Pan Zhahle’s freestyle world record has left people questioning human limits. The Chinese swimmer broke his record for the 100-metre freestyle at the Olympics. He clinched a fully deserved gold medal and left utter hysteria in his wake. The 19-year-old finished in 46.40 seconds to blitz past Australia’s Kyle Chalmers, Pan’s greatest rival. However, this famous victory is rife with controversy. Many news channels in Australia and the Western world are alleging that Pan’s feat is beyond human capacity. Australian coach and commentator Brett Hawke claimed that the victory was not humanly possible to beat that field and that the swim was not real life. The tears are pouring down under and beyond as Pan made history. Not only are these allegations ludicrous, but they also carry racist undertones.
Chinese Controversy
Pan Zhahle has gone through 21 doping tests in the months leading up to the games. The Chinese swim team was heavily scrutinized after several team members tested positive for a banned heart medication. The IOC allowed them to compete in Tokyo despite this issue. There was no proof of subterfuge. Notably, Pan’s name wasn’t among the Chinese swimmers. A Chinese news channel reported that the Chinese team has undergone more doping tests in 2 weeks than most countries undergo in 2 years.
Pan Zhahle Rattles The Media
Pan’s Victory has rattled media houses across Europe and Australia. They cannot fathom the fact that a Chinese man is the Olympic gold medallist ahead of their athletes. Sports media has used the term “White tears” extensively to encapsulate the blatant lies spewed by sore losers. When White athletes lose to someone they deem inferior to them, they allege there was cheating involved and pour the vitriol. We saw it before in the fight between Carini and Imane Khelif and we’re seeing it again. It is practically the athletic equivalent of saying that the Pyramids were made by aliens since they can’t accept the fact that people of color achieved something spectacular. At the end of the day, Pan Zhahle is an Olympic gold medallist and nothing will change that fact. He won’t be losing any sleep over this fuss with that gold medal on his bedside table.
