Sun Yang’s shock last-minute withdrawal from Sunday’s 1,500m freestyle final with a heart problem cast a shadow over the last night of the FINA World Championships.
China’s world record-holder and Olympic champion confirmed his 11th-hour decision to quit was made after having chest pains during the warm-up, as his sudden withdrawal caught FINA officials by surprise.
It meant the 400m and 800m world champion’s lane was empty for the final, with Italy’s Gregorio Paltrinieri winning the 1,500m world title in his absence.
Photo: AFP
The 23-year-old Sun said he would seek medical advice after flying back to China yesterday and confirmed this was the first time he has been affected in competition.
“After the 800m competition, I did not feel well in my heart. I felt uncomfortable in the warm-up tonight so I had to give up the idea of competing,” Sun said.
The Chinese giant courted controversy last year after it emerged he had served a three-month doping ban for taking a banned stimulant.
Trimetazidine was in a prescription drug he sometimes took for heart palpitations.
Sun refused to comment on reports that he was involved in a physical altercation with Brazilian swimmer Larissa Oliveira in the warm-up pool on Sunday morning.
Several swimmers have confirmed there was a heated exchange and reports in Brazilian media say Sun attacked Oliveira with an elbow, while Brazilian officials have made a formal complaint to FINA.
Earlier on Sunday, Australia’s Bronte Campbell completed the freestyle sprint double as the 100m champion added the 50m crown.
“It is fantastic, I cannot believe it,” said Campbell, who finishes with three golds and a bronze from the 4x100m medley relay after her 50m triumph.
“I really did not expect to win. Anyone in the final could have won this race,” she added.
The 21-year-old clocked 24.12 seconds to win gold, with previous champion Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands taking silver at 0.1 seconds behind and Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom earned bronze finishing 0.19 seconds behind Campbell.
Sjostrom was happy with bronze and she leaves Kazan with five medals after her 50m and 100m butterfly golds, as well as silvers in the 100m freestyle and 4x100m medley relay.
The 21-year-old also broke the 100m fly world record twice.
Hungary’s “Iron Lady” Katinka Hosszu lived up to her nickname by completing the individual medley double in the 400m final having also retained her 200m title earlier in the week.
Hosszu touched the wall at 4 minutes, 30.29 seconds — just less than two seconds short of Ye Shiwen’s world record she had been chasing — to leave her with two golds from Kazan and a bronze in the 200m backstroke.
“I am just really happy to have done the double again, like I did in Barcelona,” Hosszu said. “It has been a great championships for me and now I am more happy than tired.”
In the men’s 400m individual medley final, Japan’s Daiya Seto retained his title and said his failure to qualify from the 200m semi-finals had given him all the motivation he needed.
There was a shock in the women’s 50m breaststroke final as Sweden’s Jennie Johansson snatched gold at 30.05 seconds in a blanket finish to claim her first major title.
Jamaica’s Alia Atkinson claimed silver at just 0.06 seconds back, while Russia’s reigning champion Yuliya Efimova took the bronze, finishing 0.08 seconds behind.
France’s Camille Lacourt defended his sprint title in the 50m backstroke final.
In the 4x100m medley relays, China’s women took gold ahead of Sweden and Australia, while the US claimed gold in the men’s race ahead of Australia and France.
For the seventh consecutive championships, the US finished top of the table in the swimming events with 23 medals, while Australia took second with 16, China third with 13 and Britain fourth with nine.
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