Suspended for eight years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport last February, Chinese swimmer Sun Yang saw the Swiss Federal Court on Thursday cancel this sanction and will therefore return to the CAS.
Small victory for Sun Yang. Suspended for eight years since February 28 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, the Chinese swimmer will finally be retried by the latter, following the decision, made public by a press release, of the highest legal body in Switzerland. Indeed, on Thursday, the country’s Federal Court announced the cancellation of the suspension of the three-time Olympic champion and 11-time world swimming champion.
A decision that can be explained ” due to partiality 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 », Can we read in particular. The case will therefore recognize a new twist because of Franco Frattini, the Italian president of the panel of judges, found guilty of anti-Chinese racist tweets, reported by Sun Yang’s lawyers.
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” The decision of the Swiss Federal Tribunal stems from a dispute against the chair of the CAS panel and does not include any comments on the merits of the case. Before the CAS, WADA’s position clearly prevailed over the merits of the case “, Has since reacted the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which also announced to be held” ready to resubmit her case in a robust way before a different CAS panel in due course. “
As a reminder, Sun Yang is involved in a possible doping case, because a member of his entourage destroyed a sample of his blood with a hammer, during an unannounced check in September 2018. A case that had caused a stir, while the latter has always denied having doped and then received the maximum penalty (8 years). It remains to be seen how it will evolve and if the native of Hangzhou will finally be able to participate in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games., which will normally take place during the summer of 2021.
