Olympic swimming champion Sun Yang finally hugged his coach Zhu Zhigen after a month-long spat, both with tears in their eyes. The deputy vice president of the Zhejiang College of Sports, to which the duo is affiliated, told media: "This is not a show, and they truly reunited!"

It is unknown how the reconciliation was achieved and whether this is the end of the drama. Last month, Zhu publicly disapproved of his star disciple's budding romance with a flight attendant and his excessive commercial activities, to which Sun's response was essentially, "Your training sucks and you're fired."

After the quarrel between Sun and Zhu, the Zhejiang College of Sports punished Sun by banning him from attending all commercial activities and fined him one month's earnings. But he is not the first Olympic star to be disciplined for his "bad-boy" behavior.

Back in 2004, Olympic diving prince Tian Liang was kicked out of the national team for "participating in too many commercial activities." Unlike Sun's reconciliation with his mentor and sports college, Tian announced his retirement as he and sports authorities repeatedly failed to see eye-to-eye, though the public expected him to return and compete in the 2008 Olympics.

Tian later married a singing starlet and turned to TV dramas, but his career's transformation has not been successful.

Although the national athletic system continues to operate and authorities remain generous with their investment in elite athletes, the era in which sportsmen can be completely tamed is gone.

Both the sports authorities and star athletes are learning how to deal with each other. In a recent media interview, Shang Xiutang, deputy director of the Chinese National Swimming Administrative Center, said the body still objects to Sun's dating since his priority should be training, but he added that "if their relationship is already established, it's improper to force them apart."

Sun apparently knows exactly where his values lie, given the fact that most other rebel Olympic champions fail to uphold their athletic status after turning to other money-making channels.

Meanwhile, in order to foster competitive athletes, especially top-ranking ones, sports authorities have to conduct huge input, including purchasing expensive training equipment and sending them abroad to join various competitions. Under the current system, Sun is still "a son of the nation," and he will continue to compete in the name of national honor.

Both sides do need each other, and the rivalry of multiple interests is prompting a win-win situation.

It was disclosed that Coach Zhu once kicked Sun into the pool when he failed to accomplish all his training tasks. It is unknown whether such rigid or "backward training methods," in Sun's own words, which reflect the principle of absolute subordination, can change.

But the media has reported that on the day Sun and his mentor headed back toward the practice pool, an advertiser tailed Sun to the side of the pool and negotiated with him about a future cooperation. It is highly likely that Sun will be able to continue his out-of-pool activities. Both China's sports and China's advertisements need Sun's endorsement, as long as he continues to excel in swimming competitions.

The author is an opinion editor with the Global Times. chenchenchen@globaltimes.com.cn