There are some world record that push human limits further, literally transporting them twenty or thirty years into the future. The easiest examples are those of Bob Beamonwho with his 8.90 in the long jump at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics literally flies forward in time and also the 19”19 in the 200 meters Usain Bolt in 2009 I am like this.
On Wednesday night, everyone witnessed such an event. The Chinese Pan Zhanle in the 100 meters freestyle he swam in 46”40a full forty hundredths of a second below its previous limit set at Doha World Championships.
Before these two monstrous performances by Pan Zhanle, the record was held by the Romanian David Popoviciestablished in 2022, while the previous one dates back to 2009, established by the Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho at the World Championships in Rome.
In short, the records in one speed race like the 100m freestyle, they move very slowly and wait years to progress, while in a few months the Chinese swimmer he managed to move it forward in a clear and literally devastating way for the others.
In yesterday’s final, the silver medal, the Australian Kyle Chalmersarrived one second and eight hundredths behind Pan, aenormity in such a fast race. Pan Zhanle until a few months ago was unknownnot only for the general public.
Class of 2004, born in Wenzhouarrives at the World Championships in Doha without being highly rated, but in the first fraction of the 4×100 freestyle sets his first world record in 46”80. If you compete in the first leg the records are approved and this is exactly what happens for him.
In those World Championships he also won gold in the 100m and, as often happens to Chinese swimmers, he disappeared, only to reappear when the big event and place a sensational timewith no possibility of approach (except by Pan Zhanle himself) by the other swimmers.
Pan Zhanle did not simply win the queen of swimming races and create a unapproachable gap with others, but it also gave China, one of the greatest sporting and above all economic-political powers of today, a new face for its sport.
There China wins many medals in less followed sports, so winning in the most popular sports is worth double. After the hurdling career and the end of Sun Yanggreat swimmer and often opponent of Gregory Paltrinieritoday China has its new national hero to show the world.
