Sun Yang's world and Olympic titles have long been overshadowed by controversy, and the Chinese swimmer's career could now be over after he was banned for eight years on Friday for a second doping violation.
The three-time Olympic freestyle champion, 28, is universally popular in China despite a string of missteps including serving a drugs ban in 2014.
But Friday's ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport -- after a vial containing a blood sample was smashed with a hammer at his home -- threatens to be the decisive chapter in Sun's colourful career. He has vowed to appeal to the Swiss federal court.
The only child of an athletic family, Sun announced himself to the wider public at the world championships in Shanghai in 2011. Aged 19, he shattered Grant Hackett's long-standing 1500m freestyle world record and also won the 800m.
He grabbed two more golds at the London 2012 Olympics, again setting a new mark in the 1500m -- a record that still stands.
But then came the first in a long list of flashpoints. In 2013, Sun fell out with long-time coach Zhu Zhigen after a row over the swimmer's romantic ties with a flight attendant.
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Sun refused to train after Zhu ordered him to end the relationship. Chinese swimming officials attempted to mediate but the damage was done and Sun split with Zhu after 10 years under his tutelage.
Months later, Sun, driving without a licence, slammed a borrowed Porsche SUV into a bus in his home city of Hangzhou, near Shanghai. He spent seven days in police detention and later vowed to mend his ways.
At the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Sun was at the centre of controversy again, describing the national anthem of Japan, China's arch-rivals, as "ugly" after losing to Kosuke Hagino in the 200m freestyle.
In November 2014 came the bombshell announcement that Sun had served a three-month suspension earlier that year for taking a banned stimulant. He has always maintained it was prescribed medicine for a heart condition.
- 'You loser' -
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He hit back to win the 200m, but not before French swimmer Camille Lacourt caused another storm by declaring, in a nod to the drugs ban: "Sun Yang pisses purple."
"But I have a big heart. There are millions of athletes in the world and if a few want to hurl insults, I can take it."
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