Adam Peaty has welcomed the news of Sun Yang‘s eight-year ban after the Court of Arbitration for Sport announced their verdict.
The Olympic 100m breaststroke champion told Swimming World:
“Very good. For anyone that’s been banned once, potentially it’s a mistake. The odds are yeah – you could have taken any supplement or whatever.
“You’re looking at it twice – you’re a fool. I believe that you’re disrespecting the sport, you’re disrespecting yourself and you’re disrespecting your country.”
He later released a statement, saying:
“I’m pleased with today’s verdict. I trust in CAS and WADA to uphold the values in the sport and I believe a ban was the right decision. I feel strongly about clean sport and I feel a responsibility as an athlete to be true to myself, my sport, my country and the next generation of athletes who look to us for inspiration.”
Adam Peaty – Photo Courtesy: Becca Wyant
Peaty had told Swimming World ahead of the verdict:
“You know how I stand with that kind of situation. I can’t really see anybody being not guilty if you smash a vial: that’s really the end of it, that’s the end of the conversation.”
Peaty has long been outspoken about Sun and doping in sport in general and last summer stated he would be “hung, drawn and quartered by noon” if he was accused of being involved in such an incident that has now seen the Chinese banned.
His British team-mates Duncan Scott and James Guy have both been directly affected by Sun, in and out of the water.
Scott, who has said he “fully supports and respects” the CAS decision, was subject to Sun’s ire at last year’s World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea, after the Briton refused to share the medal podium following the 200m freestyle.
Guy won the world 200 free title in Kazan, Russia, ahead of Sun as well as taking 400 silver behind the Chinese in 2015.
A year later at the Rio Olympics, Guy finished fourth over 200m behind Sun, Chad le Clos and Conor Dwyer, who retired in October 2019 following three failed drugs tests in November and December 2018 after he had testosterone pellets inserted in his body.
Guy said on social media: “The truth always comes out”.
Peaty, who also said dopers “should hang their heads in shame”, added:
“If I was racing a guy who was beating me or on my tail and he had that kind of thing I would be mad. 100%.
“I’d do a little bit more protesting than the rest of them. It’s not acceptable at all: sport doesn’t have a place for that.
“It’s not just about that person – it’s about all dopers. It seems to be every three months or every other month or month that people are coming out with doping violations.
“Have more control of what you put in your body firstly – if it is your intention to cheat then you’re ruining the sport for everyone and it’s just so selfish, it’s just ridiculous.
“I think athletes do need more representation in terms of the union being in the express lane before Tokyo and getting that sorted to see what that can do.”
So too does the eight-time world champion call for even more serious penalties, saying:
Again sport unfortunately is tainted by these people who choose to cheat and will get found out eventually. If you look at the people who have been caught for doping – it doesn’t matter if they’re caught (after) two years, 10 years, 15 years – those samples are always there. As new methods of detection get better then they’re going to get caught eventually, aren’t they?
“Unfortunately its too late – they’ve cashed out really.
“I think until sport starts treating doping as fraud you’ll have people just looking at it and think I don’t care, I’m just going to win anyway. And that is the selfish nature of the human race.
“There are not enough deterrents to stop them doing it – that’s the way it is I guess unless you say ‘I’m going to take your house’ or have people suing you, you’re not going to stop those people from doing it or otherwise it would have stopped by now.”
Agree 100% Sun Yang should be ashamed. So many swimmers / kids / public looked up to him. Hope he can stand back and see his faults and learn from them
Angela Van Wyk … who looked up to him? He has no humility he is a complete grub and anyone who lets their kids look up to a drug cheat could use some serious parenting skills.
There is no conclusion on the front that he used drugs. Even CAS official announcement agreed he did not use illicit drugs. So lets set that part clear.
Untrue Bing… the CAS ruling makes specific reference to the 2014 test – and explains why that makes it 8 years ban and not something more lenient.
