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Sun Yang
SportOther Sport

Sun Yang missing from latest Olympic Team China swimming poster

  • Sun faces a second trial on his doping case by CAS next week
  • Xu Jiayu and Zhang Yufei now leading forces of Chinese swimming team

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Odd man out? China’s Sun Yang was notable by his absence from China’s latest swimming team photos on Tuesday. Photo: AFP
Chan Kin-wa

Is Sun Yang still part of the Chinese swimming team?

As sports apparel giant Anta became the strategic partner and exclusive sponsor of the Chinese swimming team this week, a new poster of the team was launched without its talisman Sun Yang.

The controversial Sun is facing a second hearing on his doping case by the Court of Arbitration for Sport next week – the result of which may impose a lengthy suspension on the 1,500-metre world record-holder, beyond even this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games.

(From left) Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, Zhang Yufei, Yang Junxuan pose for a photograph after the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Chinese National Swimming Championships in Qingdao. Photo: Xinhua
(From left) Xu Jiayu, Yan Zibei, Zhang Yufei, Yang Junxuan pose for a photograph after the mixed 4x100m medley relay final at the Chinese National Swimming Championships in Qingdao. Photo: Xinhua
The Chinese swimming ace has been keeping a low profile ahead of the trial and Sun missed this month’s National Championships in Qingdao after media reported he would be racing. The meet also served as a selection event for the forthcoming Tokyo Olympics.

Replacing Sun in the middle of the poster is Xu Jiayu, also from Zhejiang Province, and a two-time world champion (2017 and 2019) in the men’s 100m backstroke and one of China’s medal hopefuls in Tokyo after capturing a silver in the event at the Rio Olympics.

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