HANGZHOU, China, November 3. YOU know you are one of the top personalities in your country when a fender-bender and subsequent charge of driving without a license is front page news. And, that’s just what Sun Yang is dealing with in China today.
Today, in Hangzhou, local media is claiming that Sun was rear-ended by a bus driver, who then went on to ask for Sun’s autograph in the aftermath of the incident. The only problem for Sun, however, is that traffic police found Sun to have been driving without a license. Sun, apparently, had to leave for the World Championships in Barcelona before being able to take his driver’s test.
According to local media reports, the bus had to avoid someone taking a sudden left turn, and wound up hitting Sun in his Porsche Cayenne in the process.
Ever since becoming the top Chinese male swimmer of all time with his two gold medals at the 2012 London Olympics, Sun has been under intense scrutiny back home. Even though he had an incredible year with a rare 400-800-1500 free world title sweep this summer in Barcelona, he did so amongst the backdrop of his country questioning his training methods as well as his choice of girlfriend.
The Zhejiang Institute of Sports also banned him from business-related activities prior to the World Championships when he began missing practice due to sponsor obligations. Although, under the system set up in China, everyone involved in helping produce Sun still gets a piece of his earnings.