Things are getting quite frigid in the water.
Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle called out Australia’s Kyle Chalmers and America’s Jack Alexy for unsportsmanlike behavior after winning gold when he set the new world record in the men’s 100-meter freestyle Wednesday at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“When I finished the 4×100 freestyle relay the other day, I said, ‘Hi’ to Chalmers, but he totally ignored me,” Pan said in a TV interview after the race, as transcribed by Reuters. “Also, Alexy from the U.S. When we were training, our coach was standing by the poolside and he turned in such a way that the water splashed right onto the coach. I felt he looked down on us a little.”
Chalmers, who finished in second place, offered a different take.
The Australian claimed Pan told him “You’re my idol and I love, love, love watching you,” before the race, according to news.au.com.
“I find it a bit weird,” Chalmers said about Pan’s comment, according to Reuters. “I gave him a fist pump before the relays … and then my focus went to my teammates and my own racing. We had a laugh together at warm-down last night, but no issues from my end.”
The two had a weird handshake on the podium after the race, per news.au.com, and Chalmers did not question the validity of Pan’s new record.
“For him to produce a 46.40 and break the world record in the Olympic final is incredible,” Chalmers said, per the outlet.
“I do everything I possibly can to win the race, and guess everyone’s doing the same as I am and staying true to the sport and integrity of sport.
“I trust that’s he’s done everything he possibly can to be there. And he deserves that gold medal. And I did everything I possibly could to challenge for that gold medal.”
In the background of this swimming feud is the Chinese swimming scandal that has rocked the sport, although Pan has not been linked to any nefarious conduct, per Reuters.
A bombshell April report revealed that 23 Chinese competitors competed at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics despite testing positive for a banned substance, trimetazidine.
The World Anti-Doping Agency said it agreed with China blaming the results on a wide-spread contamination, and an audit by World Aquatics validated those findings, per Reuters.
The Chinese team won three golds and six swimming medals during those Olympics, and 11 swimmers linked to the scandal are competing in this year’s events, per NBC News.
Chinese officials have called the doping allegations “false”, “misleading” and “defamatory,” per NBC.
Adding another layer to the possible Australia vs. China rivalry is that China “suggested” an Australian beef company could be behind two additional Chinese swimmers testing positive for a banned substance in 2022 before being cleared again, per news.au.com.
American swimming phenom Katie Ledecky said before the Games started that she hoped no competitors were using illegal methods to gain an advantage.
“I hope everyone here (in Paris) is going to be competing clean this week,” Ledecky said, according to the New York Times. “But what really matters also is: Were they training clean? Hopefully, that’s been the case. Hopefully, there’s been even testing around the world.
“I think everyone’s heard what the athletes think. They want transparency. They want further answers to the questions that still remain
Despite all the controversy, Pan bested his previous world from record from February by 0.40 seconds after completing the race in 46.4 seconds.
He became the first swimmer to set a new world record in this year’s Olympics, per the official website.
Pan finished 1.08 seconds ahead of Chalmers, while Alexy fell to seventh place.
“Today, I finally beat them all,” Pan said, per Retuers. “In such a challenging pool, I broke the world record. This is a tremendous performance and a great start for team China.”
