Photo taken on June 16, 2009, shows Pan Zhanle takes part in swimming training. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]
In a spectacular conclusion to the swimming events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Chinese men's 4x100m medley relay team emerged victorious with a remarkable time of 3 minutes 27.46 seconds. With the exception of Australia at the 1980 Games in Moscow, which were boycotted by the US, the four Chinese athletes - Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, and Pan Zhanle - are the only non-American team to win since the event was added to the Olympics in 1960.
The standout performance came from Wenzhou's Pan Zhanle, whose extraordinary freestyle split of 45.92 seconds in the final leg catapulted China from third to first place. The victory came on Pan's 20th birthday.
On Aug 1, Pan made headlines by winning the men's 100m freestyle and setting a new world record with a time of 46.40 seconds. This achievement marked the Chinese swimming team's first gold medal at the Paris Olympics and the first world record at the La Défense Arena during these Games.
Pan expressed his gratitude in a heartfelt Weibo post, stating, "I am not fighting alone; behind me is the powerful Chinese team! This gold medal is dedicated to our great motherland!"
Pan's accomplishments and sunny and straightforward personality have earned him much admiration. Netizens have been comparing his impact in the pool to Usain Bolt's legendary 9.58-second 100m dash on the track.
