Sun faces crucial doping hearing
Print Edition
China’s swimming king Sun Yang faces a September hearing over explosive doping allegations that could potentially end his career, a senior FINA official said yesterday.
A leaked FINA doping panel report claimed China’s triple Olympic champion had destroyed his own blood sample, but Sun has nevertheless been cleared to compete at next week’s world championships in Gwangju, South Korea.
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FINA let Sun off on a legal technicality, although four months later the date of the hearing had yet to be set.
FINA Executive Director Cornel Marculescu has defended the stance taken by swimming’s ruling body, despite the bombshell contents of the doping panel report obtained by Australia’s Sunday Telegraph.
“It’s very damaging,” Marculescu said. “I don’t know how it’s possible for something this confidential to go out to the world.
“But the situation is very simple — we have a decision from the FINA doping panel, which is totally independent,” he added. “According to the rules WADA can appeal — and they did so — and CAS is going to hold a hearing sometime in September so we wait to see what will happen.”
If WADA wins its case and he is found guilty of a doping violation, Sun could face a lifetime ban after serving a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking banned stimulant he claimed was for a heart problem.
Sun clashed with rival swimmers at the 2016 Rio Olympics, notably Australian Mack Horton, who branded him a “drug cheat” over that prior ban before pipping Sun to gold in the 400-meter freestyle.
But Marculescu insisted the decision to clear the nine-time world champion this time was the correct one.
“The lawyers who made that decision started their meeting at 10am in the morning and finished at midnight,” he said, adding that the 27-year-old Chinese swimmer was innocent until proven otherwise.
“They hear testimony and they make these decisions. Now let’s see what the next step is when it goes to CAS. It’s very difficult to make somebody guilty without having any decision by the respective bodies.”
FINA has faced criticism for failing to ban Sun and the shocking contents of the doping panel’s 59-page report, dated January 3, look set to add fuel to the fire.
Sun is the only swimmer to capture Olympic gold over 200, 400 and 1,500 meters, though controversy has followed him throughout a turbulent career.
Australia’s head swimming coach has also questioned FINA’s decision to clear Sun of wrongdoing and urged anti-doping authorities to provide more transparency over his case.
“A case like this surely doesn’t help the reliability and trust in this system,” Jacco Verhaeren said in comments published by Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper yesterday.
“I think WADA, FINA, IOC, all these parties really need to work hard together to provide more clarity, more transparency.”
The Chinese Swimming Association was not available to comment on the Daily Telegraph report.
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