- Pan Zhanle won gold with an incredible swim in the 100m freestyle
- He set a world record by finishing one second ahead of Chalmers.
China’s Pan Zhanle has accused Kyle Chalmers of snubbing him after attacking him following his victory in the men’s 100m freestyle race at the Paris Olympics with an impressive world record in swimming.
The 19-year-old smashed his own mark by 0.4 of a second to crush Chalmers, who claimed silver with a thrilling comeback after being last into the turn and then backtracked on his retirement plans.
“After finishing the 4x100m freestyle relay on the first day (of the Games), I greeted Chalmers, but he completely ignored me,” Pan said in comments made to Chinese media after her golden swim.
‘Among them was also (Jack) Alexy, from the American team.
‘When we were training, our coach was on the terrace (next to the pool) and someone did a somersault and got splashed with water.
‘We found this behavior a little disrespectful.
“But today we beat them all and broke the world record in such a difficult pool. It was an extraordinary performance.”
Pleased with silver, Kyle Chalmers believes his Chinese conqueror is drug-free after the Australian swimming ace lost another Olympic title in Paris.
Gold medal winner Pan Zhanle (left) accused Chalmers (right) of snubbing him before he set a stunning world record in the 100m freestyle on Thursday morning.
The 19-year-old also claimed he received the same treatment from American swimming star Jack Alexy, and later said one of the Chinese coaches was sprayed with water in a “disrespectful” act.
Asked after the race if he was concerned that Pan’s impressive swim would be marred by rumours that Chinese swimmers had doped, the Australian was clear in backing his rival.
“I’m doing everything I can to win the race and I trust everyone else to do the same as me, staying true to the integrity of the sport,” said silver medallist Chalmers.
“I trust that… he (Pan) deserves that gold medal.”
China’s team has been under increased scrutiny since it was revealed that 23 swimmers tested positive for a banned substance ahead of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
Pan was not in the group of 23 allowed to compete in Tokyo after global anti-doping authorities accepted China’s explanation that the swimmers had eaten contaminated food at a team hotel.
In Paris, Pan clocked 46.40 seconds, 0.40 seconds below her previous best, to win in a time that Chalmers (47.48) described as “crazy”.
The Chinese star set a stunning world record by finishing a second ahead of Chalmers (pictured with his silver medal), but the Australian later said he is confident there was no doping involved in the incredible swim.
“It’s a moment I never dreamed of or saw as possible,” Chalmers said.
‘The last 15 meters… I thought it could be the last one because he was so far ahead of me.’
Chalmers now has two consecutive Olympic silver medals following her 2016 gold in the blue riband event.
Compatriot Zac Stubblety-Cook also won silver on Wednesday night in an attempt to defend his men’s 200m breaststroke title.
And it took an Olympic record from French megastar Léon Marchand to beat him.
Stubblety-Cook finished behind Marchand, who claimed two gold medals in an hour amid raucous support from her hometown crowd at the La Defense Arena.
“It didn’t feel like a swimming competition, it felt like a rugby match… you can’t hear your own thoughts,” Stubblety-Cook said.
Marchand triumphed in the 200m butterfly before his breaststroke victory and the Parisian now has three gold medals from his hometown Games.
In Wednesday night’s women’s 100m freestyle final, Australian pre-race favourite Mollie O’Callaghan (fourth) and compatriot Shayna Jack (fifth) were left without medals.
“I was expecting a lot more,” O’Callaghan said.
“But in the end, you have to resign yourself and wait another four years.”