Chinese Swimming Association Announces Paris Qualification Criteria, Excluding Sun Yang’s Return
The Chinese Swimming Association has officially released the selection criteria for the upcoming Paris Olympics, setting the date for the trials meet in April. This has effectively ruled out any possibility of a return for Sun Yang, who is ineligible to participate due to his doping suspension until May.
The selection process for the Olympics will be based on the performance of athletes at the two most recent World Championships, namely the events in Fukuoka last summer and the 2024 Doha Worlds. Furthermore, a primary nationals meet will also take place in Shenzhen in April, serving as the final trials in a comprehensive and rigorous hybrid process that will determine the Olympic representatives for China.
As a result of his suspension, Sun will not be allowed to participate in any of these key meets, effectively extinguishing any hopes he may have had of qualifying for a fourth Olympics. Additionally, the criteria outlined by the Chinese Swimming Association also includes a provision disqualifying any athlete who has been suspended for more than one year for doping, as reported by NBC Sports.
Sun Yang received an eight-year suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2020 following an incident where he destroyed vials of blood during a 2018 doping test. However, this suspension was later reduced upon appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. Despite Sun’s efforts to be reinstated prior to the Tokyo Olympics, and his public expression of interest in competing at the Paris Olympics, his pathway to qualification appears to be firmly closed.
A decorated athlete, Sun Yang is a six-time Olympic medalist, achieving gold in the 400 free and 1,500 free, as well as silver in the 200 free at the 2012 London Olympics. His accomplishments also include winning the 200 free gold and 400 free silver at the Rio Olympics in 2016, and he has been crowned an 11-time world champion.
Despite the absence of Sun, China boasts an array of formidable talents. The nation’s performance in Fukuoka demonstrated their strength, securing the third spot on the medal table in both gold medals (five) and total medals (16). Notable athletes such as Qin Haiyang, who holds all three men’s breaststroke titles, Zhang Yufei, a strong contender in multiple sprint events, and Xu Jiayu, an experienced campaigner, are expected to lead the charge. Moreover, emerging stars like Pan Zhanle and Li Bingjie are rapidly rising to prominence, indicating that China’s swimming prowess remains formidable, even amidst Sun Yang’s absence.
