Officials of the Chinese Swimming Administration Center (CSAC) said World Record holder and Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang may soon be allowed to start training with the national team again and take part in upcoming swimming competitions.
Sun was suspended from competitions and training last November after he figured in a road mishap where a bus crashed into his car in Hangzhou and the police found him driving without a license. Sun was arrested, sentenced to seven days of administrative detention and fined.
Although Sun has already served his punishment, his suspension from the national team remained indefinite. Whether or not he would be allowed to return to training - or when - would depend on his actions after his release from detention.
According to CSAC deputy director Shang Xiutang, Sun will need to be watched “for a certain period time” and if he “behaves well” during the time of observation, then his return to training may be sooner rather than later. Shang, however, pointed out that “if the suspension period is too short, he won’t draw any lessons from it; but if it is too long, it won’t be good for his sporting career.”
At the 2012 London Olympic Games, Sun won the gold in the 400 and 1,500 meter freestyle races, becoming the first Chinese man to achieve such a feat. He won gold again in the 400, 1,500 and 800 meter freestyle last August at the FINA World Aquatics Championships in Barcelona.
The suspension from training wasn’t the only setback for Sun. Although he was also chosen as the top male athlete for 2011 and 2012, this year he has been barred from consideration as a result of his arrest. According to reports, the arrest showed that he can’t be considered a role model, at least for this year.