The Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport handed Chinese swimmer Sun Yang a unanimous eight-year ban from competition on Friday, effectively ending the Olympic gold medalist’s career.

“The CAS Panel unanimously determined, to its comfortable satisfaction, that the Athlete violated Article 2.5 FINA DC (Tampering with any part of Doping Control),” the court wrote in a statement explaining its ruling. Within hours, Sun announced he would appeal the decision.

The case stemmed from a September 2018 confrontation with anti-doping officials at Sun’s home, during which the swimmer’s bodyguard smashed vials containing already-collected blood samples. The World Anti-Doping Agency filed an appeal with CAS after FINA, swimming’s governing body, determined in January 2019 that Sun had not violated anti-doping rules.

Sun had previously been slapped with a three-month ban by Chinese swimming authorities after testing positive for a banned stimulant, trimetazidine, in 2014. Rival Australian swimmer Mack Horton later called him a “drug cheat” during the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, and refused to share a podium with him at the 2019 FINA World Aquatics Championships in Gwangju, South Korea.

The 28-year-old Sun will be eligible to compete again in February 2028. (Image: IC)