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Sun Yang. Photo by https://www.flickr.com/people/koreanet/ .

Top 10 Facts about Sun Yang

Sun Yang is a Chinese Olympic and world-record-holding swimmer. He is known for his prowess in freestyle events. He has participated in a number of world championships and won medals.

 He was the first Chinese male swimmer to have won an Olympic gold medal at the Summer Olympics. He is also the first swimmer to win gold in the 200, 400, and 1500 meters freestyle, all at a go.

His consistency in winning freestyle events has been considered remarkable. It is no surprise that NBC Sports has described him as ‘arguably the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time.’

 He is the most decorated Chinese swimmer, having won Olympic gold thrice, and being world champion eleven times. Here are the top 10 facts about Sun Yang you might want to know!

1. Sun Yang was born in Zhejiang, China

Hangzhou CBD, Zhejiang. Photo by 钉钉.

He was born on 1^st December 1991. He was an only child of Sun Quanhong and Yang Min. His parents were athletic. Sun Yang’s father was a basketball player and his mother, was a volleyball player for Zhejiang and a coach.

Sun’s interest and talent for swimming were evident at a young age. He started swimming in 1998, at about 7 years.

2. He studied sport-related courses

Zhejiang University, China. Photo by Serapio.

At a young age, he was enrolled at Jinglun Sports School in Hangzhou, Zhejiang. It was where one of his teachers spotted his potential at swimming.

He has graduated from Zhejiang University, having attained a bachelor’s degree in sports studies. He also has a master’s degree in physical education at Soochow University.

3. He made his international debut as a swimmer in 2007

It was the 2007 World Championships held in Melbourne, Australia. He was 15 years old at the time. He came in 32^nd in the 400-meter freestyle and 23^rd in the 800-meter freestyle event.

 In 2008, he participated in a test event in China held in preparation for the Summer Olympics later that year.

He came 2^nd place in the 400-meter freestyle but finished 28^th in the same heat at the Summer Olympics. He finished last in the 1500-meter freestyle final.

Despite the setbacks, Sun Yang was determined to keep at it, and his effort and consistency finally paid off.

4. Sun Yang won his first international medal in 2009

After finishing last in the 1500-meter freestyle at the 2008 Summer Olympics, Sun did not give up. He participated in the 2009 World Championships held in Rome, Italy.

He competed in the 400-meter and 1500-meter freestyle events. He came 18^th in the 400-meter freestyle. For the 1500-meter freestyle, Sun got his first break by winning bronze, his first international gold medal. His finishing time was 14: 46.84.

In 2010, Sun competed at the Asian Games, where he won two gold medals. These were for the 1500-meter freestyle and the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay.

He set a new Asian record with his 1500-meter freestyle time of 14:35.43. It was also the second-fastest in history, after Grant Hackett’s. Sun would later break Grant’s record.

5. Sun Yang is the first Chinese male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal

He won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle at the 2012 Summer Olympics held in London. He broke the world record previously held by Ian Thorpe, a retired Australian swimmer, with a record time of 3:40.14.

Sun also won the 1500-meter freestyle, at 14:31.02 record time, breaking his record. Having won two gold medals, he became the first swimmer to win the 400/1500 freestyle double.

His wins did not stop there. He won a bronze medal for his team in a relay event, which was China’s first Olympic medal in a men’s relay event. He also won silver in the 200-meter freestyle.

6. He failed a doping test in 2014

Sun Yang. Photo by Kivalo.

In May 2014, Sun tested positive in an out-of-competition doping test for a banned drug, ‘迟谤颈尘别迟补锄颈诲颈苍别’. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had banned it 4 months before the test.

Sun refuted being aware of its ban. He claimed that his doctor had prescribed it for a heart complication. The Chinese Swimming Association (CSA) however banned him for 3 months.

WADA termed the decision too lenient and criticized CSA for taking too long to act. China Anti-Doping Agency director issued a statement citing that Sun had offered convincing evidence that he did not intend to cheat, hence the reduction of the ban to 3 months.

 He was stripped of his 1500-meter freestyle win at the 2014 Chinese Nationals. Upon further investigation, WADA decided not to pursue the matter any further.

7. Sun Yang was banned for 8 years in 2018

Following an alleged involuntary doping test at his residence, Sun Yang had a serious confrontation with the CSA officials.

He claimed a lack of accreditation by the persons who performed the test. The incident caused quite a stir, with allegations that Sun had smashed the vials with the blood tests and destroyed them.

The matter was heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). In 2020, they ruled that Sun was guilty of doping.

The process was seen by some as quite chaotic, with inaccuracies in translation, and bias against the Chinese athlete.

Sun was subjected to an 8-year ban, which would end in 2028. This would effectively rule him out of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and probably end his career.

8. Sun’s 8-year ban was reduced on appeal

Franco Frattini. He was president of the panel that determined Sun Yang’s doping allegations in 2018. Photo by European People’s Party – EPP_Congress_7271.

Sun’s closest option was to appeal to the Swiss Federal Court. This would have to be on procedural grounds.

However, shortly after, an article written at the Sports Integrity Initiative brought forth new evidence of possible real bias in the CAS tribunal.

The CAS President, Franco Frattini, had posted seemingly racist comments on Twitter, portraying a bias against the Chinese.

 Based on this, Sun’s team filed an appeal, which was successful having proved ‘doubts of impartiality of the Tribunal’.

The 8 year ban was referred to the tribunal for review.  The Tribunal reduced it from 8 years to 4 years and 3 months. Sun has been unsuccessful in further appeals on merit.

9. Sun Yang is the most decorated Chinese swimmer

Sun Yang wins 200 -meter freestyle. Photo by JD Classica.

He has won 3 gold Olympic medals, his first being at the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was the  first Chinese male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal. He is an eleven-time world champion, having broken several records as well.

10. He has received numerous awards

For his achievements in sports, he has received over 8 awards. These include the Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award: 2013, Swimming World Pacific Rim Swimmer of the Year Award, and CCTV Sports Awards ‘Rookie of the Year Award: 2010.

He has also received the Zhejiang Province’s Best Male Athlete of the Year Award: 2016, FINA World Championships ‘Best Male Swimmer’ Award: 2013, 2015, and, China Laureus ‘Best Male Athlete Award: 2011, 2017.