Double world champion Pan aims for Paris 2024 pool glory

Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle once again ascended to the top of the podium at the World Aquatics Championships, just four days following his previous win.

In the men's 100m freestyle event on Thursday, the 19-year-old seized victory with a time of 47.53 seconds, marking his first individual world title. Despite the achievement, Pan's reaction was measured.

"I was nervous before the race, and to be honest, my performance in the final wasn't even as good as last year at Fukuoka 2023 when I finished fourth (47.43)," he disclosed.

On Sunday, Pan, alongside his teammates, claimed the gold medal in the men's 4x100m freestyle relay, posting a time of three minutes and 11.08 seconds. This victory represented China's inaugural men's relay gold at either the World Championships or Olympics. Remarkably, Pan also established a new world record of 46.80 seconds in the lead-off leg.

The 100m freestyle, often referred to as the "Battle of the Titans," saw its world record set by Brazilian swimmer Cesar Cielo at 46.91 seconds in 2009, a record that remained until Romanian swimmer David Popovici surpassed it at the 2022 European Championships with a time of 46.86 seconds.

Since then, Pan has emerged as a standout performer in Doha, drawing widespread attention.

"I continue to train as usual because I am very aware that my performance is the result of daily practice and guidance from my coach," said Pan, who remained intensely focused.

Recruited at the age of four by the Wenzhou Youth Swimming School due to his exceptional physical attributes, Pan's training was supported by his grandfather, who took on the role of his transporter. "He would take me to training in the morning, and then pick me up after training. Rain or shine, he was always there," Pan reminisced.

During those days, Pan's grandfather witnessed all his efforts. "He is hardworking and has the spirit of a fighter, so he grows up faster," he remarked.

While coaches typically increase training intensity for underperforming swimmers, Wang Shi, Pan's coach when he was young, took the opposite approach with him.

"I would punish him by not allowing him to get in the pool, and he would feel really uncomfortable," Wang said, "he just super loves swimming."

Thanks to his dedication and hard work, Pan rose to prominence on the swimming circuit at ten years old. At the 2014 Zhejiang Provincial Games, he won seven gold medals in five days, including four individual titles and three relay championships. It was during that time he set his sights on the then-prominent Olympic champion, also from Zhejiang Province, Sun Yang.

In an interview, he confidently stated his future goal like, "As long as I swim faster than Sun, it's good enough."

Advancing through his career to the provincial and national teams, Pan entered a new chapter in 2023. In May, he broke the Asian record in the men's 100m freestyle at the Chinese National Championships with a time of 47.22 seconds and further improved his record at the Hangzhou Asian Games, winning the title with a time of 46.97 seconds.

His performance at the World Championships in Doha has sparked speculation about his future potential. "The world record is not the endpoint. My career is just beginning, and you can expect more," Pan declared. "I want to raise the world record even higher, and I hope to bring my best form to the Paris Olympics."