Sun Yang Says He Is Not Retired, Training Every Day In Paris Pursuit

Chinese Olympic gold medalist Sun Yang is in the midst of serving a four-year suspension which is due to be lifted in May 2024. That leaves the door open for the 31-year-old freestyle specialist to potentially compete at the next Olympic Games set for Paris next summer.

With that in mind, Sun reiterated to his fans recently that he has not retired and is indeed training on a regular basis.

“I have not retired and still insist on swimming training every day,” Sun recently told Asian media.

While Sun is allowed to train, he cannot do so with a professional program or with other Chinese-sponsored athletes, nor can he train at a sports facility that is funded by the Chinese government.

“I have never said to the outside world that I am retired or not swimming. I have always believed that using my body and ability to do what I have to do and always be ready is my current state of mind. The most important thing about a person’s talent is to play well and make good use of it. When I learned the result that day, I was with the team, and I said that I wanted everyone to continue to support me, four years is not long, I want to stick with it.” (Teller Report)

“If a person can’t even do self-discipline, then he can’t succeed, which is the hardest thing in life, and it’s the same in life.” I was able to do it.”

The fact that Sun would be 32 at the time of Paris 2024 doesn’t bother the freestyle specialist.

“In the long run, I am not old, and I still have the physical ability, and I can last a few more years. A lot of athletes are role models for me, tennis players and NBA players, like [Lebron] James is 38 years old, right, and he can still play very well.”

Sun still owns the men’s LCM 1500 freestyle World Record with the 14:31.02 he produced for gold at the 2012 Olympic Games. He also topped the men’s 400m free there in London while snagging silver in the 200m free and bronze as a member of the Chinese men’s 4x200m free relay.

In Rio 4 years later, Sun clinched 200m free gold and also grabbed silver in the 400m free behind outspoken Aussie gold medalist Mack Horton.

You can review how Sun Yang‘s doping suspension unfolded via our past articles:

• September 2018: Sun challenges authorization of doping control agents during test, ending with a vial of his blood being smashed
• January 2019: an independent anti-doping panel rules in Sun’s favor, leading FINA (the international governing body for swimming) to not issue a sanction against Sun
• March 2019: WADA (the World Anti-Doping Agency) appeals that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport
• November 2019: CAS hears the case in a fully-public hearing marred by translation issues. The full 11-hour hearing is live-streamed online.
• February 2020: The three-person CAS panel rules against Sun, banning him for eight years.
• July 2020: Sun files two appeals with the Swiss Federal Tribunal, hoping to either have his ban overturned or revised.
• December 2020: The Swiss Federal Tribunal overturns the ban, sending the case back to CAS for a second hearing. The decision centers around the first panel’s president, who tweeted racist comments about China on social media.
• May 2021: Yang does not compete at the Chinese National Championships, amid uncertainty of the outcome of his CAS retrial.
• June 2021: CAS retrial results in ruling to reduce Yang’s ban to 4 years and 3 months
• December 2021: Sun Yang Under Investigation for Training at Government-Funded Facilities