BEIJING – Doping-tainted swimming star Sun Yang looks set to miss the Paris Olympics after China published its selection criteria for the 2024 Games.

The Chinese Swimming Association said on Dec 22 its team would be chosen based on the results of the world championships in 2023 and 2024.

The results at the national championships from April 19 to 27 would be included as well.

That would rule out six-medal Olympian Sun, whose doping suspension does not end until May.

The Chinese Swimming Association said in a statement: “The top eight results from the finals of each swimming event from the 2023 Fukuoka World Aquatics Championships and the 2024 Doha World Aquatics Championships (and the) 2024 National Swimming Championship results will be treated as qualifying results.”

NBC Sports also reported that the Olympic selection criteria also rule out athletes who have been suspended for over a year for doping violations.

Sun, 32, was suspended for eight years by the World Anti-Doping Agency in 2020 after smashing vials of blood during a 2018 doping test, the circumstances of which he still disputes. He succeeded in reducing the ban after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Sun had expressed an interest in returning to competition in time for the Paris Games, which would be his fourth Olympics.

In September, he said in an interview on the Weibo social media platform: “Personally, I never said that I was retiring or that I was giving up.

“Every stage of life we experience different difficulties and setbacks, and now I have completely let go. It depends how you stand up from difficulties and setbacks.

“Athletes are most afraid of falling apart, which will lead to a decline in mentality and state.

“I always tell myself that I must maintain a healthy body and state.”

Meanwhile, on Dec 23, he said on his Weibo account: “Swimming is an inalienable part of my life, and I will always be passionate about it.”

He made no other statement.

He burst to prominence at the 2012 London Olympics, winning golds in the 400m freestyle and 1,500m freestyle plus silver in the 200m freestyle and a bronze medal in the 4x200m freestyle relay.

Four years later, in Rio, he won the 200m freestyle gold and 400m freestyle silver.

He is also an 11-gold world champion.

He announced his marriage to a rhythmic gymnast from Shanxi, Zhang Doudou, in July. AFP