Sun Yang

Sun Yang (Chinese: 孙杨; Mandarin pronunciation: ; born 1 December 1991) is a Chinese Olympic and former world-record-holding competitive swimmer. In 2012, Sun became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in men's swimming. He achieved a special feat by winning Olympic and World Championship gold medals in every freestyle distance from 200 to 1500 metres. With three Olympic gold medals and eleven world championship titles, he became the most decorated Chinese swimmer in history. In 2017, NBC Sports described him as "very arguably the greatest freestyle swimmer of all time".

In 2018, Sun faced a difficult situation during a test outside of competitions. The person collecting the sample did not have the right credentials and acted improperly, which led Sun to refuse giving a blood sample. Later reviews showed that Sun did not break any rules because of how the test was handled. However, in 2020, a sports court decided Sun should not compete for eight years because of the incident. Some people felt the process was unfair due to problems with translations and other issues.

The court later kept the ban but shortened it to four years and three months. Importantly, Sun kept all his medals because tests before and after the incident showed no issues. The court decided his achievements before the decision should remain valid.

Early life

Sun was born on 1 December 1991 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. He was named after his parents' last names. His father was a basketball player, and his mother was a volleyball player and a sports coach. Sun began swimming in 1998, and a teacher at a sports school in Hangzhou noticed he was very good at it.

Career

2007–2011: Early career

Sun started his international swimming career at the 2007 World Championships in Melbourne, Australia. He placed 32nd in the 400 metre freestyle and 23rd in the 800 metre freestyle. In 2008, he competed in the "Good Luck Beijing" China Open, a test event for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He came 2nd in the 400 metre freestyle. At the Olympics, Sun, aged 16, finished 28th in the 400 metre freestyle and 7th in the 1500 metre freestyle final.

Sun won his first international medal, a bronze, at the 2009 World Championships in the 1500 metre freestyle. He also placed 18th in the 400 metre freestyle.

At the 2010 Asian Games, Sun won gold medals in the 1500 metre freestyle and the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay, and silver medals in the 200 metre and 400 metre freestyle. His 1500-metre freestyle time was a new Asian record.

At the 2011 World Championships in Shanghai, Sun came 2nd in the 400 metre freestyle. He won his first World Championship title in the 800 metre freestyle. He also helped the Chinese team win bronze in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay. Later, he won the 1500 metre freestyle, breaking the world record.

2012: Breakthrough at the Olympics

At the 2012 Summer Olympics, Sun won the gold medal in the 400 metre freestyle, becoming the first Chinese male swimmer to win an Olympic gold medal. He also won a silver medal in the 200 metre freestyle and helped the Chinese team win bronze in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay.

In the 1500 metre freestyle, Sun won the gold medal, breaking his own world record. He became the most decorated Chinese male swimmer in Olympic history and the first swimmer to win the 400/1500 double since the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

2013: Continued success

At the 2013 World Championships, Sun won gold in the 400 metre freestyle and the 800 metre freestyle. He also helped the Chinese team win bronze in the 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay. Later, he defended his title in the 1500 metre freestyle, making him the second swimmer in history to win gold medals in all three long-distance freestyle events at a single World Championships.

2014: Doping ban and Asian Games

In May 2014, Sun received a warning from the Chinese Swimming Association after testing positive for a banned substance. He was later given a three-month suspension. Sun claimed the substance was prescribed by a team doctor to treat heart palpitations.

At the 2014 Asian Games, Sun won silver in the 200 metre freestyle and gold in the 400 metre and 1500 metre freestyle events. He also helped China win gold in the 4 × 100 metre freestyle relay, setting a new Asian Record.

2015 World Championships

At the 2015 World Championships, Sun won silver in the 200 metre freestyle and gold in the 400 metre and 800 metre freestyle events. He withdrew from the 1500 metre freestyle due to heart problems during warm-up.

2016: Historic first at the Olympics

At the 2016 Summer Olympics, Sun won the 200 metre freestyle gold medal, becoming the first Chinese athlete to win this event. He also won a silver medal in the 400 metre freestyle. With his Olympic medals, Sun became the first swimmer to win gold in the 200, 400, and 1500 metre freestyle events.

2017–18: Asian Games success and testing incident

In 2017, Sun won gold in the 200 metre and 400 metre freestyle at the World Championships. In 2018, he won multiple gold medals at the Asian Games in various freestyle events. In September 2018, Sun faced an investigation regarding a testing incident, but was cleared of any anti-doping rule violations.

2019 World Championships

At the 2019 World Championships, Sun won gold in the 200 metre and 400 metre freestyle events. He faced some disagreements with other athletes during medal ceremonies.

2024: Back after suspension

In 2024, Sun returned to competition at the Chinese National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei, Anhui, winning the 400 metre freestyle after a suspension.

Controversies

2013 driving without license

In November 2013, Sun was found driving without a license after a collision in Hangzhou. He was ordered to be detained for seven days and fined CN¥5,000. He later issued a public apology, saying he should have been a better example as an athlete and public figure but failed to do so. The State General Administration of Sports temporarily banned him from the national team and competitions.

2014 ban

In May 2014, Sun received a three-month ban after testing positive for a substance that was newly added to the list of banned substances. He said a doctor prescribed it for a health condition he has had since 2008. The ban was criticized for being announced after it was over, meaning he missed no major events. He was cleared to return to competition after showing he did not intend to cheat.

2018 testing incident and 2020 ban

In September 2018, Sun was involved in an incident where anti-doping testers were delayed and faced difficulties collecting his sample. He questioned their credentials and the process, leading to a dispute. In 2020, a panel found Sun guilty of not cooperating with the testers and banned him from swimming until 2028. This ban was later reduced to four years and three months, and Sun became eligible to compete again by May 2024, though he missed the chance to swim in the Paris Olympics.

Major achievements

In 2012, Sun became the first Chinese man to win an Olympic gold medal in swimming. He was also the first male swimmer ever to win Olympic and World Championship gold medals in every freestyle race from 200 to 1500 metres. Sun won three Olympic gold medals and eleven world championship gold medals, making him the most successful swimmer from China in history.

Honours and awards

Sun Yang has won many awards for his swimming achievements. Some of his notable awards include the Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2013, the SwimSwam Swammy Awards "Asian Male Swimmer of the Year" Award in 2017, and the FINA World Championships "Best Male Swimmer" Award in 2013 and 2015. He also received several awards from China Laureus and CCTV Sports Awards for being the best male athlete and a popular athlete.

Personal bests

Key: AS = Asian Record, NR = National Record, OR = Olympic Record

Personal life

Sun finished his studies at Zhejiang University in July 2014 with a bachelor's degree in sports. He later started working toward a master's degree in physical education at Soochow University. In 2018, Sun began a Doctor of Philosophy program in kinesiology at the Shanghai University of Sport in Shanghai, China.

Sun believes that success comes from believing in yourself. He looks up to Chinese swimmer Zhang Lin. Besides swimming, Sun likes listening to music and playing basketball. On 20 July 2023, Sun shared that he married former rhythmic gymnast Zhang Doudou.