- Pan Zhanle has again blitzed rivals in the pool at Paris Olympics
- Blistering split of 45.92 won China gold in 4x100m freestyle relay
- Zhanle, 20, also easily won 100m freestyle in world record time
Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle has produced another unforgettable moment at the Paris Olympics – as speculation remains rife over whether the superstar is actually a clean athlete.
Zhanle – who comfortably beat Aussie Kyle Chalmers in the 100m freestyle final -turned heads again after he set the fastest 100m relay split of all time when competing for his nation at the La Defense Arena.
Following Zhanle’s blistering split of 45.92, China won the gold medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay in another massive statement from the 20-year-old.
His electric performance comes as rival international competitors speak out against China’s controversial swim team, who headed into the Paris Games under a doping cloud.
Many have pointed to the fact 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in late 2020 and early 2021 ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
China’s anti-doping body at the time concluded all the swimmers had eaten contaminated food, and blamed Australian beef – and while Zhanle wasn’t one of the 23 pool stars under the microscope, suspicions remain given his superhuman performances in Paris.
British star Adam Peaty questioned the ‘honour’ of the Chinese swimmers – and top Aussie swim coach Brett Hawke said Zhanle’s effort to claim the 100m freestyle by almost a body length over Chalmers was not humanly possible for a clean athlete.
‘I’ve studied speed. I understand it. I’m an expert in it, that’s what I do,’ Hawke posted on Instagram.
Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle has produced another dramatic moment at the Paris Olympics – as speculation remains rife over whether he is actually a clean athlete
Zhanle turned heads again after he recorded the fastest 100m relay split of all time when competing in the 4x100m freestyle final at La Defense Arena
The Chinese star comfortably beat Aussie Kyle Chalmers (left) and Romanian David Popovici (right) in the 100m freestyle final earlier at the Games
‘You don’t beat those guys by one full body length in 100 freestyle. That’s not humanly possible.’
Former Aussie world champion turned media identity James Magnussen was in awe of Zhanle’s relay swim.
‘My whole career I was trying to break 47 seconds,’ he said on the Matty and Missile Podcast.
‘We all were. That was the goal. I didn’t think in my lifetime that I would see someone swim 45 seconds [over 100m].
‘For most average people that’s a lap. Pan does two laps. He doesn’t decelerate.
‘He holds that pace the whole time. ‘It’s insane what he does.’
Chalmers has been humble in defeat, stating this week he will have to ‘train even harder now to be competitive’ ahead of the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
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