In china, sun yang and his team or even the gov has kidnap the ideology of “support sun yang”= patriotic. Chinese gov has long been brainwashed it’s citizen. The education is that all westerns are hostile toward china and china should rise and don innate the world so they can do anything once they become the no 1 superpower of the world.
Pamela Goldsbro if you watched him in Gwangju the Chinese people still adored Sun Yang – posters, shirts everything. He’s one of the “most successful/prominent” swimmers that China has had.
Rachel Moore … and that would pretty much sum up my thoughts on China
Rachel Moore … and yes I did watch very closely in Gwangju
Great news for decent and honest sports people across the world!
It looked ominous for a while that this case would be made “to go away”.
It completely vindicates the courageous actions of both Mack Horton and Duncan Scott at the Gwangju world champs last year. It also makes a mockery that Sun Yang was allowed to compete at all.
He should now be stripped of all his medals and his name wiped from swimming history. Anything less is unacceptable.
Lee Thomas totally agree he should not feature on any records at all!!! Medals taken away and silver & bronze medalists upgraded!!!
通用领域
生物医药
很明显，你们根本不热爱游泳。你们应该谈谈失去一位伟大的运动员是如何的悲伤，而不是去表达你们的窃喜。孙杨的成绩在游泳历史上都是传奇
Obviously, you don’t love swimming at all. You should talk about how sad it is to lose a great athlete, not how happy you are. Sun Yang’s achievements are legendary in swimming history
That would be called propaganda. And no-one is saying they are happy it is to see an athlete go; they are happy to be clear of an unacceptable situation that those around Sun Yang had the power to avoid and make sure was avoided. Sun Yang’s achievements will not go down in swimming history as legendary beyond his fandom. That’s tragic – but ask questions not of those who found what caused his downfall unacceptable – ask who created that environment and where are they now and are they being called to account.
His greatness is questioned by his doping history and violating rules of wada. Along with his attitudes, temper, his dishonesty, he is not that great at all. Maybe he is great to you but the sports itself doesn’t need people like that.
Good. Actions speak louder than words.
Disappointed his greatness was just a lie
Donna Pim there was never any greatness here.
Two words. Good $&@“/;? riddance.
I wonder whether he will be ashamed/embarrassed or just continuing being so arrogant.
Hetty Oliver not a chance. He is a pig.
Wow… how you better than him? I guess our kids have to look up to you, who call other person a pig?
And don’t get me wrong, I am against doping.
Natalia, if a person is a contemptible human being for his behavior and his words, I will proudly tell my kids and any others why he is a despicable person, and in so doing I am being a role model. This guy is arrogant, has no integrity, little or no regard for others, disrespects his sport and the work so many of his predecessors put in to be elite and elevate the sport, and disregards how his actions hurt other people. Calling him a pig is an insult to pigs, and you defending him–even from name calling–is appalling.
Hope he has to hand back all his gold medals .
Agreed yay ?
Sean Talbot
Sara Stacy
Not a great headline; it reads as if Peaty is the one being banned.
Gotta get those clicks huh “Adam Peaty” “8 year ban” Picture of Peaty, for a 10 sentence “article” about Yang. C’mon SW , be better.
Connor Tarver
It’s about time
Great news and just before the olympics. Would have been a travesty if the verdict had been different.
Karina Lee
I woke up to seeing the news of the Ban!! Made my day!!! Took wayyyyy toooo longggg!!!
Well put Peaty!!
Should be banned for life, he was so arrogant. ??
At long last, the Sun has finally set on the controversial, acrimonious swimming career of Yang, who is faced with the lesson, that cheaters do not prosper.
Now Sun Yang is confronted with an environment where there is no justice to speak of. It is self-evident that the natural result of the sentence is pronounced in an environment where the westerners are completely right. The sentence is not for illegal drug taking, but for other reasons and the most serious. It is really intended to add to the crime. The sentence is really ironic and hypocritical
It has nothing to do with westerners no any other kind of prejudice of that kind. The WADA rules are in play. Perhaps you should read them.
Wade has taken down Armstrong who is a western. Brainwashed chineses are everywhere