Chinese swimmers had been unfairly portrayed in Western media reports lately about some food contamination cases, arousing doubts over their capabilities. Pan's success came timely as a powerful response.
by Sportswriter Bai Xu
PARIS, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The United States, with eight gold medals, narrowly retained their leading place in the medal tally ahead of Australia as the swimming competitions concluded on Sunday at Paris 2024.
China's Olympic debutant Pan Zhanle, who just turned 20 on Sunday, extended his momentum this season with two gold medals grabbed here, including a men's 100m freestyle victory with new world record. French star Leon Marchand stunned the pool with four individual gold medals for the host.
The curtain came down at the La Defense Arena of Paris on Sunday, after the Olympic pool witnessed so many dazzling moments in the past nine days.
POWERHOUSES CHALLENGED
The U.S. topped the tally with eight gold medals, arguably the country's fewest in swimming since the 1992 Olympics.
In fact, the U.S. has trailed Australia until the last day of the sport, when two more gold medals were secured by the former in men's 1,500m freestyle and women's 4x100m medley relay, with world records in both events improved.
Another two gold medals for the team were won by legendary swimmer Katie Ledecky, in women's 800m and 1,500m freestyle respectively, which brought the total number of her Olympic gold medals to nine. She had won the 800m freestyle four times in a row, a feat only achieved by Michael Phelps from 2004 to 2016.
The Dolphins ranked second with seven golds, two less than their gains in Tokyo.
Defending Olympic champions and world record holders in freestyle and backstroke events, Ariarne Titmus and Kaylee McKeown continued to shine.
Titmus snatched the first swimming gold for her country in women's 400m freestyle before acquiring one more gold and two silvers, while McKeown created two Olympic records: in women's 100m and 200m backstrokes, achieving two gold, one silver and two bronze medals.
MIRACLE OF CHINESE UNDER PRESSURE
Not many new world records for individual events were set in Paris. Pan Zhanle's 100m free's performance is one notable.
Chinese swimmers had been unfairly portrayed in Western media reports lately about some food contamination cases, arousing doubts over their capabilities. Pan's success came timely as a powerful response.
He led all the way in men's 100m freestyle on Wednesday, before storming to victory in 46.40 seconds, eclipsing his own previous record of 46.80. It was the first swimming world record at Paris 2024.
Acknowledging that he had been under tremendous pressure, the young man said that he had slept little before the final because of a doping test that ran into the early hours of the morning.
He was not alone. According to World Aquatics, swimming's global governing body, Chinese swimmers were tested on average 21 times from January 1 to the start of the Games. In comparison, Australian and American swimmers were tested only four and six times on average, respectively.
Under such circumstances, Chinese swimmers showed their resilience with a collection of two gold, three silver and seven bronze medals.
The second gold was earned on Sunday, when Chinese quartet of Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun and Pan Zhanle were crowned in men's 4x100m medley relay, breaking the United States' run of 10 successive gold medals in this event dating back to the Los Angeles 1984 Games.
"We make a good team and we managed to get a great result," said a jubilant Pan who is celebrating his 20th birthday the day.
His time of 45.92 represents one of the fastest 100m freestyle splits in history while Qin also clocked a stunning 57.98 to out-swim French hero Leon Marchand in the breaststroke leg.
EMERGING TALENTS
Leon Marchand of the host rose to fame as the first Frenchman to rake in four individual gold medals at a single Summer or Winter Olympics. He triumphed in the 200m butterfly, 200m breaststroke, 200m individual medley and 400m individual medley with new Olympic records in all these events.
Thanks to Marchand's medal haul, France ranked third on the medal tally, ahead of Canada.
Summer McIntosh is another young star of the pool, who made history by winning the women's 200m individual medley, 400m individual medley and 200m butterfly to become the first Canadian to win three gold medals at the same Olympics at the age of just 17.
She said she owed that "so many (athletes) before me that have led the way and inspired me to be where I am today. I really owe a lot back to them."
Coincidentally China's Pan had similar remarks after his victory. "I carried everyone's hopes," he said. "I felt it all right up to the moment I hit the water!" ■
