China's Pan Zhanle after winning the 100m freestyle in world-record time at the Paris Olympics.
Aug 02, 2024
HONG KONG – China’s state media, athletes and netizens have rallied to support Olympic swimming champion Pan Zhanle, after critics, including an Australian swim commentator, said that his world-record swim in the 100 metres freestyle on July 31 was not “humanly possible”.
The 19-year-old smashed his own world record, shaving 0.40 seconds off the previous mark he set at the World Championships in Doha in February, to humble rivals Kyle Chalmers of Australia and Romania’s David Popovici.
Pan finished in 46.40sec to take China’s first swimming gold in Paris. His win came after he “completed rigorous doping test programmes prior to and during the Games with zero positive results”, China Daily said on Aug 2.
The teen, who said he had been given the cold shoulder by some of the other swimmers, insisted he took 21 doping tests from May to July.
“I cooperated with all the testing procedures and stayed confident that I am competing fair and clean,” he said.
“I did a lot of aerobics and endurance training to strengthen my push and kick in the final split. We have also adopted a scientific underwater monitoring and analysing system to review our techniques and strokes, so that we can train better and more effectively.”
Australian coach and commentator Brett Hawke had posted on his Instagram that “it’s not humanly possible to beat that field by a body length”.
His comments were widely shared on China’s Weibo platform, with one user commenting: “It’s so cool to see them incompetent, angry and breaking their defences.” “He is praising us, saying that position is impossible but sorry we did it,” said another.
The Chinese swim team have been under intense scrutiny since revelations in April that 23 of the country’s swimmers tested positive for a banned heart medication in 2021 but were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation that the results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen, and an independent review backed its handling of the case.
A World Aquatics audit also concluded there was no mismanagement or cover-up by the governing body.
Pan’s name was not among the Chinese swimmers listed in the reports by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.
“The Chinese swimming team underwent more tests in two weeks than foreign athletes did in an entire year,” China’s Global Times newspaper added.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei, who has won three bronzes in Paris, responded to questions about Pan during a press conference on Aug 1, saying: “Why are Chinese athletes questioned when they swim so fast? Why didn’t anyone dare to question (Michael) Phelps when he won?”
REUTERS
Swimming-China's Pan says other swimmers unfriendly in Paris pool
Paris 2024 Olympics - Swimming - Women's 100m Freestyle Victory Ceremony - Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France - July 31, 2024. Gold medallist Zhanle Pan of China celebrates after winning and establishing World record.
REUTERS/Evgenia Novozhenina/File Photo
Aug 01, 2024
Aug 01, 2024
PARIS - China's Pan Zhanle said he had been given the cold shoulder by some of the other swimmers at the Paris Olympics, in comments made after he won the men's 100-metre freestyle on Wednesday.
Pan smashed his own 100m freestyle world record, shaving 0.40 seconds off the previous mark he set at the World Championships in Doha in February, to humble a slew of champion rivals in Paris.
He finished a massive 1.08 seconds ahead of Australia's Kyle Chalmers, who had to settle for silver.
"When I finished the 4x100m freestyle relay the other day, I said 'hi' to Chalmers, but he totally ignored me," Pan said in a TV interview shortly after Wednesday's race. "Also (Jack) Alexy from the U.S.
"When we were training, our coach was standing by the pool side and he turned in such a way that the water splashed right onto the coach. I felt he looked down on us a little."
Relations between China's swimming contingent and some other nations have been frosty in Paris, but Chalmers, the 100-metre freestyle champion at Rio 2016, said he had no issue with Pan.
"I find it a bit weird," Chalmers said with regard to Pan's comment.
"I gave him a fist pump before the relays ... and then my focus went to my teammates and my own racing. We had a laugh together at warm down last night - but no issues from my end."
Alexy, who came seventh, has not responded to Pan's remarks.
