Chinese swimming ace Sun Yang got a bit of payback for his Olympic defeat by pulling away for a dominating win Sunday over rival Mack Horton of Australia in the men's 400-meter freestyle.
Chinese swimming star Sun Yang received the award for Outstanding Contribution to Swimming Popularity in China at the FINA World Aquatics Gala 2017 on Saturday night in Sanya city of South China's Hainan province.
Chinese swimming ace Sun Yang failed to defend his 800m freestyle title as he finished fifth at the 17th FINA World Championships on Wednesday.
Sending its best to the West has paid off for China's national swimming team, which has reaped golden performances at the ongoing world championships.
China's Sun Yang wins first World Championships 200m free title
China's Sun Yang was gracious following his 400m freestyle victory at the World Aquatics Championships on Sunday as he took revenge over Olympic champion Mack Horton of Australia.
China's Sun Yang, the enfant terrible of competitive swimming, is set to undergo another test of his fragile temperament at the world championships after a turbulent 2016 Rio Olympics.
Sun Yang cemented his status as China's top freestyler at the Chinese National Swimming Championships over the last week - but the triple Olympic champion admitted the physical toll of the sport has left him doubting his participation in the 2020 Tokyo Games.
World champion Sun Yang won the men's 400m freestyle with the world's best time of the year at the Chinese National Swimming Championships on Monday.
Chinese star swimmer Sun Yang said Monday that he did not stop training after the Rio Olympics and hoped for a perfect ending at the Tokyo Games.
China's Sun Yang has vowed to come back stronger after his surprise elimination from the men's 1,500m freestyle at the Rio Games on Friday.
Male swimmers from China have flown the Chinese swimming team's flag and kept its dream alive as almost all female players missed podium spots at the Rio Olympics.