Australian swimming coach questions Chinese Olympic star Pan Zhanle’s world record: ‘Not humanly possible’

An Australian swimming coach and former Olympian has questioned the legitimacy of Chinese language star Pan Zhanle and his astonishing world report swim on the Paris Olympics.

Pan destroyed a high-class discipline after which took intention at two of his rivals in Australian Kyle Chalmers and American Jack Alexy, with the Chinese language star successful by a physique size to assert the coveted 100m freestyle gold medal.

In doing so, the 19-year-old additionally broke his personal world report by almost half a second – the largest successful margin within the males’s 100m freestyle since Johnny Weissmuller, the American swimmer and actor higher recognized for enjoying Tarzan, in 1928.

Pan’s win was the primary time a swimming world report has tumbled at these Video games. The pool’s comparatively shallow depth has been blamed for the sluggish occasions throughout the game, however Pan defied that logic with a dominant show.

It got here within the wake of the Chinese language doping scandal, during which it was revealed that the Chinese language anti-doping authorities dismissed failed checks amongst its elite swimmers, blaming contamination at a resort kitchen, and World Anti-Doping took no motion.

Pan was not implicated within the scandal, however that hasn’t prevented swimming coach Brett Hawke – who isn’t half of the present Australian Olympic setup – from speculating on his efficiency.

“I’m indignant at that swim,” Hawke posted on Instagram. “I’m upset proper now since you don’t win 100 freestyle by a physique size on that discipline. You simply don’t do it. It isn’t humanly potential to beat that discipline by a physique size. I don’t care what you say. This isn’t a race factor, this isn’t towards anybody specific particular person or nation, that is simply what I see and what I do know.

“That’s not actual, you don’t beat that discipline. Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, Jack Alexy, you don’t beat these guys by one full physique size in 100 freestyle. That’s not humanly potential, OK, so don’t promote it to me, don’t shove it down my throat. It’s not actual.”

Hawke additionally posted a message which learn: “If it appears too good to be true, it in all probability is.”

Nonetheless Chalmers, who gained silver, backed his rival. “I do every little thing I probably can to win the race and belief everybody’s doing the identical as I’m, staying true to the integrity of sport,” Chalmers stated. “He deserves that gold medal.”