The Times - UK (2021-12-18)

the times | Saturday December 18 2021 1GS K1 13

Sport

comeback as he stands in front of a
giant sign declaring “Try to Make Your
Life Wonderful”, the slogan of the Anji
Sports School.
Sun’s ban of four years and three
months started on February 28, 2020
and, under the terms of the Wada code,
he is prevented from returning to
racing and practising with a profession-
al programme at a sports facility funded
by a “governmental agency” until the
beginning of 2024.
In effect, Sun cannot train alongside
other athletes affiliated with the
Chinese Swimming Association nor
receive any assistance from anyone else
covered by the code and part of a coun-
try’s performance sport community.
The school is “fully funded by the
state”, according to Chinese sources
and media reports published when new
facilities were opened at the 30-year-
old venue in 2019. It is the home of some
of China’s top sports prospects and has
produced world, national and provin-
cial champions in several sports,
including athletes who claimed global

New questions over ‘Houdini’ athlete

titles in canoe events and martial arts.

A spokesman for Wada said: “[We]

take these allegations around Sun Yang

very seriously. We are looking into the

matter and, as part of that, we will

follow up with the relevant entities, in-

cluding Fina, to gather more informa-

tion and to be in a position to determine

whether the swimmer has breached the

terms of his suspension, as per the

decision of the Court of Arbitration for

Sport (CAS).”

Fina said that it would comply with a

Wada request to investigate. A spokes-

man said: “We are contacting the Chi-

nese authorities to seek explanation

and will reiterate that it is imperative

that any banned athlete complies with

the Wada Code and the conditions of

their ineligibility.”

The Chinese Swimming Association,

the leading authority for the sport in

China, failed to respond to requests for

comment.

Sun is known by rivals as the “Houdi-

ni” of swimming because he escaped

the full force of anti-doping penalties in

all brushes with swimming authorities.

Since he became the first Chinese man

to claim Olympic gold in the pool when

he won the 400m and 1500m freestyle

at the London 2012 Games he has been

embroiled in controversy, including a

positive test for a banned substance in

2014. The test result led to a backdated
      three-month suspension that was
      criticised for being too lenient and went
      unserved.
      Sun’s doctor, Ba Zhen, was served
      with two concurrent suspensions, for
      supplying the banned substance and
      then, after The Times alerted Wada, for
      working with the swimmer at the Asian
      Games at a time when he was supposed
      to be in the sin-bin.
      The present ban came after an
      attempt by drug testers to take a blood
      sample during an unannounced visit in
      September 2018. Ba was one of those
      who persuaded Sun to take back his
      sample after the swimmer had signed it
      over. The dispute ended with Sun leav-
      ing the control room with the sample
      and watching as a security guard called
      by his mother, Ming, used a hammer to
      smash the outer casing of the test tube.
      An initial eight-year ban eventually
      became four years and three months
      after a long legal process. The CAS
      found that he had “acted recklessly”.

L

et the hype begin. Ten

months after the high-speed

car crash in which he

almost lost a leg, Tiger

Woods was back on the golf

course yesterday, fine-tuning his

game ahead of his return to action

today at The PNC Championship. It

is one of the “hit and giggle”

tournaments that Woods spoke

about last month, but it will still be

fascinating to see what the

15-times major winner is capable of.

Woods, 45, will partner his son

Charlie, 12, in the 36-hole

tournament for major winners

and family members in

Florida. They will play

alongside Justin Thomas,

the world No 6, and his

father Mike.

It may only have

been a routine pro-am

round yesterday but

the grandstands at the

Ritz-Carlton Golf Club

were packed in

anticipation of the great

man’s return.

“I haven’t hit too many

tee shots and then, all of a

sudden, there’s people off

the tee box,” Woods said. “It

was just awesome to be back

out there playing and being out

there with my son. And we had an

absolute blast.”

Woods’s previous competitive

outing was at the same event a year

ago, when Thomas and his father

won, with Team Woods in seventh

place. Thomas Sr said he played with

Woods last week and he was

staggered by his progress. “It’s crazy

how far he’s hitting it for what he’s

been

through,” he

said. “He’s got some speed, he’s got

some length, hits a lot of really flush

shots. I was surprised.”

That whetted appetites although

Woods sounded a note of caution

yesterday. “I couldn’t walk this golf

course even right now, and it’s flat,”

he said. “I don’t have the endurance.

My leg is not quite right yet, and it’s

going to take time.”

After the crash in February, which

involved no other cars and Woods

has still not addressed in public,

many wondered if that was the end.

Last month he said he was “lucky to

be alive” and recalled how he had

spent three months in a hospital bed.

He said he was only halfway through

his rehabilitation and his ambition

was to play a few tournaments a year,

but he could not resist taking the

bait when asked if the Open at

St Andrews was a target.

Nelly Korda, the Olympic

champion, will play with her father

Petr, a grand-slam winner in tennis,

and she is among those surprised

that Woods is in the field. “When I

heard the news I was in complete

shock,” she said. “For him to come

back from what he went through –

incredible.” She also gave an insight

into his impact on golf. “I don’t really

watch a lot of golf but when Tiger is

in contention I’m always glued to the

TV.” She will not be alone.

6 Sky Sports Golf 5.30pm today, 4pm

tomorrow.

Tiger’s

back – but

he’s still

in pain

Rick Broadbent

Woods warms

up for the pro-

am and, inset,

jokes with his

son Charlie

Sun, who has been embroiled in controversy since winning two golds at London

2012, was pictured apparently training at a facility despite serving a suspension

JOE SKIPPER/REUTERS

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

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