Looks like a world record holder Sun Yang Despite being ruled out of competing in this year’s Olympic Games, the 32-year-old Chinese swimmer remains hopeful.
According to the report, code sport, Sun continues to train every day and remains registered with the national drug testing pool.
This is especially despite the fact that six-time Olympic medalist Son is currently serving a four-year suspension that is set to expire in May 2024. The China Championship, which is one of the Olympic qualifying competitions based on eligibility criteria, is scheduled for April 2024, and Sun will be excluded from the competition.
As we reported last December, according to China’s Olympic selection standards, swimmers are ranked by their fastest times in the following competitions:
- Fukuoka & Doha World Championship Finals
- China representative, scheduled to be held in April 2024
The standards also stipulate that athletes who have been suspended for more than a year for doping violations will be excluded from selection. (NBC Sports)
However, as with most eligibility policies around the world, the Chinese Swimming Federation reserves the right to select athletes of its own choice at its discretion. To achieve this, Sun must record a World Aquatics Olympic qualifying time by her June 23 deadline.
This may be in the back of Sun’s mind, and is the driving force behind his continued training despite all adversity.