Chalmers responds to 100m freestyle winner Pan Zhanle’s claims that he was disrespectful

The 100m freestyle silver medallist Kyle Chalmers has rejected winner Pan Zhanle’s claims that he had behaved disrespectfully towards the new world record holder and his coach.

Australian swimming hero Kyle Chalmers has lashed back at claims by China’s Pan Zhanle that he disrespected him as the biggest feud in the sport since the Cold War erupted at the Paris Olympics.

While the swim world was left shaking its head in disbelief after Pan demolished the 100 metres world record in scenes reminiscent of Ben Johnson’s performance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the war of words between China and the rest of the swim world went into overdrive.

The greatest sprinter of his generation, Chalmers could not have been more gracious after he finished with the silver medal behind Pan’s head-shaking time of 46.40 seconds, saying he had no reason to question the Chinese teenager despite the shocking leaks that dozens of other Chinese swimmers have secretly escaped punishment after testing positive to performance-enhancing drugs in the past three years.

Zhanle Pan celebrates winning the 100m freestyle ahead of Kyle Chalmers. Picture: Michael Klein

But at the same time Chalmers was sticking up for clean sport, Pan went on Chinese television to trash the Aussie champion, saying: “After we finished the 4x100m freestyle relay on the first day, I greeted Chalmers, but he completely ignored me. This also included the U.S. team’s (Jack) Alexy,” Pan said.

“When we trained, our coach was on the deck, and someone did a flip turn and splashed water directly on the coach.

Pan Zhanle’s winning gap in the 100m freestyle. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana / AFP

“This behaviour seemed a bit disrespectful to us. But today, we beat all of them, and broke the world record in such a difficult pool.”

Told about Pan’s ungracious comments, Chalmers refuted any suggestions he had snubbed the Chinese sprinter.

“I find it a bit weird, I gave him a fist pump before the relays,” he said.

“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.”

While Chalmers did not point the finger at Pan – who hacked 0.40 seconds off the previous world record – a margin unheard of in elite swimming – plenty of others said they were highly sceptical about the performance.

Ex-Australian Olympic sprinter Brett Hawke, who coached Cesar Cielo when he broke the 100m world record holder, said he thought Pan’s time and margin over the other swimmers was implausible.

“It is not humanly possible to beat that field by a body length,” Hawke said.

“I don’t care what you say. This is not a race thing, this is not against any one particular person or any nation, this is just what I see and what I know.

Kyle Chalmers celebrates his silver medal. Picture: Adam Head

“That’s not real, you don’t beat that field. Kyle Chalmers, David Popovici, Jack Alexy, you don’t beat those guys by one full body length in 100 freestyle. That’s not humanly possible so don’t sell it to me, don’t shove it down my throat. It’s not real.”

Timing is everything in sport and Pan’s performance has come under extra scrutiny because it comes just three months after this masthead broke the news that 23 Chinese swimmers were secretly let off without any sanction before the last Olympics in 2021 despite testing positive to the same banned heart drug that Sun Yang once got busted for.

It has since emerged that some of them also tested positive to another drug, clenbuterol, and escaped punishment, while two others were given 12-month bans in 2022 after testing positive to a powerful anabolic steroid that bodybuilders use to beef up on.

Pan was not among those swimmers named and there’s no suggestion he’s used drugs.

In the days leading up to the Paris Olympics, World Aquatics revealed it had ordered a drug testing blitz on China’s Olympic swimmers. And Pan said those results proved he was clean

“Last year I received 29 tests, and it has never been positive,” he said.

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“I was tested after the race and we will see the result. I don’t think there’s any impact because the testing has been done within the normal time frame.”

“I think it’s a perfect performance.”

Asked whether he had any doubts about Pan, Chalmers said he saw no reason to doubt him.

“I look at him the same as every competitor,” Chalmers said.

“I want to beat everyone, no matter the question marks or eyebrows raised.

“To swim 46.4 is amazing, it’s a time I probably never dreamed or saw as possible. So that’s crazy.

“Not that long ago, the world record was 46.9. That’s half a second faster than what I’ve been setting myself a goal for, for such a long period of time.

“I believed I could go 46. Do I believe I could go 46.4? I haven't until this point? But I do believe now that’s what I’m going to have to do if I’m going to be successful moving forward.

“The goalposts have shifted massively.”