Editorial | A test of fair play in the sporting arena
- The banning of Chinese swimming superstar Sun Yang, accused of being a drug cheat, misses the point that there are two sides to every story, so a rehearing of his case is justified
The anti-doping regime in sport is demanding. Athletes must cooperate with random testing during and outside competition. There are few if any excuses for banned substances in the blood or urine or for refusing or aborting tests. The consequences are punitive suspensions from competition that can be career-ending and financially devastating. The reputational taint is lasting.
In the case of China’s swimming superstar and Olympic champion Sun Yang, an eight-year ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport over refusal to cooperate with a test would have sidelined him until age 36. What amounts to a ban for competitive life may seem excessive. But any less rigorous an anti-cheating regime is unlikely to sustain the integrity of professional sport and Olympic competition.
The court ruled that Sun had failed to establish a compelling justification for his actions, and also took into account a previous three-month suspension for taking a banned in-competition stimulant for what he said was a heart condition.