China’s state media, athletes, and netizens have rallied in support of Olympic swimming champion Pan Zhanle following remarks by critics, including an Australian swim commentator, who questioned the legitimacy of his world record in the 100 meters freestyle.
Pan, who is 19, set a new world record in the 100 meters freestyle with a time of 46.60 seconds, surpassing his previous mark of 47.00 seconds set at the World Championships in Doha in February. This victory secured China’s first swimming gold medal at the Paris Olympics and put him ahead of competitors such as Australia’s Kyle Chalmers and Romania’s David Popovici.
Following the race, Pan was praised for completing rigorous doping tests both before and during the games, with no positive results. Pan revealed he underwent 21 doping tests from May to July, expressing confidence in his fair and clean competition. He attributed his success to extensive aerobics and endurance training, as well as a scientific underwater monitoring system to refine his techniques.
Australian coach and commentator Brett Hawke criticized the swim on Instagram, claiming it was “not humanly possible” and suggesting the performance was unrealistic. His comments, widely shared on China’s Weibo platform, prompted reactions from users who took pride in disproving the skepticism. One user remarked on the coolness of seeing critics flustered, while another expressed pride in proving the doubters wrong.
The Chinese swim team has faced heightened scrutiny since April when it was revealed that 23 of China’s swimmers tested positive for a banned heart medication in 2021 but were still allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics.
The World Anti-Doping Agency accepted that the positive results were due to contamination from a hotel kitchen, and an independent review confirmed WADA’s handling of the case. Pan was not implicated in these reports.
Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei, who won a bronze medal in the women’s 200-meter butterfly final, addressed the controversy at a press conference, questioning why Chinese athletes face scrutiny for their speed while past champions like Michael Phelps were not similarly questioned.
