China is missing banned superstar Sun Yang but they will take a record contingent to Tokyo seeking a strong showing with their own Olympics just months away.

The world's most populous country topped the medals table at Beijing 2008 but then slumped to third behind the United States and Britain at Rio 2016, their worst Olympic performance in two decades with 26 golds.

The disappointment was summed up in a tweet by the state-run Xinhua news agency which said: "No gold for CHN gymnasts, Team China has suffered the worst Olympic flop at Rio 2016."

At the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back a year by the coronavirus and will finally open on July 23, China will have a giant squad of 777 athletes and staff, their largest contingent at an overseas Olympics.

But if they are to improve on Rio, China will have to do it without their biggest star.

Controversial swimmer Sun, a triple Olympic gold medallist, was banned last month for more than four years after a second doping violation.

In his absence, China does not have an internationally recognised big name, but the country will still anticipate hoovering up gold medals in diving, table tennis and weightlifting.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/cricket-india-and-pakistan-set-to-clash-in-super-12-stage-of-icc-t20-world-cup-398542">Also read |&nbsp;Cricket: India and Pakistan set to clash in Super 12 stage of ICC T20 World Cup</a>

Chinese media has branded its divers a "Dream Team" capable of carting off all eight golds in the sport.&nbsp;

There are also high hopes for the women's volleyball side, led by star spiker Zhu Ting, and in the swimming pool with Zhang Yufei.

Chinese media dubbed the 23-year-old Zhang "the new butterfly queen" after she soared at the national swimming championships in May, winning five gold medals and a silver.

Beijing Olympics loom

China's performances at the Olympics and place in the medals table are always a source of national pride, but there is added spice this time because of the fierce historical rivalry between China and Japan.

Moreover, because of the year's delay to the Tokyo Olympics, there is just six months between the Summer Games in Japan and Winter Games in Beijing.

The 2022 Olympics in the Chinese capital will come into sharp view immediately after Tokyo, especially when it comes to how organisers will deal with the coronavirus.

Sports blogger Ma Bowen is confident that China will come second in the medals table in Tokyo, behind the United States, partly because Chinese athletes will feel more at home in the familiar surroundings of Japan than they did in Rio.

"Because the Winter Olympics are right on our doorstep, China will want good results (in Tokyo) to drive everyone's enthusiasm for sport," added Ma, who has 800,000 followers on the Twitter-like Weibo.

"After Chinese people feel the vibe in Tokyo, they will pay more attention to the Beijing Games."

Like all athletes, China's competitors have been badly disrupted by the coronavirus, restricted to national tournaments and training in secure "bubbles" in the lead-up to Tokyo.

State media has, however, been keen to give the impression that they are gamely ploughing on with limited impact to their preparations.

Because of repeated obstacles thrown up by the virus, there will be particular interest in the women's football team.

The "Steel Roses" endured a tortuous qualifying campaign that saw them quarantined and training in a hotel corridor in Australia in the earliest days of the pandemic.

After repeated delays and rescheduling, they finally sealed a last-ditch spot in Tokyo in April after defeating South Korea in extra time in a tense play-off.

Fittingly, China's match-winner was Wang Shuang, the Wuhan native who was stranded in the city when the outbreak emerged there towards the end of 2019.

China is missing banned superstar Sun Yang but they will take a record contingent to Tokyo seeking a strong showing with their own Olympics just months away. The world's most populous country topped the medals table at Beijing 2008 but then slumped to third behind the United States and Britain at Rio 2016, their worst Olympic performance in two decades with 26 golds.

