China’s three-time Olympic champion Sun Yang has had an eight-year doping ban reduced to four years and three months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But the ban, backdated to 28 February 2020, means the swimmer will miss this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo.

A new Court panel held the latest hearing after a Swiss Federal Tribunal ruling.

The 29-year-old missed a doping test in September 2018 and as a result, was given an eight-year ban for his second offence.

In January of 2019, Sun Yang was cleared of wrongdoing by Fina, the swimming federation, however, an appeal put forward by the World Anti-Doping Agency to the Court of Arbitration for Sport made the overruled that decision.  

Switzerland’s highest court set the ruling aside and the case was once again heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport however with a different panel in place.

Sun had told an appeal hearing in November 2019 that he missed the doping test because testers failed to prove their identity when they arrived at his home.

He also denied a vial containing his blood samples was smashed with a hammer.

Sun’s first offence saw him serve a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking the prohibited stimulant; Trimetazidine.