The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced that a retrial for controversial Chinese swim star Sun Yang is set for next week. The retrial is in regards to an incident with a doping collection agent in September of 2018. Sun Yang was originally found guilty by CAS, and handed an 8-year ban, which Yang appealed to the Swiss Tribunal. The Swiss Tribunal then overturned the CAS ruling on the basis of racist tweets that were sent by the president of the CAS panel.
The retrial has been set for May 25-27, and will be a private hearing, conducted through video, rather than in-person. This differs substantially from the original trial, which was held on one day, and was open to the public.
Most recently, Sun Yang did not compete at the Chinese National Championships at the beginning of the month. Despite missing the Olympic qualifying meet, he could still be added to the Chinese Olympic roster at a later date, and whether or not that occurs is likely dependent on the outcome of the retrial. Sun Yang is the World Record holder in the men’s LCM 1500 free, and has won 3 Olympic Gold medals for China over his career.
Here’s a summarized timeline of events surrounding the case:
- 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.
Get ready to see him at the Olympics
Yes, but when will the decsion be handed down? It took them months last time if I remember right.
Been saying it for years… SUN WILL PREVAIL. 2021 Olympic Gold Medalist – 400 Free Champion
If this happens i do not think it will be a peaceful podium protest 😅
Reinstate Sun Yang! I want to see Mack Horton’s head explode!
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming/the-elephant-in-the-room-mack-horton-must-address-20190723-p529th.html
Horton is one of the few men who could beat Yang. And one of the few who took a stand against him.
horton beat sun at the olympics. your whole rhetoric is that australians can’t get it done when it counts, yet here we are. also kind of messed up that you would rather have a known cheater steal medals from other swimmers than have an australian (who has no dirt on his back) win
He’s like a cockroach… he’ll never go away. In 50 years, he’ll still be appealing his ban.
The panel will not look like 2020- 21 version . It should have one black person , one Asian & someone Brown or the occasional mixed race lady. Or are we over Diversity already?
Free Sun Yang🇨🇳
As a Chinese American, and as much as I loved watching his 1500, I believe he’s guilty. The CCP is worse than the Russian Federation in terms of PEDs.
Sun Yang is so powerful that they had to resort to underhanded tricks to force his retirement, just so that his haters would have a chance at winning.
Ooh does he have the Elder Wand?
Keep him banned. No room in this league for cheating.
I agree but how damn hard is it to boot him out already.
I agree! No dopers in the kids T-Ball league!