China Rallies Behind Pan Zhanle Amid Doping Allegations

China's state media, athletes, and netizens have rallied to support Olympic swimmer Pan Zhanle after criticism from an Australian commentator questioned the legitimacy of his record-breaking 100m freestyle swim. Pan, who took numerous doping tests with zero positive results, set a new world record in the event.

China's state media, athletes, and netizens have united in support of Olympic swimming champion Pan Zhanle. This comes after Australian swim commentator Brett Hawke and others questioned the legitimacy of Pan's world record-breaking swim in the 100 meters freestyle, calling it "not humanly possible."

Pan Zhanle shattered his own 100 meters freestyle world record by 0.40 seconds, posting a time of 46.60 seconds at the Paris Olympic Games, where he defeated top contenders like Australia's Kyle Chalmers and Romania's David Popovici. This marks China's first swimming gold medal at the event. According to China Daily, Pan underwent rigorous doping tests before and during the games, passing all with zero positive results.

Despite undergoing 21 doping tests from May to July, Pan remains confident that his training methods and scientific approach led to his success. Australian coach Brett Hawke's Instagram post questioning the legitimacy of Pan's swim has sparked significant discussion on China's social media platform Weibo, with users defending Pan and showcasing national pride.

This scrutiny follows revelations that 23 Chinese swimmers tested positive for a banned heart medication in 2021 but were allowed to compete at the Tokyo Olympics. Both WADA and an independent review concluded there was no mismanagement, and Pan's name was not linked to these cases. Chinese swimmer Zhang Yufei also defended Pan during a press conference, questioning why only Chinese athletes face such suspicion.

(With inputs from agencies.)