The Swiss Federal Court ruled in favor of the three-time Olympic champion, suspended for eight years. WADA would have to rule again on his case.
The Swiss Federal Court has overturned the eight-year suspension of Chinese swimmer Sun Yang, pronounced in February by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) which will again have to arbitrate, according to a statement from the country’s highest legal body released Thursday. The Federal Court approved the request presented by the three-time Olympic champion “because of the bias of a CAS arbitrator. The CAS decision is quashed. The CAS will have to rule again on the case of Sun Yang in a different composition ”, underlines this brief press release. For the time being, the reasons for the tribunal are not available.
The CAS announced on February 28 the suspension of the Chinese swimming icon for the destruction with hammer blows of a sample during an unexpected doping control in September 2018. This suspension for eight years of the Chinese was the one of the most spectacular decisions of the CAS, due to its severity and the standing of the swimmer, triple Olympic champion and superstar in his country. The swimmer immediately appealed against this suspension to civil justice. Already tested positive for a stimulant in 2014, Sun Yang was punished for the destruction with hammer blows of a sample during an unannounced doping control in September 2018.
WADA “stands ready to present Sun Yang’s case again in a robust manner”
In a statement, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said it had been informed of the Federal Tribunal’s decision. “The decision of the Swiss Federal Tribunal stems from a dispute against the president of the CAS panel and does not include any comment on the merits of the case,” said WADA. “Before the CAS, WADA’s position clearly prevailed over the merits of the case,” adds the agency, adding that it “stands ready to again present its case in a robust manner before a panel of the CAS different in due course ”. It also did not receive the full and reasoned decision of the Swiss Federal Court and “therefore cannot speak in more detail”.
