Chinese swimmer Sun Yang wins first gold after long suspension

Gold medalist Sun Yang(C), silver medalist Xu Haibo(L) and bronze medalist Xu Yizhou pose for group photos during the awarding ceremony after the final of men's 400m freestyle at the 2024 National Summer Swimming Championships in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province, Aug. 25, 2024. (Xinhua/Du Yu)

HEFEI, China, Aug. 25 (Xinhua) -- China's triple Olympic champion Sun Yang claimed gold in the men's 400m freestyle at the 2024 National Summer Swimming Championships on Sunday in Hefei, east China's Anhui Province.

Sun, representing Zhejiang Province, won his title in three minutes and 49.58 seconds. After returning from a 51-month suspension, the 32-year-old showed his supremacy by leading the race from the first 200m.

"I could have done better," Sun said after the competition. "Four years away from competition, and without intensive training, I do feel rusty in controlling the tempo, and I need more competitions. But it's a good start for my comeback, and I'm happy with this result."

Sun added that he would more events, and hoped to have a better performance next year. He also expressed great gratitude for his family's support.

Born in December 1991 in Zhejiang's capital Hangzhou, Sun became China's first-ever men's swimming Olympic champion at London 2012, where he was crowned in both 400m and 1,500m freestyle. At Rio 2016, Sun won the men's 200m free to become the first-ever male swimmer to collect Olympic golds in 200m, 400m and 1,500m free.

In June 2021, a panel of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) announced that Sun Yang committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations "when an unsuccessful attempt was made to collect blood and urine samples from him at his residence on September 4-5, 2018."

"The Panel concluded that a period of ineligibility of 4 years and 3 months (i.e. 51 months) commencing on February 28, 2020, is to be imposed on Sun Yang," said the CAS.

The National Summer Swimming Championships is a Class B national swimming event in China, second only to the National Swimming Championships in terms of level and prestige.

The tournament, running from August 25 to 28, has attracted 499 athletes from 24 teams nationwide.