PAN ZHANLE’S incredible world record performance in the 100m freestyle has been labelled “not humanly possible” by an irate swimming coach.
The Chinese star, 19, smashed his own record by 0.4 seconds to romp to gold at Paris 2024.
Pan defeated runner-up Kyle Chalmers by more than a second at La Defense Arena.
Following the race, which saw China earn their first ever 100m freestyle medal, Aussie coach and former Olympian Brett Hawke looked to cast doubt on Pan’s incredible performance.
The 49-year-old said on his Instagram Story: “Listen, I’m just going to be honest, I am angry at that swim.
“Look I’m angry for a number of reasons. Look my friends are the fastest swimmers in history from Rowdy Gaines to Alex Popov to Gary Hall Jr, Anthony Irvin and all the way up to King Kyle Chalmers. I know these people intimately, I’ve studied them for 30 years.
“I’ve studied this sport. I’ve studied speed. I understand it. I’m an expert in it, that’s what I do okay.
“I’m upset right now because you don’t win 100 freestyle by a body length on that field. You just don’t do it.
“It is not humanly possible to beat that field by a body length.
“I don’t care what you say. This is not a race thing, this is not against any one particular person or nation, this is just what I see and what I know.
“That’s not real, you don’t beat that field. Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, Jack Alexy, you don’t beat those guys by one full body length in 100 freestyle.
“That’s not humanly possible okay so don’t sell it to me, don’t shove it down my throat. It’s not real.”
He then added: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
Prior to Tokyo 2020, 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a performance-enhancing banned substance.
They were eventually allowed to compete at the Games, after authorities accepted China’s explanation that athletes had consumed contaminated food while staying together at a hotel.
Regardless, Pan was not part of that group.
Silver medallist Chalmers, 26, did not seek to cast doubt on Pan’s achievement.
He said: “I do everything I possibly can to win the race and trust everyone’s doing the same as I am, staying true to the integrity of sport.
“I trust that… he deserves that gold medal.”
WHAT TO WATCH TODAY...
TODAY’S BRIT MEDAL HOPES
Water takes centre stage on Day 6 as Joe Clarke eyes canoe slalom kayak gold (4.30pm).
In the rowing, the women’s four should claim gold while the men’s four and women’s double sculls will know they can get on the podium, too (10.15am).
And after our men won the 4x200m freestyle relay, the women could add a medal in the pool tonight (8.48pm).
BRITS TO WATCH
Defending champ Beth Shriever and Tokyo silver medallist Kye Whyte begin their BMX racing event at the quarter-finals (from 7pm).
Bryony Pitman (9am), Penny Healey (4.14pm) and Alex Wise (5.05pm) are all in archery action.
Andy Murray’s swansong with Dan Evans continues – they face Americans Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals (3.30pm).
And the golf starts today, meaning Tommy Fleetwood and Matt Fitzpatrick will tee off for GB, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry flying the flag for Ireland (from 8am).
GLOBAL STARS TODAY
World No1 Scottie Scheffler leads an all-star USA golf team, though, alongside Open champ Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa and Wyndham Clark.
French Open champ Iga Swiatek is the heavy favourite for the women’s tennis singles gold ahead of her semi-final before Carlos Alcaraz then Novak Djokovic go in the men’s quarters (from 11am).
FANCY SOMETHING DIFFERENT?
Volleyball is an ever-present throughout the Olympics, running from Day 1 all the way to Day 16, all of it in the catchy-named South Paris Arena 1.
Tokyo runners-up Brazil face Japan (12pm) and hosts France vs China (8pm) in the pick of the clashes.
STATS MAD
3:50 – Who doesn’t love a competitive brisk walk?
The athletics officially begins with the men’s and women’s 20km race walks today (6.30am and 8.20am).
The world record is a staggering 1:16.36 – that’s an average of 3m50s per km while WALKING.
Follow all the action as it unfolds with our Paris 2024 Olympics LIVE blog.
