{"id":593630,"date":"2024-08-01T05:43:53","date_gmt":"2024-08-01T12:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/?p=593630"},"modified":"2024-08-01T05:50:06","modified_gmt":"2024-08-01T12:50:06","slug":"paris-olympics-ben-proud-not-questioning-pan-zhanles-wr-a-46-4-changes-swimming-a-great-swim-by-a-good-athlete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swimmingworldmagazine.com\/news\/paris-olympics-ben-proud-not-questioning-pan-zhanles-wr-a-46-4-changes-swimming-a-great-swim-by-a-good-athlete\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris Olympics: Ben Proud Not Questioning Pan Zhanle’s WR: “A Great Swim By A Good Athlete”"},"content":{"rendered":"

Paris Olympics: Ben Proud Not Questioning Pan Zhanle’s WR: “A Great Swim By A Good Athlete”<\/h4>\n

While Ben Proud<\/strong> believes Pan Zhanle\u2019s<\/strong> 100 free WR is transformative for swimming, he is not calling into question the Chinese athlete’s performance but instead described it as “a great swim by a good athlete.”<\/p>\n

Questions around the Chinese swimming programme rose in volume on Wednesday night after Pan cut 0.40 from his own WR to stop the clock at 46.40.<\/p>\n

The 19-year-old set the previous standard of 46.80 leading off the Chinese 4×1 free quartet to victory at the Doha worlds in February.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, he took a huge slice from that time to finish a body-length and 1.08 ahead of Kyle Chalmers<\/strong> who took silver in 47.48 with David Popovici<\/strong> third home in 47.49.<\/p>\n

Both men responded to questions<\/a> about the integrity of the performance by saying they believed the swim was done fairly.<\/p>\n

Earlier this year, it was revealed that 23 swimmers tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance trimetazidine at a training camp in early 2021.<\/p>\n

The swimmers were cleared by the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency<\/strong> (CHINADA) as a case of environmental contamination, and the World Anti-Doping Agency assented to that decision.<\/p>\n

World Aquatics did not appeal the decision the month before the Tokyo Olympics, and WADA has stood by its determination in an independent review of its case.<\/p>\n

Pan, per reports, was not among the swimmers that tested positive.<\/p>\n

However, Pan\u2019s WR has been met with incredulity in some quarters amid accusations and finger-pointing.<\/p>\n

Proud, though, doesn\u2019t believe it should add to questions despite the revelations about China that have emerged in recent months.<\/p>\n

Speaking after the 50 free prelims from which he progressed fifth, Proud said: \u201cI think a 46.4 changes swimming for sure \u2013 it\u2019s a huge drop, it\u2019s fantastic. And it shouldn\u2019t be questioned.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was a great swim by a good athlete and all the stuff should be taken care of behind the scenes by the people who are in charge.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sat and watched it and just thought \u2013 woah, I\u2019m not going to swear, but it was just a phenomenal swim and to do that in the final against the best in the world, winning by a second, is something you won\u2019t see very often.\u201d<\/p>\n

Neither did it make him question the performance, saying: \u201cYou can\u2019t, it\u2019s just unfair.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe all do our thing and for me I am the only person I can trust flat out, whatever happens behind the scenes that\u2019s out of my control. I just love to watch people swim and swim well and to be part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cam McEvoy<\/strong>, who topped the 50 prelims, said: \u201cIt was very fast. From a technical point-of-view, almost textbook. When I first saw him last year, I saw the technique he had in the 100 with the breathing, and I was really intrigued at how nicely it was done, and last night was just unreal. It\u2019s pretty crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n