China is missing banned superstar Sun Yang but they will take a record contingent to Tokyo seeking a strong showing with their own Olympics just months away. The world's most populous country topped the medals table at Beijing 2008 but then slumped to third behind the United States and Britain at Rio 2016, their worst Olympic performance in two decades with 26 golds. The disappointment was summed up in a tweet by the state-run Xinhua news agency which said: "No gold for CHN gymnasts, Team China has suffered the worst Olympic flop at Rio 2016." At the Tokyo Games, which were pushed back a year by the coronavirus and will finally open on July 23, China will have a giant squad of 777 athletes and staff, their largest contingent at an overseas Olympics. But if they are to improve on Rio, China will have to do it without their biggest star. Controversial swimmer Sun, a triple Olympic gold medallist, was banned last month for more than four years after a second doping violation. In his absence, China does not have an internationally recognised big name, but the country will still anticipate hoovering up gold medals in diving, table tennis and weightlifting. Also read | Cricket: India and Pakistan set to clash in Super 12 stage of ICC T20 World Cup Chinese media has branded its divers a "Dream Team" capable of carting off all eight golds in the sport. There are also high hopes for the women's volleyball side, led by star spiker Zhu Ting, and in the swimming pool with Zhang Yufei. Chinese media dubbed the 23-year-old Zhang "the new butterfly queen" after she soared at the national swimming championships in May, winning five gold medals and a silver. Beijing Olympics loom China's performances at the Olympics and place in the medals table are always a source of national pride, but there is added spice this time because of the fierce historical rivalry between China and Japan. Moreover, because of the year's delay to the Tokyo Olympics, there is just six months between the Summer Games in Japan and Winter Games in Beijing. The 2022 Olympics in the Chinese capital will come into sharp view immediately after Tokyo, especially when it comes to how organisers will deal with the coronavirus. Sports blogger Ma Bowen is confident that China will come second in the medals table in Tokyo, behind the United States, partly because Chinese athletes will feel more at home in the familiar surroundings of Japan than they did in Rio. "Because the Winter Olympics are right on our doorstep, China will want good results (in Tokyo) to drive everyone's enthusiasm for sport," added Ma, who has 800,000 followers on the Twitter-like Weibo. "After Chinese people feel the vibe in Tokyo, they will pay more attention to the Beijing Games." Like all athletes, China's competitors have been badly disrupted by the coronavirus, restricted to national tournaments and training in secure "bubbles" in the lead-up to Tokyo. State media has, however, been keen to give the impression that they are gamely ploughing on with limited impact to their preparations. Because of repeated obstacles thrown up by the virus, there will be particular interest in the women's football team. The "Steel Roses" endured a tortuous qualifying campaign that saw them quarantined and training in a hotel corridor in Australia in the earliest days of the pandemic. After repeated delays and rescheduling, they finally sealed a last-ditch spot in Tokyo in April after defeating South Korea in extra time in a tense play-off. Fittingly, China's match-winner was Wang Shuang, the Wuhan native who was stranded in the city when the outbreak emerged there towards the end of 2019.

No Sun Yang, but China eager to atone for 'worst Olympic flop'

The sporting future of swimmer Sun Yang, one of China's most celebrated athletes, will be decided next week in Switzerland when his appeal against an eight-year doping ban is heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The hearing, which is scheduled to run from May 25 to 27, will determine not only whether the 29-year-old multiple Olympic and world champion swims in the Tokyo Games but almost certainly whether he ever races again.

Requests from Reuters for comment from Sun and the Chinese Swimming Association about the hearing went unanswered.

The case will be closely watched by Sun's massive fan base in China as well as his rivals, including Duncan Scott and Mack Horton who staged protests against the Chinese swimmer at the last world championships.

Australian Horton dubbed Sun a "drug cheat" at the 2016 Rio&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;because China's first male Olympic swimming champion had served a three-month ban for the use of a banned substance in 2014.

Worse was to follow for Sun after a chaotic out-of-competition doping test in 2018, which ultimately resulted in CAS handing down the eight-year ban in February 2020.

That decision came only after the international arbitration body had accepted an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision by swimming's world governing body FINA to let Sun off with a caution.

In December last year, Sun took his case to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court which upheld his challenge against the CAS panel, ruling that one of the judges had exhibited possible bias against Chinese people.

