SHANGHAI — "Pride
of
China"
Sun Yang is "a victim of political posturing" and did
not break doping rules, his lawyer said, after a ban of more than four years
put the swimming star out of the Tokyo Olympics.
اضافة اعلان
The three-time Olympic champion's career was in tatters on Tuesday after the
Court of Arbitration for Sport's suspension for refusing to give a sample to
doping inspectors.
At the end of a long-running and controversial case, the Lausanne-based
court reduced its original ban of eight years after Sun, 29, appealed to
Switzerland's federal supreme court over alleged bias.
The new ban of four years and three months, backdated to February 2020,
rules the 1,500m freestyle world record-holder out of next month's Tokyo
Olympics and the 2022 Asian Games in his home city of Hangzhou.
Sun, who was banned for three months in 2014 for a separate doping offence,
will be eligible to return in time for the Paris 2024 Games, although he will
be 32 by then.
Writing on Chinese social media, his lawyer Zhang Qihuai said Sun's legal
battle "exposed the complexities involved in fighting international cases
and dealing with foreign relations (in sports), the weakness and defects of the
domestic system and athlete protection measures.
"Sun Yang fulfilled his responsibilities, but he has become a victim of
political posturing in this international case."
Zhang, of Lanpeng Law Firm, called Sun "the pride of China" and
added: "No one can understand the helplessness and hardship of athletes in
his position.
"I can only say forever: Sun Yang did not violate the rules and there
were no violations detected in the results (from doping tests).
"Unfortunately for China and even the world, such an excellent athlete
has fallen into the hands of international organizations manipulated by some
people."
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