’s long-time coach Denis Cotterell is apparently no longer in his ace swimmer’s corner.
Sun Yang has vowed to appeal his ban to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, however, Cotterell has since quit his Chinese swimming post in the aftermath of the immense controversy.
“I have terminated my contract with (the) Chinese Swimming Association,” Cotterell told The Sunday Telegraph. He also stated that he does not support Sun’s appeal.
The national coach has a long history of having worked with Chinese swimmers throughout his career. Not only has he hosted several different Chinese training groups throughout his time at Miami, but Cotterell also had a major hand in the success of Sun Yang at the 2012 Olympic Games, having originally formed a relationship with the multiple medalist back in 2008.
In 2017 after Sun won 200m free gold and 400m free silver in Rio a year earlier, Cotterell called out fellow Australians for being too critical of foreign athletes involved in doping situations when their own athletes aren’t immune to similar circumstances.
As we reported 3 years ago, in an article for The Daily Telegraph, Cotterell cited Aussie Samantha Riley’s positive test back in 1995 and, most recently, Kylie Palmer‘s positive result in 2013 as falling under the same umbrella as Sun Yang, yet the public’s reaction was different.
A good insight why there’s less Chinese internet warriors in Swimswam now that still support Sun Yang compared to last few years.
https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3073893/sun-yang-backlash-have-chinas-online-50-cent-gang-trolls-turned-former-king
It actually got a pretty widespread release in China. Social media there has completely turned on him. Even the CCP is embarrassed by his antics lol
Hypocrite.
How convenient
Convenient… Now get your Chinese money and retire!
Even the rats have to jump off a sinking ship at some point in time
Very unfair Dennis is a great coach and person. Sounds like you have a personal vendetta!!!
No one said he’s not a great coach. In fact, I believe Dennis is one of the greatest coaches out there. However, he is surely making a boat loads of money off Sun Yang and the Chinese swimming federation. Is he a great person? I don’t know, and there is no wrong in making money. However, i don’t think as his long time coach, he had no idea about Sun Yang’s drug issue and the hammer story. He is just making the earlier statement so that he continue riding the cash cow
Hmmm one of his biggest advocates in saying he was clean is now changing his attitude. What a surprise