Scott and Peaty hail 8-year ban for Olympic and world champion Sun
● Chinese star to miss Tokyo Games but will not lose any of his titles
Duncan Scott and Adam Peaty have hailed a decision to hand controversial Chinese star Sun Yang a long-term ban from swimming as a win for “clean sport”.
The Olympic and world champion was banned for eight years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport yesterday for his role in destroying samples collected at a drugs test in September 2018.
Swimming’s governing body Fina had originally cleared the 28-year-old, who allegedly ordered a member of his team to smash vials containing his blood amid claims the testers did not have official credentials.
However, CAS upheld an appeal brought by the World Anti-doping Agency. In the verdict produced by a threeman panel, including British QC Philippe Sands, they said: “It is one thing, having provided a blood sample, to question the accreditation of the testing personnel while keeping the intact samples in the possession of the testing authorities.
“It is quite another thing, after lengthy exchanges and warnings as to the consequences, to act in such a way that results in destroying the sample containers, thereby eliminating any chance of testing the sample at a later stage.”
The court’s decision was broadly welcomed within swimming where Sun has been a divisive figure ever since he returned from serving a three-month ban in 2014 for testing positive for a prohibited stimulant. Twice a gold medallist at London 2012 before winning the 200 metres freestyle at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, he was involved in a very public spat with Scott at last summer’s world championships in Gwangju that earned the Scotsman a global profile.
Refusing to share the podium after Sun and he earned gold and bronze respectively in the 200m freestyle, Scott was accused of being “a loser” in an angry confrontation with his rival. The protest – and that of Australia’s Mack Horton – looks ever more vindicated now.
“I fully respect and support the decision that has been made and announced by the Court of Arbitration for
“I believe in clean sport and a level playing field for all athletes and I trust in CAS and WADA to uphold these values”
DUNCAN SCOTT
Sport,” Scott said. “I believe in clean sport and a level playing field for all athletes and I trust in CAS and WADA to uphold these values.”
Alas for Scott and others, Sun will not lose any titles or generate revisions. His drugs tests before and after the infraction were negative and the CAS panel found that “in the absence of any evidence that the Athlete may have engaged in doping activity since 4 September 2018… the results achieved by the Athlete in the period prior to the CAS award being issued should not be disqualified.”
Facing exclusion from August’s Olympics in Tokyo, Sun has 30 days to lodge an appeal to the Swiss Tribunal. “This is unfair,” he said. “I firmly believe in my innocence. I will definitely appeal and let more people know about the truth.”
Peaty is among many who will hope he simply submerges himself from view. “I’m pleased with today’s verdict,” the Englishman said. “I trust in CAS and WADA to uphold the values in the sport and I believe a ban was the right decision. I feel strongly about clean sport and I feel a responsibility as an athlete to be true to myself, my sport, my country and the next generation of athletes who look to us for inspiration.”
The judgment will bring fresh scrutiny upon Fina who have previously been accused of a lax attitude toward doping. “Are Fina fit to govern swimming after this cover up?” Olympic medallist Sharron Davies said. “Swimmers lost medals at last year’s world champs that should be re-issued.”