Pan Zhanle of China breaks own world record to win Olympic gold medal in men’s 100-meter freestyle

NANTERRE, France (AP) — Pan Zhanle of China broke his personal world report on the way in which to successful the boys’s 100-meter freestyle Wednesday evening, ending in 46.40 seconds for his nation’s first swimming gold medal of the Paris Olympics.

That mark topped his 46.80 swum on the February world championships in Doha.

“It was a magical second, actually magical,” Pan stated. “The report was not only for the Chinese language staff, however for the world. This can be a small step by breaking this report.”

In maybe essentially the most ferocious race in swimming, the 19-year-old Pan edged Kyle Chalmers of Australia, who clocked a 47.48 for silver and Romanian bronze medalist David Popovici in 47.49.

No world marks had been damaged by means of the primary 4 days within the pool on the Paris Video games.

Chalmers received gold within the 100 free within the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Video games, and was the silver medalist three years in the past in Tokyo behind American Caeleb Dressel. Dressel didn’t qualify this time.

Pan has not been implicated in any of the doping allegations which have surrounded the Chinese language swimming staff within the run-up to the Olympics.

Chinese language swimmers in Paris have pushed again strongly in opposition to these accusations and say they’ve been examined extra incessantly in latest months, generally three or 4 occasions every week.

Pan was requested concerning the testing and stated all of it appeared routine to him.

“This was normal,” he stated. “The exams had been achieved beneath all of the laws. I don’t suppose it influenced my efficiency.”

WADA, the World Anti-Doping Company, put out an announcement on Tuesday in response to meals contamination eventualities getting used to clear athletes who check constructive.

“WADA is mostly involved concerning the variety of instances which are being closed with out sanction when it isn’t potential to problem the contamination concept,” the assertion stated.

“There have been many instances of constructive exams that had been ultimately closed with out sanction as no-fault violations, generally with uncommon strategies of contamination.”

WADA stated it was additionally involved about comparable instances in the US.

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AP Summer season Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games