Chinese swimmer Sun Yang's ban cut to 4 years and 3 months

Lausanne, June 23 Chinese swimmer Sun Yang's eight-year ban has been cut to four years and three months, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced.

The new panel found 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 CAS said in a media release on Tuesday.

Sun Yang, who is China's most celebrated swimmer, has won three gold, two silver and a bronze medal at the Olympics besides 11 gold at the world championships.

"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 CAS had handed Sun an eight-year ban in February 2020 after finding him guilty of refusing to cooperate with sample collectors during a visit to his Hangzhou home in September 2018. Sun then turned to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court, his last court of appeal.

Following the decision of the Swiss Federal Tribunal of December 22, 2020 to remove the previous president of the arbitration panel, the other panel members stepped down and an entirely new panel was appointed.

The new panel conducted a hearing with the parties by video conference on May 25, 26 and 27 2021.