China’s first gold as ‘Swimmer in stands’ shocks world as ‘flying fish’

PARIS | Xinhua |  Breaking through the waves reveals true gold. At the moment Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle touched the wall and broke the record, all doubts, grievances, and frustrations vanished.

“Awesome! It feels incredible!” exclaimed Pan after roaring to China’s first swimming gold in Paris with a world record time. His explosive speed left his competitors far behind. He finished nearly a full length ahead of the second-place finisher, veteran Australian swimmer Chalmers.

“I carried everyone’s hopes. I felt it all right up to the moment I hit the water!” Pan said.

Just as Usain Bolt is the fastest man on the track, China’s Pan has now become the fastest man in the water. The Chinese swimmer, who will celebrate his 20th birthday on August 4, gave himself and the world a perfect gift: an Olympic gold medal and a dazzling new world record.

The freestyle specialist clocked 46.40 seconds in the men’s 100m freestyle, improving his own world record by 0.4 seconds to secure the thrilling Olympic victory.

He did not become ecstatic over his personal achievement. “In fact, this gold medal doesn’t mean that much to me personally, because life has to go on. However, it is of great significance for Chinese swimming. This is the first time a Chinese swimmer has won gold in the men’s 100m freestyle, which is a truly remarkable and joyous accomplishment.”

The applause at the Paris La Defense Arena was thunderous when people saw Pan’s result. Pan made history as China’s first gold medalist in the men’s 100m freestyle at the Olympics and secured China’s first swimming gold in Paris.

“I felt a great deal of pressure before the race because many of my teammates had not performed well and did not win the medals they were aiming for,” Pan said. “Today, I did not expect to break the record. It’s a perfect result and a big step for me and the Chinese swimming team.”

Pan’s old Weibo handle no longer suits him. He previously called himself “the swimmer in the stands,” a name he chose during the 2021 World Short Course Championships in Abu Dhabi when he was always in the stands. From a former spectator to an Olympic champion, Pan achieved this transformation in just three years.

Pan began swimming at age four when he was selected into Wenzhou Youth Swimming School in Zhejiang province due to his exceptional physical attributes. His training was supported by his grandfather, who took on the role of his dedicated transporter. “He would take me to training in the morning and pick me up afterward. Rain or shine, he was always there,” Pan reminisced.

During those formative years, Pan’s grandfather witnessed his tireless efforts. “He is hardworking and has the spirit of a fighter, which has helped him mature quickly,” he observed.

While most coaches increase training intensity for under-performing swimmers, Wang Shi, Pan’s coach during his youth, took a different approach. “I would punish him by not letting him get into the pool, and he would be very uncomfortable because he just loves swimming so much,” Wang said.

Thanks to his dedication and hard work, Pan gained prominence in the swimming world at just 10 years of age. At the 2014 Zhejiang Provincial Games, he won seven gold medals in five days, including four individual titles and three relay championships.

Advancing through his career to the provincial and national teams, Pan entered a new chapter in 2023. With the refinement of high-level competitions, his performance soared rapidly. In May, he set a new Asian record in the men’s 100m freestyle at the Chinese National Championships with a time of 47.22 seconds and further improved his record at the Hangzhou Asian Games, winning the title in 46.97 seconds, just 0.11 seconds off the world record.

After the race, Pan Zhanle remarked: “Without breaking the world record, you can’t call yourself a ‘flying fish.’ My world record is something to look forward to.” At the Doha World Championships earlier this year, he fulfilled his bold promise by establishing a new world record of 46.80 seconds in the lead-off leg of the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay and helping China win the relay gold.

The 100m freestyle, often referred to as the “Battle of the Titans,” saw its world record set by Brazilian swimmer Cesar Cielo at 46.91 seconds in 2009, a record that remained until Romanian swimmer David Popovici surpassed it at the 2022 European Championships with a time of 46.86 seconds.

“I was afraid my record might be broken,” said Pan before the Paris Games. “Actually, it would even reduce my pressure.”

During training in Shanghai in early July, a reporter asked him about the sacrifices he had made to achieve his goal. He jokingly replied: “The hardship is already behind me. If you keep dwelling on the past, you’re not moving forward. I have a poor memory and always look ahead.”

The Chinese swimming team had been under immense pressure leading up to the Olympics, facing ongoing attacks and criticism from foreign media due to a food contamination incident in 2021. They were subject to frequent anti-doping checks, often undergoing more tests individually than the combined total of four to five of their international counterparts.

After arriving in France, the Chinese swimming team underwent more tests in just two weeks than foreign athletes did in an entire year. Pan said he had little sleep before the final because of a doping test that ran into the early hours of the morning. “The doping test after the team relay went until 2:30 a.m.,” he said. “I did not sleep well and did not feel good today when I arrived at the arena. All the tests haven’t affected me much, and I’m not annoyed by it. It’s part of the rules.”

Under the dual pressures of external interference and national expectations, the Chinese swimming team’s performance at the Paris Olympics was somewhat subdued, earning two silver and two bronze medals before Pan’s gold.  ■