The Chinese swim team has been under intense scrutiny since revelations in April that 23 of the country's swimmers tested positive for a banned heart medication in 2021 but were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation that the results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen, and an independent review backed WADA's handling of the case.
A World Aquatics audit concluded there was no mismanagement or cover-up by the governing body and Pan's name was not among the Chinese swimmers listed in the reports by the New York Times and German broadcaster ARD.
China's anti-doping agency (CHINADA) has since accused the New York Times of politicising doping issues and said the publication was trying to "affect the psychology" of Chinese athletes at the Olympics.
The Times said it was confident in the accuracy of its reporting.
"Today I finally beat them all," Pan continued, after earning China's first swimming gold in Paris.
"In such a challenging pool, I broke the world record - this is a tremendous performance and a great start for team China."
REUTERS
Pan Zhanle’s record should not be questioned, says Ben Proud
Paris 2024 Olympics - Swimming - Men's 100m Freestyle Semifinal 2 - Paris La Defense Arena, Nanterre, France - July 30, 2024. Pan Zhanle of China reacts after the race. REUTERS/Agustin Marcarian/File Photo
Aug 01, 2024
PARIS – China's Pan Zhanle has no questions to answer about his sensational 100 metres freestyle swimming world record at the Paris Olympics, British sprint specialist Ben Proud said on Aug 1.
Pan smashed his own record with a time of 46.40 seconds in the last race of the night at the La Defense Arena on July 31. Australian silver medallist Kyle Chalmers was a massive 1.08 seconds behind.
"I think 46.4 changes swimming, for sure," Proud told reporters after winning his 50 metres heat.
"It's a huge drop, it's fantastic and it shouldn't be questioned.
"It was a great swim by a good athlete and all the other stuff should be taken care of behind the scenes by the people who are in charge. I mean, we sat and watched and just thought wow. I'm not going to swear but...
"It was just a phenomenal swim and to do that in the final against the best in the world, winning by a second, is something you won't see very often."
The Chinese swim team have been in the spotlight since revelations in April that 23 of its athletes competed at the 2021 Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication.
The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation that the results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen, and an independent review backed Wada’s handling of the case.
The affair has hung over the Olympic meet and Pan complained after his gold medal on July 31 that he had been given the cold shoulder by some rivals.
"We all do our thing, and for me I'm the only person I can trust flat out. Whatever happens behind the scenes, that's out of my control," said Proud, the 2022 world champion at 50 metres freestyle.
"I just love to watch people swim and swim well and, yeah, to be a part of it."
Aug 01, 2024
PARIS – China's Pan Zhanle has no questions to answer about his sensational 100 metres freestyle swimming world record at the Paris Olympics, British sprint specialist Ben Proud said on Aug 1.
Pan smashed his own record with a time of 46.40 seconds in the last race of the night at the La Defense Arena on July 31. Australian silver medallist Kyle Chalmers was a massive 1.08 seconds behind.
"I think 46.4 changes swimming, for sure," Proud told reporters after winning his 50 metres heat.
"It's a huge drop, it's fantastic and it shouldn't be questioned.
"It was a great swim by a good athlete and all the other stuff should be taken care of behind the scenes by the people who are in charge. I mean, we sat and watched and just thought wow. I'm not going to swear but...
"It was just a phenomenal swim and to do that in the final against the best in the world, winning by a second, is something you won't see very often."
The Chinese swim team have been in the spotlight since revelations in April that 23 of its athletes competed at the 2021 Olympics despite testing positive for a banned heart medication.
The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted the findings of a Chinese investigation that the results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen, and an independent review backed Wada’s handling of the case.
The affair has hung over the Olympic meet and Pan complained after his gold medal on July 31 that he had been given the cold shoulder by some rivals.
"We all do our thing, and for me I'm the only person I can trust flat out. Whatever happens behind the scenes, that's out of my control," said Proud, the 2022 world champion at 50 metres freestyle.
"I just love to watch people swim and swim well and, yeah, to be a part of it."
REUTERS
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