CSA pours cold water on Sun return report

"Based on World Anti-Doping Agency rules, Sun Yang has been banned from competition since the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) made its decision," read the CSA announcement.

"That won't change during Sun's appeal to the Swiss federal tribunal against the Court of Arbitration for Sport decision. The previous No 49 document is invalid."

Sun was handed an eight-year suspension from competition in February by CAS, which ruled that Sun was in violation of doping-control regulations by rejecting a random drug test on Sept 4, 2018, in his home city of Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

The six-time Olympic medalist continues to protest his innocence, saying in a social media post earlier this year that he only refused to complete the test due to questions about the testers' eligibility, and that he plans to appeal the decision.

However, any legal challenge would likely not be completed in time for the Tokyo Olympics, which have been postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, the 28-year-old's medal-laden career could now be ended by the ban.

Feng Xu, sports reporter of China Central Television, revealed during a TV interview earlier this week that Sun will not give up fighting for his career as long as there's a chance he can save it.