The 2016 Chinese spring National Championships and Olympic Trials begin Sunday in Foshan, but will be without the country’s biggest sports star: distance swimmer Sun Yang.
Chinese media is saying that this won’t affect Sun’s chances at Olympic qualifying, because he already earned Olympic qualifying times in the 200, 400, and 1500 meter freestyles at last summer’s World Championships.
Sun’s competition schedule has been inconsistent since his notorious ending to the World Championships in Kazan. On the final day of that meet, Sun both is alleged to have gotten in a physical altercation with a female Brazilian swimmer in the warm-up pool, and then he skipped the final of the 1500 free where he was a favorite to win for unrelated issues (the federation claimed it had to with a lingering heart condition).
In January of this year, Sun pulled out of the Aquatic Super Series in Australia, where he trains, citing a foot injury,
In a press release sent out by the Zhejiang Vocational College of Sports, they said that in order to avoid reinjuring his healing damaged appendages, Sun decided to continue his preparations for the Rio Olympics in Hangzhou instead.
Sun injured his foot in a training accident on January 29th while in Australia, and specifically injured his 5th metatarsal.
Sun’s resume includes 2012 Olympic gold medals in the 400 and 1500 freestyles, as 7 long course World Championships and the current World Record in the men’s 1500 long course meter freestyle
wpDiscuz
When was his last competition? My theory is that he is serving a doping ban in secret just like the last time. So the ban will up just before RIO.
Iff Sun had another doping infraction they’d tell us, right?
A second positive triggers a mandatory two year minimum, IIRC, based on the Brazil positives a few years back.
I think so too..
Maybe he was one of the 3 Chinese he tested positive whos names we don’t know? Speaking of, anyone know if Wang Lizhuo will swim here since he tested positive?
I hope you guys were just joking. Sun intended to compete but after last checked with the doctor on the 28th, he was strongly discouraged to do so. By the way, he will be training in the Bay area starting from the end of April until Rio. He would fly to Rio directly from SF.
Yes Wang Lizhuo will swim since he was only given a warning. The other three swimmers that are on provisional ban are said to be from the Hunan team. Their names are not released yet but we notice a few notable absences from Hunan on the psych sheet.
I wasn’t. I’m cynical because of how CHINAADA and the Chinese Swimming Association never got around to letting everyone know the last time he tested positive. You know, like they’re supposed to.
I don’t understand why providing information gets so many down votes. I’ll just stay out.
Please do keep posting. Part of the reason why Chinese swimmers continue to be viewed with suspicion by many is that we often get so little information about them over the course of a year outside the boundaries of the Great Firewall.
Your info seems objective and appreciated. I hate doping and cheating, and believe even first-time offenders should be banned for life! At the same time I hate accusers of wrong doings without evidence or proof just as much. It is very un-american, and in some case, just simply racist. As I stated before, globalization is great and important to our sport and we American should keep an open mind. We can’t let a few rotten potatoes (cheaters, dopers and racist/groundless accusers) ruin it for all of us.
newtoswimswam,
Just because someone accuses a Chinese swimmer of doping doesn’t make it racist. I can’t stand when people throw the word racist around so willy nilly. Lots of people on swimswam are hard on other countries like Brasil and Russia who are mostly white people. You can’t ignore past history and patterns. For example, Russia has had a lot of dopers and Salo has had numerous athletes fail drug tests. Prior to and during the ncaa champs articles, I saw a number of comments that were accusing Vlad Morozov of being on ped’s when he set his 100 yard free record. There is no evidence at all that he did. Some people think he did simply because of… Read more »
Xenon – I don’t want to get into the discussion of racism in our sport or society in general. Just turn on your TV or read news reports, you will see arguments from both side. Swimswam is NOT the platform for such discussion. Since you mentioned pattern and history, this is a pattern I see: we Americans celebrate the success of our swimmers – they certainly deserve it and no questions asked. But when a non-American, and especially in many cases, non-white swimmers have achieved excellence, there are many of us who immediately question the legitimacy of their success without any evidence. It’s “guilty until proven innocent” – which is very un-American. If you read my postings on related issues,… Read more »
Why the downvotes? It is the dreaded swimswam dreaded downvoting trolls who have nothing better to do with their time than to click the down arrow. Because they are cool.
We just got rid of Efimova and now Sun is coming to Cali? Where is he training? It has got to be at high altitude and SF isnt exactly very high above sea level. I think you are the Chinese troll with this post. And can someone answer my question on when he last competed in an official competition?
Who in the Bay area would take a senior/post-grad without any background with the club or school? Especially one with a bit of a negative reputation? Most American coaches have a philosophy of creating a pleasant environment in which to harshly suffer in, and someone who is disruptive and lets his ego get in the way is often not tolerated for long.
He should had Meldonium instead of Vascaler (tmz) medication for heart protection in 2014 for added “competitive edge”. So he was naive and a simpleton unlike all the “meldopers” with clear intention.
Where in the Bay Area will he train?
Well, at least it will safe to warm up.
LOLLLLLLLL Love this one
Is Ye Shiwen competing?
Yes, she swam the 400 IM this morning, didn’t notice her time though…she has put on some pounds since 2012…
I’m starting to feel a little bit sorry for her. It’s looking like she’s one of those girls whose best results come in the 12-18 months following the last puberty growth spurt and before they Get Hips and a chest (see also: many a 14-16 year old breaststroke phenom who is out of the sport before legal adulthood) Some of those girls like Amanda Beard do manage to change technique to match their new body and stay healthy enough in the process to get back to the top, but so many more don’t.
She’s never going to be as thin as she was at 15 again if she wants to be able to handle the training load she needs… Read more »
I love internet. It’s hilarious.
The dream place for the conspiracy theorists! 😆
You have much imagination guys.
All I can say about Sun Yang right now is that he’s a nightmare for my Rio predictions.
I don’t know what to do with him.
Next week Chinese, Australian and Japan national championships?
It’s gonna be fast.