Pan Zhanle of China poses during the awarding ceremony for the men's 100m freestyle final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)
by sportswriters Zhang Can, Gao Meng, Liu Yichun
TOKYO, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- Pan Zhanle had already accepted defeat before he touched the wall.
With just one meter to go in the men's 100-meter freestyle final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Sunday, the Chinese world record holder thought he was going to lose.
But Pan found the finish first.
He edged South Korea's Kim Young-beom by just 0.04 seconds to win the title in 47.61, with another South Korean, Hwang Sun-woo, taking bronze in 47.79.
"I thought I was going to lose at 99 meters," Pan said.
Pan Zhanle (L) of China shakes hands with Hwang Sunwoo of South Korea after the men's 100m freestyle final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 20, 2026. (Xinhua/Chen Zeguo)
Before the medal ceremony, Pan asked Kim about his wingspan. Kim told him it was 2.16 meters, while Pan's is just over 1.9 meters.
"So I really thought I was going to lose in that last meter," Pan said with a smile. "Maybe I was just lucky."
The relief was visible. Pan climbed onto the lane line to celebrate, a rare display of emotion for a swimmer who has often kept his post-race comments brief.
Minutes later, he was equally candid in the mixed zone, talking about the challenges he had faced over the past two years.
Three years ago at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Pan broke 47 seconds for the first time by winning the 100m freestyle in 46.97. In 2024, he set a new world record of 46.40 at the Paris Olympics.
But those performances became harder to reproduce. He won the 100m at the 2025 national championships in 47.77, missed the final at the Singapore world championships after clocking 47.81 in the semifinals, and won the National Games in 48.01. In March this year, he finished third at the Chinese Swimming Open in 48.05.
"Over the past two years, I have become less and less confident," Pan said.
Pan Zhanle reacts after the men's 100m freestyle final at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 20, 2026. (Photo by Wang Shen/Xinhua)
He changed his training methods and competition habits and spent time training overseas. The experience, he said, did not necessarily produce immediate results, but changed the way he understood swimming and his own career.
"Training overseas gave me a better understanding of the sport and swimming," he said. "That kind of improvement is difficult to show directly, but it will affect my entire career."
The biggest change, however, was mental.
"Enjoy life, enjoy the competition, give my best in training and leave no regrets in the race," Pan said.
For him, enjoying competition does not mean losing the desire to win. It means accepting whatever the race may bring.
"I don't think I'm a naturally gifted or genius athlete," he said. "Winning is of course good, but losing can give you experience."
Pan still has three relay events to come in Tokyo, but for now his focus remains on the immediate task.
"I don't want to talk too far ahead," he said. "I just want to fully show my training level and form in competition, and leave no regrets."■
