Shanghai (AFP)

Fallen swimming star Sun Yang regained his place at the top of Chinese sport on Friday: his federation included him in his list of athletes preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, before quickly removing it.

According to the Chinese press, Sun Yang, suspended at the end of February eight years for doping, was one of the swimmers summoned by the Chinese Swimming Federation (CSA) to participate in a national training course from April 1 to June 30.

The CSA then published a short press release to say that "this list mentioning Sun was invalid", since it "is still serving his suspension".

Despite this rectification, the Chinese Federation will be contacted by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

"We will reach the relevant authorities in China to understand what has happened on this issue," WADA told AFP.

Sun Yang, 28, is a controversial figure in Chinese and global sport. His eight-year suspension, the heaviest he faced before the Arbitration Tribunal for Sport (CAS), was pronounced because he had hammered a sample during an unannounced doping control in September 2018.

He is thus deprived of the Tokyo Games, even after their postponement for a year (July 23-August 8, 2021) due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The triple Olympic champion (400 m and 1500 m in 2012, 200 m in 2016) had however explained at the announcement of his sanction that he was going to file an appeal against this suspension "unjust" in his eyes.

© 2020 AFP