Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle has set a world record in the 100m freestyle at the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivering a performance that has the potential to be historic.
**Gold Medal Marks Century Record**
Pan Zhanle, who was relatively unknown until February this year, stepped into the Olympic pool to make his mark on legend on August 1. Despite competing in a 2.20-meter-deep pool – below the 2.50-meter minimum set by FINA from 2023 – Zhanle overcame the disadvantage of a shallow pool, with athletes slowing down to gain power underwater.
Despite these challenges, Zhanle outlasted his seven opponents, defying his physical limits and winning. He won the gold medal in the 100m freestyle event, often considered the most prestigious freestyle event, with an incredible time of 46.40 seconds. His victory was so overwhelming that no competitor could finish him – a feat unheard of in recent history.
**Improving History**
At just 19 years old, Zhanle’s performance improved his previous record by 40 percent, surpassing the record he set at the Doha World Championships with a time of 46.80 seconds. Normally, breaking a record by such a distance would take years, but Zhanle achieved it in less than six months.
Since 1976, no swimmer has been able to reduce the 100m freestyle record by 40 percent in a single race, making Zhanle’s achievement all the more remarkable.
**Breaking the barrier**
On day five of the Paris 2024 Olympics, while the French crowd celebrated Leon Marchand’s two gold medals, silence fell as Zhanle surged into the lead, opening up a gap for his next opponent. The unexpected result stunned many, given the fierce competition from top freestyle divers such as Kyle Chalmers (Australia) and David Popovici (Romania), who had previously held the world record.
The last gap between gold and silver medalists in the 100m freestyle lunge at the Olympics to exceed a second was in 1924, also in Paris, when Johnny Weissmuller edged out Duke Kahanamoku.
**Anti-doping and controversy**
According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), Pan Zhanle was not among the 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for trimetazidine in early 2023. However, organizers have conducted five daily tests since the Chinese diving team arrived in France, causing some athletes to groan about what they described as confusion.
Zhanle, who has undergone 50 tests over the past year without a positive result, expressed his frustration at a press conference. “In the year of commitment, I have undergone 29 tests. Since July, I have had 21 tests and have never tested positive,” he confidently declared.
Bronze medalist David Popovici admired Zhanle’s achievement, calling it “amazing” and encouraging all swimmers to continue pushing the boundaries of the sport. “It’s not just about the medal; it’s about inspiring improvement and continuing to compete,” Popovici said.
