Among the highlights at the 2019 FINA World Aquatic Championships in Gwangju were World Records by Hungary’s Kristof Milak, Russia’s Anton Chupkov, American Caeleb Dressel, and the United States’ Regan Smith, as well as the Australian women’s 4x200m freestyle relay, United States’ women’s 4x100m medley relay, and the United States’ mixed 4x100m freestyle relay.
However, among the stellar performances from the best athletes around the world, a black cloud hung in the air concerning competitor Sun Yang of China. At the time of this competition last July, the winner of the 200m and 400m freestyle events in Gwangju was facing an upcoming Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing regarding the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal case against FINA’s decision not to sanction Sun Yang over his blood vial-smashing incident in September of 2018.
Expressing their disappointment with the fact that Sun Yang was competing, Australian Mack Horton, who took silver in the 400m free refused to stand on the podium with Sun Yang during the medal ceremony. Although Briton Duncan Scott, who finished with the 200m free bronze, did step onto the podium, he refused to shake Sun Yang‘s hand post-ceremony and also opted out of group pictures with the medalists.
In February of 2020, Sun Yang was handed an 8-year ban by CAS, effectively ending the 28-year-old’s Olympic career.
Reflecting on the situation a year after snubbing Sun Yang‘s handshake and months after the announcement of Sun Yang‘s ban, 23-year-old Scott told BBC that he ‘backs the decision that has been made’ against the Chinese megastar.
Going back to Gwangju, Scott said, “Me not shaking his hand was nothing against him personally, it’s about a stance towards clean sport.
“The ban that he’s got is deserved and I think this is a step in the right direction towards clean sport.”
At the University of Stirling, Scott has gotten back in the water as of early July, with a renewed vigor towards the postponed Olympic Games set for Tokyo, Japan next year.
“I’m going to keep the same targets I had last year. I know what I want to do and I know what I need to do to try and get there.”
However, Sun can make a claim: his test sample was unguarded for 30 minutes. There is a possibility that either Horton or Scott, or another thug, dropped samples of illegal drugs.
Yang’s ban is not richly deserved: it has already bean reduced to 4 years, so he will make it to Paris 2024.
So Sun Yang ended up being punished by the relevant body and his career is over.
Snubbing someone at a podium is quite a big deal and very disrespectful. Was that the place and time for Scott and Horton to do what they did? I don’t think it was their place.
I can’t help wondering if instead of Sun Yang, we had a British or American or Australian swimmer, they would do the same…
I just want to say,Duncan is really friendly to his Chinese fans,please stop your racial discrimination
Duncan accomplished this while still looking 12. Such a cutie. He will go home with some medals from Tokyo
Still hoping Horton gets that gold reassigned to him….
Still in disbelief on how Horton’s family was threatened to the point of requiring security briefings.
For years after Rio too apparently.
I cannot wrap my head around the fact that it’s been a year already. I still remember last year very vividly, and with the lack of competitions (especially tapered ones) it doesn’t feel like taper season at all. Where has time gone?
I remember last year when, on a poll, I voted that I didn’t like podium protests. Oh how things have changed now. Many things happening have made me support not being shy and expressing what you think is right, instead of thinking “it’s unnecessary to do all this” and “they won’t like it and they won’t listen”. I’m glad he stood up for what he believed in, because clean/fair sport is very important.
Kind of forgot about Caleb Dressel’s 100 fly WR in that first paragraph, didn’t we?
Ah, I see it has been fixed.
Project 56 tho.