An Australian swimming coach has criticized the world record set by Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle in the men’s 100m freestyle at the Paris Olympics, calling it ‘not humanly possible.’
Brett Hawke voiced his concerns over the 19-year-old swimmer’s remarkable performance, where Pan defeated his closest competitor by over a second with a time of 46.40 seconds. This time not only broke Pan’s own previous world record but also marked the largest winning margin in the men’s 100m freestyle since Johnny Weissmuller’s 1928 record.
However, Pan’s achievement has been marred by ongoing doping controversies involving the Chinese swimming team.
Recent investigations by The New York Times and German broadcaster ARD revealed that 23 Chinese athletes failed drug tests for a banned heart medication at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with 11 of them competing in the Paris Games.
Additionally, two Chinese athletes were cleared after testing positive for a potent anabolic steroid in 2022, which was attributed to contaminated meat.
Despite these issues, Pan has maintained that he is unconcerned by the doping allegations, although his record-breaking performance has intensified scrutiny and suspicion regarding the Chinese swimming program’s use of performance-enhancing drugs.
In a video posted on his Instagram account, Hawke expressed his frustration with Pan’s performance.
“I’m upset for several reasons,” Hawke said. “I’ve studied this sport and speed for 30 years. I understand it deeply. It’s not possible to win the 100m freestyle by a body length against such a competitive field. You just don’t do it.”
Hawke, an Olympic swimmer for Australia in 2000 and 2004, argued that Pan’s performance was “not humanly possible” and dismissed the notion that he could surpass top competitors like Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, and Jack Alexy by such a margin.
“Beating those swimmers by a full body length in the 100m freestyle is not real. Don’t try to convince me otherwise; it’s just not possible,” Hawke stated.
His remarks come amid the backdrop of ongoing doping allegations against the Chinese swimming team, though Hawke did not explicitly connect his criticism of Pan’s record with these allegations.