SMASHED VIALS

As a result, CAS will rehear the case, in private and via videolink, with a new three-member panel.

The hearing will look again at what happened during the test in September 2018, when Sun and members of his entourage smashed vials containing his blood samples.

The swimmer argued during the previous CAS hearing, which was marred by translation problems, that the testers had failed to prove their identity and behaved in an unprofessional manner.

The sanctions imposed by CAS were automatically lifted after the Swiss court's December decision so Sun would be free to swim in his fourth&nbsp;Olympics&nbsp;and defend his 200m freestyle title if cleared by the new hearing.

Sun did not swim in China's Olympic trials but would automatically qualify for the Tokyo team courtesy of his 200m and 400m gold medals at the 2019 world championships.

Horton refused to share a podium with Sun in Gwangju after finishing second in the 400m, a gesture emulated by British bronze medallist Scott after the 200m final.

Both swimmers faced a barrage of online abuse from Sun's compatriots for their protests, accused of anti-Chinese sentiment and racism.

While Sun has not been promoting the Games along with teammates Xu Jiayu and Zhang Yufei, he is continuing training as normal at home in Hangzhou, according to local media reports.

Sun's fans, however, have thronged to social media to support him, saying he has achieved "unprecedented success" and was a "legend" of Chinese swimming.

One fan called 'Love Story' wrote in a blog hosted by Chinese e-commerce platform NetEase that an eight-year ban for Sun, who would be 37 when the suspension expires, would be a devastating blow for Chinese swimming.

"No matter what the future is, we must support Sun Yang, hoping that he can be strong and have the courage to go on and not be crushed by the enemy."

The sporting future of swimmer Sun Yang, one of China's most celebrated athletes, will be decided next week in Switzerland when his appeal against an eight-year doping ban is heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

The sporting future of swimmer Sun Yang, one of China's most celebrated athletes, will be decided next week in Switzerland when his appeal against an eight-year doping ban is heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The hearing, which is scheduled to run from May 25 to 27, will determine not only whether the 29-year-old multiple Olympic and world champion swims in the Tokyo Games but almost certainly whether he ever races again. Requests from Reuters for comment from Sun and the Chinese Swimming Association about the hearing went unanswered. The case will be closely watched by Sun's massive fan base in China as well as his rivals, including Duncan Scott and Mack Horton who staged protests against the Chinese swimmer at the last world championships. Australian Horton dubbed Sun a "drug cheat" at the 2016 Rio Olympics because China's first male Olympic swimming champion had served a three-month ban for the use of a banned substance in 2014. Worse was to follow for Sun after a chaotic out-of-competition doping test in 2018, which ultimately resulted in CAS handing down the eight-year ban in February 2020. That decision came only after the international arbitration body had accepted an appeal from the World Anti-Doping Agency against a decision by swimming's world governing body FINA to let Sun off with a caution. In December last year, Sun took his case to the Swiss Federal Supreme Court which upheld his challenge against the CAS panel, ruling that one of the judges had exhibited possible bias against Chinese people. SMASHED VIALS As a result, CAS will rehear the case, in private and via videolink, with a new three-member panel. The hearing will look again at what happened during the test in September 2018, when Sun and members of his entourage smashed vials containing his blood samples. The swimmer argued during the previous CAS hearing, which was marred by translation problems, that the testers had failed to prove their identity and behaved in an unprofessional manner. The sanctions imposed by CAS were automatically lifted after the Swiss court's December decision so Sun would be free to swim in his fourth Olympics and defend his 200m freestyle title if cleared by the new hearing. Sun did not swim in China's Olympic trials but would automatically qualify for the Tokyo team courtesy of his 200m and 400m gold medals at the 2019 world championships. Horton refused to share a podium with Sun in Gwangju after finishing second in the 400m, a gesture emulated by British bronze medallist Scott after the 200m final. Both swimmers faced a barrage of online abuse from Sun's compatriots for their protests, accused of anti-Chinese sentiment and racism. While Sun has not been promoting the Games along with teammates Xu Jiayu and Zhang Yufei, he is continuing training as normal at home in Hangzhou, according to local media reports. Sun's fans, however, have thronged to social media to support him, saying he has achieved "unprecedented success" and was a "legend" of Chinese swimming. One fan called 'Love Story' wrote in a blog hosted by Chinese e-commerce platform NetEase that an eight-year ban for Sun, who would be 37 when the suspension expires, would be a devastating blow for Chinese swimming. "No matter what the future is, we must support Sun Yang, hoping that he can be strong and have the courage to go on and not be crushed by the enemy."

