Kyle Chalmers has become the focus of intense backlash on social media from irate Chinese fans who allege the Australian swimmer ‘disrespected’ Zhanle Pan before and after his stunning 100m freestyle victory at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
On Thursday morning (AEST), Pan achieved China’s first gold medal in the pool during the Olympics, while also setting a new world record, leaving Chalmers trailing behind.
In an interview with a Chinese news outlet following the race, Pan criticized Chalmers, claiming he had disregarded him after finishing second in the unequal final.
This has triggered a storm of reactions on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, which Statista cites as having over 605 million users.
Pan’s remarks quickly gained traction on Weibo, with many Chinese users attacking Chalmers—even though Chalmers can attest to having conversed with Pan in a friendly manner.
‘After finishing the 100m race, I waved at [Kyle] Chalmers, but he completely ignored me,’ Pan stated in the translated video.
‘Including the USA swimmer, Alexy [Jack], during our practice session. Our coach was on the platform, and when he performed a flip turn, it directly splashed our coach.
Chalmers had to settle for second place behind the world record swim of Pan in the 100m free
Pan received waves of support from China, while plenty of his supporters were not happy with the comments he made about Chalmers
‘It feels like we are looked down upon as a team. Can I express that here?’
Interviewer: ‘You are free to say whatever you like.’
‘But finally today, I managed to beat everyone, and to do so in such a challenging pool and to break a world record—it was an incredible race for me,’ Pan expressed.
Numerous comments on Weibo both support Pan and criticize Chalmers and Australians as ‘sore losers’.
‘Certain Westerners always consider themselves superior to others. Instead of owning their mistakes, they tarnish the image of others when they lose,’ posted one Weibo user.
‘This mindset is why their countries are losing competitiveness and falling behind.’
Conversely, Chalmers portrays a different scenario regarding his interactions with Pan during the lead-up to their anticipated race.
‘Before we entered the water, Pan, the Chinese boy, said: “You’re my idol, and I love, love, love watching you”,’ Chalmers recalled. ‘That was quite surprising.’
‘Their first Olympic experience may be my gold medal in Rio, so it’s nice to be an inspiration for this next generation of 100m freestylers while still being able to keep pace with them a bit.’
Chalmers was snapped warmly shaking Pan’s hand after they received their medals
The Aussie super fish even posed for a selfie with Pan and bronze medalist David Popovici
Chalmers was also seen congratulating Pan post-race with a broad smile and a warm handshake, taking the extra time to capture a selfie with the Chinese athlete.
In addition, Pan addressed accusations of being involved in doping to achieve his world record.
A group of Chinese athletes, including 23 swimmers, tested positive for trace amounts of the banned substance metandienone in late 2022 and early 2023; however, Pan was not included in this list.
They were provisionally suspended on November 3, 2022, facing four-year bans until an investigation clarified that the findings were due to meat contamination, not doping.
Chinese state security officials reportedly indicated that Australian beef was the source of the contamination after testing imported beef.
Pan’s own post to Chinese social media platform Weibo is pictured translated into English
Pan stated that it was highly unlikely that any Chinese athlete in Paris could be using performance-enhancing drugs due to the rigorous testing they undergo.
‘Last year, I was subjected to 29 tests, all returning negative results. From May (Championships) to July this year, we faced another 21 tests, with the same outcome,’ he remarked.
‘On the day I won the gold medal, I was tested twice already (before and after) and I’m currently waiting for the results.
‘They’ve been conducting tests on a strict schedule, adhering to all regulations to ensure every athlete is tested. So, there’s nothing to be concerned about in this regard.’
Chalmers also downplayed any implications that Pan had engaged in any wrongdoings after the race.
‘I do everything possible to win, and trust that everyone else is doing the same, remaining true to the integrity of the sport,’ stated the silver medallist.
‘I have faith that … he (Pan) rightfully earned that gold medal.’
