Chinese spirits lifted by Pan Zhanle' world record amid doping suspicions
A victory that overshadows accusations. Pan Zhanle, a 19-year-old swimmer from China, won a gold medal at the Olympics by setting a new world record in the 100m freestyle event at the La Défense pool. This achievement came at a time when China was facing criticism for doping scandals.
Zhanle broke all previous records by clocking in at 46.40 seconds, a time that no other competitor could reach. This new record surpassed the 46.80 seconds that he set at the world championships in Doha back in February. Although this achievement was extraordinary and not often seen in this competition, there was a lack of excitement in the crowd.
Many fans were outraged by the recent uproar surrounding the Chinese swimming team. It all started last April, when the German public broadcaster ARD and the New York Times reported that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for trimetazidine during domestic competitions in January 2021, just before the Tokyo Games. This news has fueled suspicions of doping within the Chinese swimming community.
The CHINADA found traces of the substance in the hotel kitchen where the athletes were staying and believed it was due to food contamination. WADA supported this explanation and defended itself against accusations, particularly from USADA. Travis Tygart, the director of USADA, criticized WADA for not taking action and suggested there may have been a cover-up.
The Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated that the news reports were unfairly biased. He mentioned that both WADA and CHINADA have responded clearly to the allegations. CHINADA also expressed its intentions to possibly take legal action against the New York Times and other media outlets for spreading false information.
Let's not forget that Zhang Yufei achieved great success at the Tokyo Olympics, winning two gold and two silver medals, while Li Bingjie also secured a gold and a bronze. Fast forward to the 2023 World Championships in Fukuoka, Chinese swimmers dominated with an impressive 20 gold, eight silver, and 12 bronze medals, surpassing both Australia and the United States. Ever since news of the positive test emerged, tensions between the competing countries have remained high.
During this intense period, all eyes are on the Chinese swimming team at the Paris 2024 Olympics. They have successfully undergone the most doping tests conducted by the International Testing Agency (ITA) since they arrived in France. The spotlight is especially on the 11 swimmers competing in the Games, excluding the young Zhanle, who were among the 23 athletes that tested positive at the previous Tokyo Olympics.
However, Zhanle's success has brought a lot of joy in China and has led to a lot of excitement on social media. Several users who are happy about the victory have criticized the disrespect that the Chinese team has faced from other groups. One post said, "All those people from other countries who questioned your accomplishments now see how amazing you are, Pan. Your greatness speaks for itself."
Additional remarks on Weibo also echoed similar sentiments, with Asian supporters pointing out that individuals who cannot defeat you ultimately contribute to your growth. They are fated to follow your example. One comment mentioned, "As Chinese people, we have boundaries and principles. It is not in our nature to act in defiance of regulations." Hashtags connected to Zhanle's win gathered over 750 million likes on social media platforms by noon yesterday.
Chinese swimmers have shared that their training for the Olympics was impacted because they were subjected to a lot of drug testing in Paris. Zhao Jing, a former Olympic swimmer who was commentating on CCTV, even cheered for Pan during the race, asking viewers not to say negative things.
