Ning Zetao expelled from national swimming team
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, February 23, 2017
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Ning Zetao of China reacts after finishing the men's 100m freestyle semifinal at the 2016 Rio Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug 9, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua] |
Chinese world champion swimmer Ning Zetao was expelled from China's national swimming team, according to China's sports authorities.
"Ning Zetao violated the rules of the national swimming team which has resulted in an adverse effect on the team and therefore has been returned to his previous team, the Chinese Navy Team," said the Swimming Management Center of the General Adminstration of Sport of China on Wednesday.
"Everyone is equal and should abide by rules in sports," said the statement, adding that the decision was made last October by the Chinese national swimming team "aiming to strengthen the team management, and promote the healthy development of the sport in China."
The Chinese swimming authority also made it clear that "the door of the national swimming team is always open to athletes willing to make a contribution to swimming in China."
The statement was released in response to rumors, controversy and confusion caused by a notification letter from the Swimming Management Center that surfaced on the internet on Wednesday morning and caused shockwaves on the internet and sports world. The letter told the management of China's Navy swimming team that Ning took commercial endorsement deals "in private without consent from the team," and refused to comply with the competition assignment of the team and even declined to take part in an Olympic qualifying relay event (which resulted in the absence of China's men's 4x200m freestyle relay at the Rio Games).
The letter said that they decided to send Ning back to the Navy team, so that Ning's training and anti-doping issues could be taken care of by the Navy team. The notification was issued dating Oct. 18, 2016, after the 2016 Rio Olympics. It was not known why it just was leaked online now; many have doubted its authenticity.
When asked about it, Ning said that he hadn't seen the notice before his friend told him what happened. "I never received this and was never told about its content," Ning told a Netease Sports reporter, and added that he voluntarily left.
There were rumors about disputes between Ning and national team. Previous reports suggested Ning was even in danger of losing his chance to compete in Rio Olympics. Ning eventually made it to Rio but performed badly. Later it was reported that he even didn't have a coach and was ordered to move out of national team's athlete department in three days after he returned to Beijing from training in Australia.
Three months later, in a TV documentary made by China Central Television, an aggrieved Ning went public and told the camera, "If there's no place for me here [on the national team], there must be somewhere else for me."
But there was a rumor earlier this month saying Ning might be back to the national team after the national swimming authorities experienced a leadership change. But the news hasn't been verified by the national team or Ning.
Ning has been one of the most famous swimmers in China since he made history by becoming China's first world champion male swimmer when he took home the men's 100 meters freestyle title at the 2015 FINA World Championships in Kazan, Russia in 2015.
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