"Awesome! So awesome!" Pan Zhanle shouted after winning the men's 100m freestyle at the Paris Olympics. Win the championship! Break the record! Clear the haze! After a few days of boredom, the 19-year-old young man prepared a big move for the Chinese swimming team. 46.40 seconds! He significantly improved his original world record by 0.4 seconds and won a hearty victory. This is the first world record in the swimming arena of this Olympic Games, and also the first men's 100m freestyle Olympic gold medal in the history of Chinese swimming. This is an explosion under heavy pressure!

As the top student in Chinese competitive sports, the Chinese swimming team has always been extremely popular and is a highly watched idol group. However, in the months before the Olympics, the Chinese swimming team was continuously attacked and slandered by foreign media due to food contamination incidents, and athletes frequently underwent anti-doping tests, often with one person undergoing more tests than the total number of tests of four or five foreign opponents.

Although the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Banka, clearly stated that "it is unfair to criticize Chinese athletes without reason" and the World Swimming Federation also determined that there was "no violation" in this matter, and the two organizations also supported the Chinese team at the press conference before the Olympics, some Western media with ulterior motives still held on to it. After arriving in France, the Chinese swimming team received more inspections in just two weeks than foreign athletes in a whole year.

Under the dual pressure of external interference and the expectations of the Chinese people, the Chinese swimming team's performance after the Paris Olympics was slightly sluggish, winning 2 silvers and 2 bronzes, but always missing the gold medal.

 

Only when you cut through the waves can you see the true gold. All the efforts will not be in vain, and all the haze will eventually be swept away. When Pan Zhanle touched the wall and broke the record, all the doubts, grievances and unwillingness disappeared, and the speed he burst out was beyond the reach of his opponents. He was nearly a body length ahead of the second place, Australian veteran Chalmers. Pan Zhanle admitted that his teammates who were originally capable had not been able to "open business" before, which put him under a lot of pressure before the game. "Before swimming, I didn't dare to think that I could win the championship today, so I just thought about fighting with all my strength, rushing in front, and pushing back from the back. In the last 15 meters, I found that they were too far behind me and could no longer catch up." As for how he did all this under heavy pressure, he said: "Hold your breath, everyone's hope, I felt it the moment before I got into the water!"

Pan Zhanle was not overjoyed about his personal breakthrough. "This gold medal doesn't mean much to me, because life has to go on. But it means a lot to Chinese swimming. This is the first time that a Chinese has won a gold medal in the men's 100m freestyle, and it's something to be very happy about."

After the game, when faced with a question from a New York Times reporter about whether the frequent anti-doping tests caused him trouble, Pan Zhanle directly responded with data: "I underwent 29 tests last year, and 21 tests from May to July this year, and not a single one was positive. The inspectors conducted the tests within the prescribed time and rules, so it's no big deal. Today is my second in-competition test at the Paris Olympics." Although Pan Zhanle said "it's no big deal" and "he's not angry," many experts believe that the frequent doping tests on China's main swimming players on the eve of the Paris Olympics had a great impact on the athletes' pre-match training and rest, resulting in Chinese athletes overexerting themselves on many occasions in the competition, leading in the first half, and being overtaken in the second half.

 

Carrying the burden and going forward, let go and give it a try. Pan Zhanle finally spoke with strength: "Chinese swimming has always been taking one step at a time. Next I still need to settle down. I also believe that in the next few days we will continue to work hard, perform well, and strive for the best results."

Before the game, Pan Zhanle greeted Chalmers in a friendly way, but whether intentionally or unintentionally, the other party ignored him. But after the game, Chalmers, who was firmly in second place, took the initiative to high-five Pan Zhanle and congratulate him before he even got out of the water. At the press conference after the game, the Rio Olympic champion took the initiative to mention Pan Zhanle again. He said: "I am old, and now it is the world of young people. People like Pan Zhanle and Popovich (third place) have raised the benchmark for men's 100m freestyle higher."

In the face of arrogance and prejudice, using facts to slap them in the face and speaking with strength is the best counterattack. Chinese swimmers are really brave!