Chinese Olympic champion Sun Yang wins in first race after 4-year doping ban

SINGAPORE: Chinese Olympic champion Sun Yang made a victorious return at a major domestic swimming meet on Sunday (Aug 25), his first competitive race after the expiry of a four-year ban for doping. 

Sun, representing his hometown Zhejiang Province, claimed gold in the men’s 400m freestyle at the 2024 National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, state-owned Xinhua News Agency reported. 

The 32-year-old swimmer won with a time of 3:49:58, considerably slower than his personal best, an Olympic record 3:40:14 set at the 2012 Games in London.  

Speaking to reporters after the competition, Sun said: "I could have done better.” 

"Four years away from competition, and without intensive training, I do feel rusty in controlling the tempo, and I need more competitions. But it's a good start for my comeback, and I'm happy with this result,” he told Xinhua. 

In a post on social media platform Weibo on Sunday, Sun said his past “victories, failures and challenges” have taught him how to meet life’s challenges and difficulties face on, and to “become stronger and more confident”. 

“I want to thank my parents, my partner, my teacher, my friends and those who have supported me silently all the way,” Sun wrote. “It’s their love and support that made me treasure every moment in life even more.” 

The South China Morning Post reported that when he was asked over the weekend by a journalist if he would try and qualify for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Sun said: “If there’s an opportunity, I will go all out to get it.”

The triple Olympic champion was banned from competing for four years and three months for a dope test violation in 2018 in which he and members of his entourage smashed vials containing blood