Man of the hour

That "no-holds-barred" sprint became Sun's professional blue hour: a twilight threshold between promise and breakthrough. The Paris crucible forged a new mindset — now, he focuses on "perfecting the process".

"I don't know what's ahead, but I'll focus on giving my best to today's training and rehab. The future is uncertain, but today is mine to control," said Sun.

This mindset shift proved transformative. Just one month after the Paris Olympics, Sun dominated at the 2024 National Swimming Championships in Wuhan, claiming gold in both the men's 50m butterfly and 50m breaststroke events.

Yet his journey wasn't without struggles. Before that Paris final, Sun battled severe anxiety. "The pressure was overwhelming. I couldn't sleep at all, which made me even more worried, because poor rest affects performance," he recalled.

Olympic champion Wang Shun, his roommate at the time, became his solace. "He noticed my anxiety and shared his own experience," Sun recalled.

"He told me that, before the Tokyo 2020 200m individual medley final, he couldn't sleep either — yet he still won gold the next day. His story showed me that even champions face these moments, and that the challenge is surmountable."