Sun Yang Set for Return to Pool After Ban Expiry

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang is set to return to competition following the end of his four-year ban for doping. He will participate in the National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei. Despite his reinstatement, Sun faces uncertainty regarding his future on the national team due to China's stringent anti-doping rules.

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang will make a notable comeback at a major domestic meet next week as his four-year doping ban has concluded, state media reported. Sun, China's first Olympic gold medalist in men's swimming, is set to represent his home province of Zhejiang at the National Summer Swimming Championships, which kicks off on Sunday in Hefei.

Wang Wei, the director of the Zhejiang Provincial Swimming Sports Management Center, confirmed the 32-year-old's participation in the 400 meters freestyle, the very event he clinched at the 2012 London Olympics, according to Xinhua news agency. The triple Olympic champion's ban for a doping violation in 2018 was reduced from eight years to four years and three months, ending on May 28.

This return to competition may, however, not lead to international appearances. Chinese anti-doping rules disqualify athletes who receive a doping suspension of over a year from the national team. During Sun's suspension, China faced significant scrutiny over its doping record, with the World Anti-Doping Agency reporting several positive cases among Chinese swimmers due to contamination.

(With inputs from agencies.)