Olympics cheating storm breaks out as Chinese swimmer, Pan Zhanle, breaks his own world record and...

A controversy over cheating at the Olympics has erupted in Paris after a 19-year-old Chinese swimmer claimed a victory in the 100m freestyle by a significant margin.

Pan Zhanle, a 19-year-old swimmer, won first place in the competition yesterday. He beat his previous world record by 0.4 seconds and left Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers a whole second behind.

The amazing performance resulted in him completing the race in 46.40 seconds, earning China its first medal ever in the 100m freestyle event.

However, the incredible accomplishment has stirred up controversy with Chalmers' coach, who described the time as 'impossible for a human' and emphasized that 'if something seems too perfect, it's likely not real'.

Following a previous decision by China to permit 23 swimmers who failed doping tests to participate in the Tokyo Olympics, Zhanle has not been officially accused, connected, or convicted of doping violations himself.

Pan Zhanle is very happy after breaking his previous world record at the Paris Olympics and winning the gold medal in the 100m freestyle final.

Zhanle achieved an impressive win in the pool last night, beating Australian swimmer Kyle Chalmers by a significant margin of one second. Zhanle proudly posed with his medal next to Chalmers and Romanian swimmer David Popovici, who also won medals.

"Look, I'm going to be real, I am furious about that swim," Brett Hawke shared on his Instagram account following the race.

I am frustrated for various reasons. My friends are some of the most skilled swimmers of all time, from Rowdy Gaines to Alex Popov to Gary Hall Jr, Anthony Irvin, and even King Kyle Chalmers. I have a deep understanding of these individuals, as I have been closely following their careers for three decades.

I have researched this sport extensively. I have delved into the concept of speed and have a deep understanding of it. I consider myself an expert in this field, as it is my specialty.

I'm frustrated at the moment because winning the 100 freestyle by a body length on that field is not something that happens easily.

There is no way a person can outperform the competition by a whole body length.

I don't mind your opinion. This is not about race, targeting any specific individual or country. This is simply based on my observations and knowledge.

"That's unrealistic, you can't outswim those top swimmers. Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, Jack Alexy, you can't defeat them by an entire body length in the 100 freestyle. It's not humanly achievable, so don't try to convince me otherwise. It's just not realistic."

Chalmers is confident that his competitor from China is not using any performance-enhancing drugs, and he made this statement after the race.

Zhanle is joyful and proud after achieving victory and setting a new world record in the Men's 100m Freestyle event.

Zhanle proudly stands for a photo holding his gold medal following his victory in the Men's 100m Freestyle.

Hawke, a former Olympic swimmer, shared a message on his Instagram story saying, 'If something appears too perfect, it's likely not genuine'.

He didn't specifically talk about doping, but China's team has been closely watched since it was revealed that 23 swimmers had tested positive for a banned substance before the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

Pan was not included in the group of 23 athletes who were cleared to participate in the Tokyo competition. This decision came after world anti-doping authorities believed China's explanation that the swimmers had consumed contaminated food at their team hotel.

The country regained attention on Tuesday when the New York Times revealed that two athletes in 2022 had tested positive for a forbidden steroid. However, their temporary suspensions were lifted after it was determined that the results were due to tainted food.

However, Pan, who is from Wenzhou, responded to the accusations by saying that he has undergone over 20 tests in the recent months. When questioned about whether this has impacted him, he took a diplomatic stance.

Pan explained to reporters with the help of a translator that the testing was conducted in accordance with all the rules and regulations, so he did not believe there was any difference or impact.

Kyle Chalmers from Australia won the silver medal, coming in 1.08 seconds after Pan. David Popovici finished just 0.01 second behind him to take the bronze medal.

Pan crossed the finish line first, completing the race in 46.40 seconds and leaving the other racers behind by a full body length.

Chalmers congratulated Zhanle with a handshake after winning the silver medal in the 100m Freestyle event.

Chalmers thinks his Chinese rival is not using drugs because the Australian swimmer was defeated in Paris for another Olympic gold medal.

When questioned about Pan's impressive swim potentially being affected by allegations of doping among Chinese swimmers, the Australian athlete was straightforward in supporting his competitor.

"I give it my all to try and come out on top in the race, and I believe that everyone else is doing the same, adhering to the honesty and fairness of sports," stated Chalmers, who won the silver medal.

I believe that Pan has earned that gold medal.

Chalmers, who won a gold medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics, won his second silver medal in the same event at the Tokyo Games. This silver medal marks his eighth Olympic medal overall. He finished in second place behind Caeleb Dressel in Tokyo.

Chalmers successfully recovered from a back injury just before the Olympic trials, and then had to adapt to a new coach after his previous coach, Peter Bishop, was removed in March due to an unspecified investigation.

Chalmers shared that he has been using the same race strategy for the past eight years and it has been successful for him. Although he almost achieved his goal, he was still thrilled to win a silver medal.

Popovici, who once had the world record before Pan broke it in Doha, won a bronze medal to accompany his gold medal in the 200m freestyle event at Paris.

There was anticipation that British swimmer Matt Richards would make it to the 100m Freestyle final, but unfortunately, the athlete from Wales did not qualify for the finals.

Richards came in sixth place in his semi-final, clocking in at 48.09. He ranked 12th overall but narrowly missed out on a spot in the final, falling just three places short of the top eight qualifiers.

The athlete, who is 21 years old, has already achieved a silver medal in the men's 200m freestyle final. Later, he won a gold medal in the men's 4x200 metres freestyle relay, competing alongside James Guy, Tom Dean, and Duncan Scott.