When the hammer came down on a container holding a vial of Sun Yang’s blood, it ultimately shattered the career of China’s greatest swimmer.

The three-time Olympic champion was banned for eight years on Friday, likely ending the 28-year-old Sun’s racing days before he could defend his 200-meter freestyle title at the Tokyo Games.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport found the three-time Olympic champion guilty of refusing to cooperate with sample collectors during a visit to his home in September 2018 that turned confrontational.