Sun Yang's doping ban referred back to CAS after Chinese swimmer's appeal

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang has had his eight-year ban for doping violations referred back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after an appeal to a Swiss court.

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang was banned for eight years by CAS in February.

Chinese swimmer Sun Yang has had his eight-year ban for doping violations referred back to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after an appeal to a Swiss court, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said in a statement late on Wednesday.

Sun was banned for eight years by CAS in February after it accepted an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision by swimming body Fina to clear Sun of wrongdoing for his conduct during a 2018 test.

 

Sun appealed that decision and Wada said on Wednesday it had been informed the Swiss federal tribunal had upheld a challenge against the chair of the CAS panel but had not made any comment on the substance of the case.

"WADA will take steps to present its case robustly again when the matter returns to the CAS Panel, which will be chaired by a different president," the statement said.

The decision could potentially clear the way for Sun to compete at next year's delayed Tokyo Olympics, depending on when the case is heard.