Olympics: Sun Yang's career on the line at appeal hearing

Switzerland's top court has overturned an eight-year doping ban on Chinese swimmer Sun Yang imposed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport in February.

"The Swiss Federal Supreme Court approved the request by the Chinese swimmer Sun Yang for revision of the arbitral award of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne dated 28 February 2020 ... on the grounds of bias of one of the arbitrators of the CAS," it said in a statement released Thursday.

"The award of the CAS is set aside. The CAS will have to render a new award in the case of Sun Yang in a different composition of the panel," it said.

Switzerland's top court has overturned an eight-year doping ban on Chinese swimmer Sun Yang imposed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport in February. "The Swiss Federal Supreme Court approved the request by the Chinese swimmer Sun Yang for revision of the arbitral award of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne dated 28 February 2020 .

Switzerland's top court has overturned an eight-year doping ban on Chinese swimmer Sun Yang imposed by the Court of Arbitration of Sport in February. "The Swiss Federal Supreme Court approved the request by the Chinese swimmer Sun Yang for revision of the arbitral award of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne dated 28 February 2020 ... on the grounds of bias of one of the arbitrators of the CAS," it said in a statement released Thursday. "The award of the CAS is set aside. The CAS will have to render a new award in the case of Sun Yang in a different composition of the panel," it said.

Swiss court overturns doping ban on Chinese swimmer Sun Yang

World championship swimmers slammed China's Sun Yang over lurid doping allegations and said competitors were firmly behind Australia's Mack Horton, who snubbed the Olympic star on the podium.

America's Matt Grevers said many competitors "don't trust" Sun, while world record-holder Lilly King said athletes "erupted in applause" after Horton refused to join his rival on the podium for photos after the 400 metres freestyle medals ceremony.

Triple Olympic champion Sun is facing allegations, outlined in a leaked FINA doping panel report, that he smashed vials of blood with a hammer when testers visited him last year.

FINA cleared Sun to compete but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), putting the swimmer's career on the line.

If Sun is found guilty of a doping violation, he could face a lifetime ban after serving a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking a banned stimulant he claimed was for a heart problem.

Grevers, along with King and several other swimmers, praised Australian Mack Horton for his "risky" protest on Sunday after finishing second behind Sun in the 400m freestyle final in Gwangju, South Korea.

"We don't know if there's going to be penalties or sanctions against him (Horton) but I think he knew there were risks and felt strongly enough to still do it," said the American backstroker.

"It's obviously something he feels passionate about. I don't feel like it really hurt Sun Yang. It's just to let him know that it was a weird incident and until it gets uncovered, we don't really trust you."

Australian Mitch Larkin also backed the stand of his team-mate Horton, who called Sun a "drug cheat" before beating him at the 2016 Rio Olympics -- two years after his Chinese rival tested positive for the banned stimulant.

"I'm super-proud of Mack," said Larkin after the morning's 100m backstroke heats.

"The whole Aussie team backs him 100 percent," added the former world champion.

"I think 99 percent of athletes around the pool deck back him, so he's not really standing alone. What he did was certainly brave and gutsy and I have a lot of respect for him for doing that."

'Pretty baller'

Asked if he felt confident he would be competing in clean races in South Korea this week, Larkin shrugged: "You can never be confident -- I know I'm a clean athlete and do everything I can, so I just have to trust that's enough."

