Zhang suddenly finding himself in the shadows

Sun Yang (left) holds Zhang Lin's hand aloft after the men's 1,500m freestyle on Saturday. Sun has tried to play down the rivalry between the two, but doesn't deny it's there. "We used to be close," Sun said. "But the media compared us so often, which has made barriers between us." [Cui Meng / China Daily]

The new star's popularity doesn't have to come at the expense of the old one.

Sun Yang has been doing his best to shrug off the media hype of a rivalry between him and China's first male world champion, Zhang Lin, who is on the brink of missing the London Olympics following a poor performance at the national trials last week.

"There are too much comparison between us. I don't think it's necessary," said Sun, who's become the team's leader as Zhang declines. "Swimming is more about the individual effort. Too much hype on the rivalry has produced some pressure."

The newly crowned world champion and world record holder, Sun is enjoying the wild popularity and global focus that were Zhang's four years ago.

The disappointing week for Zhang, who failed to earn an automatic berth for London, was highlighted by the spotlight on Sun, who won all five races he entered.

To pay tribute to the veteran, Sun raised Zhang's hand after they finished the 1,500m in adjacent lanes.

His behavior was interpreted by some fans as patronizing.

"I just did it to show my respect and I don't care how others thought about it," Sun said. "He's still like my older brother. I started to train with him when I was young, so I know how tough it is for him."

Sun did admit his relationship with Zhang has chilled.

"We used to be close," he said. "But the media compared us so often, which has made barriers between us in recent years. It feels weird and I hope we clear the air, like it was before."

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn