As the fallout from the news of Sun Yang’s 8-year ban continues, many swimmers have taken to social media to express their views on the controversy. Included in that list is Olympic champion Chad le Clos, who just yesterday was quoted in an interview with The Associated Press saying “He (Sun Yang) should be banned. It’s as simple as that”.
Le Clos came second to Sun Yang in the 200m freestyle at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and believes he should “get back” the gold medal following Sun’s ban. Today le Clos appeared on CNN, which you can read more about here.
Editor’s note: SwimSwam has searched multiple social media networks, including Weibo, to find reactions from Asian swimmers, but so far have been unable to find any. We will update if and when we do.
Like many other clean swimmers, I have raced against Sun Yang and “lost”. Drug cheats have no place in sport and we need the governing bodies to reconsider the damage he has done to our great sport – and to the results / careers of many other clean swimmers #time4change
— Chad Le Clos (@chadleclos) February 28, 2020
Well done CAS! Good decision. Just wondering: are my friends @olympics @fina1908 happy with Sun Yang’s record post his first 2014 ban as a drugs cheat – and his results in major championships between 2014 and 2019?#justasking #cleansport #time4 change
— Chad Le Clos (@chadleclos) February 28, 2020
Champion swimmer @chadleclos believes he has a claim on Sun Yang’s gold medal from the Rio Olympics.
Full story by @andrewdampf >> https://t.co/oGUlajfWyk pic.twitter.com/tO3XqufqmA
— AP Sports (@AP_Sports) February 27, 2020
Former swimmer and Olympic gold medalist Rebecca Adlington also took to Twitter to express her thoughts. In 2016, Adlington called for a ‘full investigation’ to be carried out in swimming following doping allegations in Russian and Chinese swimming.
At the time she said, “We know what it feels like to step up on the blocks at an Olympic Games and look sideways at the other swimmers in the next lanes and be thinking ‘are you clean? Are you not? Is something going to come out afterwards?
She added that a “full-investigation” is the only way to say “the sport is clean”.
Huge news for the swimming world. Finally something has been done especially ahead of the games! https://t.co/JZlC4q7BbL
— Becky Adlington (@BeckAdlington) February 28, 2020
American swimmers Cody Miller and Andrew Wilson also posted tweets about the news, with Wilson saying he is “shocked” that “they (CAS) did the right thing”.
You don’t smash a vial of your own blood if you don’t have some thing to hide. https://t.co/oiXIjwBavV
— Cody Miller (@swimiller) February 28, 2020
https://twitter.com/awil5504/status/1233348334347259905?s=20
A host of British swimmers have also commented on the news from today, led by Olympic champion Adam Peaty. In an statement, Peaty said “I’m pleased with today’s verdict. I believe a ban was the right decision. I feel strongly about clean sport and I feel a responsibility as an athlete to be true to myself, my sport, my country and the next generation of athletes who look to us for inspiration”.
Duncan Scott, who refused to stand on the podium with Sun Yang at the World Aquatics Championship in Gwangju last July, has also released a statement. It reads: “I fully respect and support the decision that has been made and announced by the Court of Arbitration for Sport this morning. I believe in clean sport and a level playing field for all athletes and I trust in CAS and WADA to uphold these values”.
Sun Yang gets in bronze medalist Duncan Scott's face after the 200m freestyle medal ceremony (Sun won gold after Lithuanian Danas Rapsys was DQed for a false start). Scott and Sun did not appear to shake hands, and Sun shouted in Scott's direction earlier in the ceremony. pic.twitter.com/0ilhiSorqt
— Nick Zaccardi (@nzaccardi) July 23, 2019
James Guy, who came 4th in the 200m freestyle in Rio – an event which Sun Yang won gold – also tweeted about the news:
The truth always comes out. https://t.co/VAPrEYbrKq
— James Guy (@Jimbob95goon) February 28, 2020
A host of other swimmers have shared articles on their social media accounts including Phillip Heintz, Sarah Vasey, Blake Pieroni and Shane Ryan.
watch the video and judge yourself, 2 side of coins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3unTNf0_sDs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nrr-o3q1jRg
Paltrinieri: “No joy, only great sadness.”
“To me this whole story leaves only so much sadness, as always in all cases of doping,” Greg tells SkySport, “I just can’t cheer because a rival of mine is found positive for doping. I can’t find anything good in it, I just can’t rejoice. I’ll say a paradox, I’m almost sorry this news came out.”
Sorry about Sun Yang or the credibility of the anti-doping system?
“Sorry for him, of course not. My regret stems from the fact that Sun Yang has marked my professional growth as an athlete. Ever since I was little he has always been my reference point, he was the champion I wanted to beat, I worked hard… Read more »
You know what I find fascinating? When there are doping whispers amongst elite swimmers, they’re right more often than they are wrong: The East Germans, Chinese women, Michelle smith, etc etc. It’s almost as if they can tell just from looking at them if they’re doping
This is going to be the beginning of the end for CAS. Eight year ban for testing agency’s own negligence whereas Aussies/US gets 2 year slap on the wrist for TESTING POSITIVE of anabolic steroids. The nationality of the CAS officials needs to be scrutinized and the officials banned from any rulings.
Perhaps the 8 year ban is based on a second offence, while the two year bans are for a first offence?
LOL–Chad Le Clos wants recognition of his ingenious racing strategy!
it doesnt get better than that
Cornel’s magic money bag!
The 2019 world champs are even more egregious. Not only was he allowed to swim despite it being after the vial incident, but he is keeping his medals from it as well… WTF
IK the explanation is that he wasn’t actually caught doping but with his previous history + the fact that the incident that got him banned being before the world champs it’s inexcusable
I now that everyone wanted him out of Worlds, but it would be a really bad precedent to set to find a swimmer ‘not guilty’ in a doping hearing and then leave them suspended anyway. This is different than the Jack case in that Sun was found ‘not guilty’ before Worlds, while Jack hasn’t even completed her initial punishment process.
They should have just found a way to complete the appeals before Worlds. That would have been the most fair to all involved. 9 months should be plenty of time to complete a process like this.
I agree with what you say but now that his been found guilty he should be stripped of his 3019 world champs medals now