Olympic breaststroke champion King, one of swimming's most outspoken athletes, revealed that swimmers at the village had applauded Horton's protest after the medal ceremony, which triggered boos from Chinese fans and prompted Sun to criticise the Aussie for being "disrespectful to China."

"Pretty baller, honestly," the American said of Horton's actions.

"It was awesome. Actually when he walked into the dining hall after us, the whole dining hall erupted in applause so it was pretty good to see the athletes united on his stance as well."

Only last week, King hit out at swimming's governing body over its doping protocols, describing the details of Sun's alleged doping violation as "sketchy" and calling for more to be done to beat the drug cheats.

"I don't think anyone in FINA is going to stand up for the athletes," fumed King, who let rip at rival Yulia Efimova at the Rio Olympics over the Russian's previous 16-month doping ban.&nbsp;

"The athletes have to stand up for themselves, so I think it's definitely a start if these guys are taking a stand against doping."

On Sunday, Sun hit out at Horton over his podium protest, saying the Australian should have shown more respect.

"Not everyone likes me -- I don't care," said Sun, when asked about Horton's snub.

"It's OK if you don't respect me personally, but at the victory ceremony -- which is a sincere occasion -- you should show respect to my country."

World championship swimmers slammed China's Sun Yang over lurid doping allegations and said competitors were firmly behind Australia's Mack Horton, who snubbed the Olympic star on the podium.

World championship swimmers slammed China's Sun Yang over lurid doping allegations and said competitors were firmly behind Australia's Mack Horton, who snubbed the Olympic star on the podium. America's Matt Grevers said many competitors "don't trust" Sun, while world record-holder Lilly King said athletes "erupted in applause" after Horton refused to join his rival on the podium for photos after the 400 metres freestyle medals ceremony. Triple Olympic champion Sun is facing allegations, outlined in a leaked FINA doping panel report, that he smashed vials of blood with a hammer when testers visited him last year. FINA cleared Sun to compete but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed the decision at the Lausanne-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), putting the swimmer's career on the line. If Sun is found guilty of a doping violation, he could face a lifetime ban after serving a three-month suspension in 2014 for taking a banned stimulant he claimed was for a heart problem. Grevers, along with King and several other swimmers, praised Australian Mack Horton for his "risky" protest on Sunday after finishing second behind Sun in the 400m freestyle final in Gwangju, South Korea. "We don't know if there's going to be penalties or sanctions against him (Horton) but I think he knew there were risks and felt strongly enough to still do it," said the American backstroker. "It's obviously something he feels passionate about. I don't feel like it really hurt Sun Yang. It's just to let him know that it was a weird incident and until it gets uncovered, we don't really trust you." Australian Mitch Larkin also backed the stand of his team-mate Horton, who called Sun a "drug cheat" before beating him at the 2016 Rio Olympics -- two years after his Chinese rival tested positive for the banned stimulant. "I'm super-proud of Mack," said Larkin after the morning's 100m backstroke heats. "The whole Aussie team backs him 100 percent," added the former world champion. "I think 99 percent of athletes around the pool deck back him, so he's not really standing alone. What he did was certainly brave and gutsy and I have a lot of respect for him for doing that." 'Pretty baller' Asked if he felt confident he would be competing in clean races in South Korea this week, Larkin shrugged: "You can never be confident -- I know I'm a clean athlete and do everything I can, so I just have to trust that's enough." Olympic breaststroke champion King, one of swimming's most outspoken athletes, revealed that swimmers at the village had applauded Horton's protest after the medal ceremony, which triggered boos from Chinese fans and prompted Sun to criticise the Aussie for being "disrespectful to China." "Pretty baller, honestly," the American said of Horton's actions. "It was awesome. Actually when he walked into the dining hall after us, the whole dining hall erupted in applause so it was pretty good to see the athletes united on his stance as well." Only last week, King hit out at swimming's governing body over its doping protocols, describing the details of Sun's alleged doping violation as "sketchy" and calling for more to be done to beat the drug cheats. "I don't think anyone in FINA is going to stand up for the athletes," fumed King, who let rip at rival Yulia Efimova at the Rio Olympics over the Russian's previous 16-month doping ban. "The athletes have to stand up for themselves, so I think it's definitely a start if these guys are taking a stand against doping." On Sunday, Sun hit out at Horton over his podium protest, saying the Australian should have shown more respect. "Not everyone likes me -- I don't care," said Sun, when asked about Horton's snub. "It's OK if you don't respect me personally, but at the victory ceremony -- which is a sincere occasion -- you should show respect to my country."

