China's Sun Yang withdraws from 4x200m relay

INCHEON, South Korea - The Chinese swimming team confirmed on Monday that Sun Yang will not compete in the 4x200m freestyle relay final this evening at Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatic Center.

"Sun will not race in the 4x200m relay tonight," Sun's coach Zhang Yadong told Xinhua.

A team official, who refused to be named, denied the reports that Sun will withdraw from the Asian Games as a whole due to the injury of his left thumb.

Coach Zhang said that Sun will stay on with the individual events that he has entered, which include 200m, 400m and 1,500m freestyles.

"He will not quit. All strong men grow up in disadvantaged environment," Zhang said.

Sun hurt his left thumb when touching home during the 200m freestyle match Sunday night. He lost to Kosuke Hagino of Japan by a tiny difference of 0.05 seconds.

Sun had a swelling thumb afterwards and had to go to a hospital in Incheon city for treatment after he went back to the Athletes Village Sunday night.

There is no problem with the bone but the treatment cost Sun a good night's sleep since he only came back from the hospital at 2 am early in the morning.

Sun, who has been focusing on middle and long distance races, was rather uncomfortable in highly competitive short distance race like the one on Sunday night.

However, Sun's withdrawal from the relay event will definitely reduce the competitiveness of the Chinese team in face of their Japanese rivals in the 4x200m freestyle relay, an event to show the overall strength of a country in swimming.

The Chinese team, consisting of Zhang Lin, Jiang Haiqi, Li Yunqi and Sun Yang, overclassed the Japanese in Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, the first time for the Chinese to beat the Japanese.

On Monday night, young blood Li Yunqi, Lin Yongqing, Xu Qiheng and Mao Feilian will make their utmost efforts to defend the honor of Chinese swimming.