China’s Pan Zhanle Breaks World Record With 46.80 During 4×100 Freestyle Relay Lead Off

2024 WORLD AQUATIC CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day 1 Finals Heat Sheet

Women’s 4×100 Free Relay Start List 

Men’s 4×100 Free Relay Start List 

MEN’S 4×100-METER FREESTYLE RELAY – FINAL

  • World Record: USA – 3:08.24
  • Championship Record: USA – 3:09.06
  • 2023 World Champion: Australia – 3:10.16

Final:

  1. China (Pan (WR), Ji, Zhang, Wang) — 3:11.08
  2. Italy (Miressi, Zazzeri, Conte, Frigo) — 3:12.08
  3. USA (King, Casas, Hobson, Foster) — 3:12.29
  4. Great Britain — 3:12.59
  5. Hungary — 3:13.66
  6. Greece — 3:13.67
  7. Serbia — 3:13.88
  8. Spain — 3:14.83

Pan Zhanle of China set a new world record in the men’s 100 freestyle while leading off the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay on night 1 in Doha.  Pan’s swim of a 46.80 broke David Popovici‘s record that stood at a 46.86 which Popovici swam in August 2022.

SPLIT COMPARISON:

Zhanle Popovici
First 50 22.26 22.74
Second 50 24.54 24.12
46.8 46.86

Zhanle was out faster than Popovici at the 50 mark which makes sense considering Popovici’s second 50 was the 3rd fastest back-half split of the race at the time of his swim in 2022.

All-Time Top Performances, Men’s 100 Free:

  1. Pan Zhanle, China – 46.80 (2024)
  2. David Popovici, Romania — 46.86 (2022)
  3. Cesar Cielo, Brazil — 46.91 (2009)
  4. Alain Bernard, France — 46.94 (2009)

Zhanle helped lead China to a gold medal in the relay. This was the first time the Chinese men have ever medaled in the men’s 4×100 freestyle relay.

Zhanle’s swim marked the first Chinese World Record in a men’s sprint event, in both LCM and SCM. Pan earns a $30,000 USD bonus for setting the World Record.

Zhanle notably was much slower this morning during his split as he split a 48.26 flying start on the anchor leg. Clearly, Pan kicked it into another gear in tonight’s final.

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sggs
9 months ago

Idk why it’s so hard to believe that Chinese swimmers could do well without doping… It’s a country of 1.4 billion people that is known to start training kids at a very young age and testing them for which sports they would be best at. The WR shouldn’t be the big surprise here but rather that they aren’t more dominant

I miss the ISL
9 months ago

Does Shayna Jack then leave you skeptical of, say, Mollie O’Callaghan? Cate Campbell? Her instance is a lot more recent, too.

Last edited 9 months ago by I miss the ISL
Michael Mooney
9 months ago

FINA should do blood tests after every race before ratifying any WR. I want to see the results! Om sorry 🙏 I’m just a bit suspicious..

Troyy
Reply to  Michael Mooney
9 months ago

They already do.

Slow Swimmer X
Reply to  Troyy
9 months ago

😂

It’s always the ignoramus that have the worst takes.

Azmo
9 months ago

He already swam under 47. Its not luck.

Awsi Dooger
9 months ago

Imagine all the geniuses who thought this wasn’t a real world championships and wasn’t worth watching.

Never lose to normalcy. Nobody goes through life more dependably bewildered than an adjuster. 

James
9 months ago

Oh no! Cringe!

CharlieBrown
9 months ago

Just saying relay anchor 48.26…flat start 46.80…no one raises an eyebrow? Not saying he’s a cheat but to a certain point come on.

swim2
Reply to  CharlieBrown
9 months ago

Orrrr, maybe he took it a little easier because it was prelims? They made to finals pretty easy so he did not need to go all out.

astral
Reply to  CharlieBrown
9 months ago

how are people so ignorant

LuvCleanSwimming
9 months ago

Unfortunately your skepticism is support by fact. WADA put out a recent report on Doping In Minors. Some excerpts of the report below:

Link
https://www.wada-ama.org/en/resources/operation-refuge

“Countries with the most sanctioned Minors were Russia, India, and China. The Prohibited Substances most responsible for the sanctions in those countries were, respectively, Furosemide, Stanozolol,21 and Clenbuterol.

Notably, no ‘Speak Up’ disclosures were received from China – a country with one of the highest rates of doping violations amongst Minors”

Carlo
Reply to  LuvCleanSwimming
8 months ago

I just read the link you sent and the most cases are in Russia and india according to your own link.

China has as especially high case of clenbuterol which is not surprising. Clenbuterol is used routinely as a meat leaning agent in china and as the chinese government cracks down on it,s usage, those cases will go down. This is not a case of doping.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=89978449&url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idUSKBN2BB1Q1/&ved=2ahUKEwi3s7rpjoOFAxVHATQIHfrFBbkQFnoECA0QAQ&usg=AOvVaw2xe9mlET-M39-QCo9zZx05

Last edited 8 months ago by Carlo

About Anya Pelshaw

Anya Pelshaw

Anya has been with SwimSwam since June 2021 as both a writer and social media coordinator. She was in attendance at the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Women's NCAA Championships writing and doing social media for SwimSwam. She also attended 2023 US Summer Nationals as well as the 2024 European Championships …

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