Swimmers 'don't trust' Sun Yang as doping row boils over

China's Sun Yang stormed to 400 metres freestyle gold at the world swimming championships Sunday, retaining his title and winning it for a record fourth time.

The controversial triple Olympic champion clocked three minutes, 42.44 seconds in Gwangju with fierce Australian rival Mack Horton taking silver in a repeat of the 2017 result.

Sun, facing fresh allegations of violating doping protocols coming into the eight-day meet, slapped the water and roared in delight, savouring his moment as he sat on the lane rope.

As he climbed out of the pool after claiming the first gold medal of the eight-day swimming competition, Sun pumped his fist at the crowd and bellowed in delight.

Greeted by&nbsp;deafening cheers from flag-waving Chinese fans screaming his name, Sun sauntered onto the pool deck in headphones and goggles.

After a conservative first 200m, he pulled away inexorably over the second half to claim his 10th world title.

Horton claimed silver in 3:43.17 and Italian Gabriele Detti bronze in 3:43.23 for a carbon copy of the 2017 podium in Budapest.

Sun and Horton have also clashed outside the pool with the Aussie labelling him a "drug cheat" before pipping him to gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics over a three-month suspension Sun previously served for taking a banned stimulant he claimed was for a heart problem.

The giant Chinese faces claims outlined in a leaked FINA doping panel report that he smashed blood samples with a hammer when testers visited him last year.&nbsp;

China's Sun Yang stormed to 400 metres freestyle gold at the world swimming championships Sunday, retaining his title and winning it for a record fourth time. The controversial triple Olympic champion clocked three minutes, 42.

China's Sun Yang stormed to 400 metres freestyle gold at the world swimming championships Sunday, retaining his title and winning it for a record fourth time. The controversial triple Olympic champion clocked three minutes, 42.44 seconds in Gwangju with fierce Australian rival Mack Horton taking silver in a repeat of the 2017 result. Sun, facing fresh allegations of violating doping protocols coming into the eight-day meet, slapped the water and roared in delight, savouring his moment as he sat on the lane rope. As he climbed out of the pool after claiming the first gold medal of the eight-day swimming competition, Sun pumped his fist at the crowd and bellowed in delight. Greeted by deafening cheers from flag-waving Chinese fans screaming his name, Sun sauntered onto the pool deck in headphones and goggles. After a conservative first 200m, he pulled away inexorably over the second half to claim his 10th world title. Horton claimed silver in 3:43.17 and Italian Gabriele Detti bronze in 3:43.23 for a carbon copy of the 2017 podium in Budapest. Sun and Horton have also clashed outside the pool with the Aussie labelling him a "drug cheat" before pipping him to gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics over a three-month suspension Sun previously served for taking a banned stimulant he claimed was for a heart problem. The giant Chinese faces claims outlined in a leaked FINA doping panel report that he smashed blood samples with a hammer when testers visited him last year.

China's Sun Yang blazes to record fourth 400m freestyle world crown

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No Sun Yang, but China eager to atone for 'worst Olympic flop'

Olympics: Sun Yang's career on the line at appeal hearing

Swiss court overturns doping ban on Chinese swimmer Sun Yang

Swimmers 'don't trust' Sun Yang as doping row boils over

China's Sun Yang blazes to record fourth 400m freestyle world crown