As the Chinese National Championships get underway in Taiyuan today, world record holder Sun Yang is making his debut appearance alongside coach Zhu Zhigen, his new, ‘old’ coach. Sun and Zhu had worked together in the past until the duo parted way back in 2014, around the time Sun was arrested for driving without a license. At the time, Zhu had resigned from coaching Sun due to ‘health concerns’, but stayed on as the coach of Shao Yiwen and Wang Shun.
Apart for 4 years, Sun and Zhu are back together with an eye on this year’s Asian Championships and, most likely, on to Tokyo 2020.
“We knew each other over a decade with a good relationship,” Sun said this week to ECNS.net. “We made some communications for my perspective in training and games after I finished the Olympics in Rio. And the Chinese swimming team also would like to see that we can go to fight together.”
Linking back up with Zhu may at least temporarily put the ever-present rumors of a reunion with former Aussie coach Dennis Cotterell to rest. Since 2017, it has been speculated that Cotterell, the storied Aussie coach who has a long history of having worked with Chinese swimmers throughout his career, including Sun, would create a swimming super center of sorts in Australia. At one point, The Daily Telegraph reported that the Chinese government had indeed approached Cotterell to lead the Chinese team at such a facility, but the Aussie claimed any formal contracts between himself and Chinese swimming ‘were rubbish.’
In the meantime, working with Zhu, Sun will be refocusing his efforts on the event in which is reigns as world record holder. At a time when Australian nemesis Mack Horton is looking at dropping the 1500, Sun’s coach is putting the spotlight on the grueling even for Sun. “The 1,500 meters freestyle is a basic event for him. If he gives up this one and he will lose the rest of (the) events,” the coach said. “Therefore Sun Yang has to make recovery on the previous training abilities, and when he has a desire to win the title, we will make good efforts.”
Sun took double gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, winning the 400m, and 1500m freestyle events while nabbing silver in the 200m. That was followed by a shock no-show in the 1500m final in Kazan due to heart trouble. In Rio, Sun settled for silver the 400m, won the 200m, but completely missed the 1500m Olympic final.
Looking at Sun’s stroke and size, he should be more advantageous on distance swim like 800/1500 than 100/200. It is quite amazing how he transformed to be an elite swimmer at 200. He had some trouble at 800/1500 in the last few years. I am definitely interested in how he would get his long distance back. We all could learn a lot from it. Man, his stroke technique is so unique and beautiful. Love it!
Sun Yang’s stroke mechanics are amazing. watching the video of his 1500 WR in 2011 is just incredible. It almost seems like an optical illusion: He is basically doing catch-up freestyle with only 27 strokes per 50, his legs doing almost nothing, and still churning out 58 second 100 splits. How is that even possible? But there it is plainly on the camera. Then for the last 100 his legs kick into gear. I’m glad to see him come back. Hopefully with less of the drama of recent years.
In 2012 his last 100 was a 53.49 with a 25.68 on the last 50.
I’m sure this has nothing to do with Mack Horton publicly stating he’s focusing on the 2-4-8 combo in tokyo…. (yes I know the italian is still the favorite….might we see a 1500-10km double from him?)
His best 1500 days may be behind him, evident of him ducking the competition for the past few years. He should focus on the 200-400 and relays.
Totally agreed. In other point of view, he has won 200/400/1500 already. The new event 800 in Tokyo might be his real target. That would be a great achievement to add it on.
I personally don’t care if he does the mile or 800 anymore, but I want to see him break the 400 free supersuit record since he was so close in 2012.
With his heart medicine. He hasn’t broken 3:41 since. But if anyone is going to break that record in Tokyo, it’ll be him. I’m still mad that Thorpe’s TEXTILE swim 3:40.08 isn’t the official world record. Might as well dope to go 3:40 (oops, Sun), and allow it to be legal. It would be the oldest official record in the book.
I really doubt it. In the last 4 years his best time is 14.49 and in the last 3 is 14.55…
Sun is already 27yo and will be 29 in Tokyo, now he is a 100/200/400 freestyle.
Sun Yang is 26
A couple of months more or less doesn’t change anything but, if we want to be super-uber-precise:
Sun is already 26 y, 4m old and he will be 28y 9m old in Tokyo.
Back to the topic, after Budapest 800free, I think it is quite clear that Sun has a big problem with the middle-long distance.
That’s why he’s focusing on long distance.
The guy’s been the heart of some controversies, pun intended, but I still give him some credit for being willing to do this. It’s by far easier and more common to drop the longer distances as you get older, going the other way takes some real dedication. He has a beautiful stroke that isn’t showcased so much in the shorter races. Hoping we get to see it again.
Really like him in the 200 and 400…think he could win in Tokyo…that 1500 gets almost dangerous as age sets in.
Depending on who you are. I’m sure people like Haley Anderson and Ferry Weertman would have something to say about that.
That’s slightly different.
Day 1 of the Chinese National Championship just ended with him winning 200 easily with 1:46.07, and more notably two world #1 times in Women’s 1500 (Wang) and Men’s 100BK (Xu). Sun said in an interview before the meet that his heart issue continued to bother him, especially during tough training. He said he was once taken to ER in the middle of the night and stayed there for 2-3 days before resuming normal training. It would be tough to train for 1500 with his age and heart issues.
I wonder if he’s renewing his relationship with heart meds, too?
This comment has aged well haha