- Australian swimming coach calls Pan Zhanle’s record swim ‘not real’
- Brett Hawke says astonishing time ‘not humanly possible’
- He set a world record by finishing one second ahead of Kyle Chalmers
A leading Australian swimming coach says China’s Pan Zhanle’s incredible 100m freestyle world record is unthinkable, insisting that ‘if it seems too good to be true, it probably is’.
The 19-year-old superstar improved his own record by 0.4 seconds, beating Australian Kyle Chalmers, whom he was a full second ahead of.
The incredible performance saw China win their first medal in the 100m freestyle, but swimming coach Brett Hawke is not convinced and has admitted the swim has made him ‘angry’.
“Listen, I’ll just be honest: I’m angry about that swim,” Hawke posted on his Instagram account after the race.
“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, all the way up to King Kyle Chalmers. I know these people inside and out, I’ve studied them for 30 years.
‘I’ve studied this sport. I’ve studied speed. I understand it. I’m an expert at it, that’s what I’m good at.
‘I’m angry now because on that field you don’t win the 100m freestyle by a body length difference. You just don’t do it.
‘It is humanly impossible to beat that field of competitors by a body length.
Pan broke his own world record and took gold in the 100m freestyle final
Australian swimming coach Brett Hawke said Zhanle’s astonishing time was ‘not real’
‘I don’t care what you say. This is not a race issue, this is not against any 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 a full body length in the 100-meter freestyle. It’s not humanly possible, so don’t sell it to me, don’t shove it down my throat. It’s not real.”
Hawke, who is a former Olympic swimmer himself, also posted a message on his Instagram Story saying: “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.”
He did not directly mention doping, but the Chinese team has been under increased scrutiny since revelations that 23 swimmers tested positive for a banned substance before the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.
Chalmers believes his Chinese rival is drug-free – and said so after the race
Pan was not among the group of 23 allowed to compete in Tokyo after international anti-doping authorities accepted China’s explanation that the swimmers had eaten contaminated food in a team hotel.
Chalmers is confident his Chinese champion is no longer using drugs after the Australian swimming champion won another Olympic title in Paris.
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When asked after the race if he was concerned that Pan’s stunning swim would be affected by rumours of doping by Chinese swimmers, the Australian was clear in his support of his rival.
“I will do everything I can to win the race and I trust that everyone will do the same as me and that I will remain true to the integrity of the sport,” said silver medalist Chalmers.
I trust that…he [Pan] deserves that gold medal.’