What started as an explosive New York Times expose has steamrolled into a spat involving athletes, fans, and international sports bodies. In May 2024, the US media house revealed China’s national anti-doping agency CHINADA sent 23 swimmers who had failed dr*g tests before Tokyo 2020. The ensuing controversy prompted swimming icons like Katie Ledecky and Caeleb Dressel to speak out against WADA. However, the doping allegation took the world by storm when Pan Zhanle smashed his own 100m freestyle world record to win gold.

Many fans, and even former Olympians such as Brett Hawke, levied allegations against the 19-year-old swimmer. Zhanle made his Olympic debut in Paris and won the 100m final in spectacular fashion, clocking in 46.40, also setting a new Olympic record. However, after the first-time Olympian faced fresh allegations, CHINADA has hit back at the source of the debate.

“The New York Times’ insistence on politicizing the doping issue… is aimed at disrupting the order of the Paris Olympics swimming competition and undermining the psychological state and competitive ability of Chinese athletes.” the anti-doping agency wrote in an official statement. CHINADA also stood by its decision to send swimmers to Tokyo on the grounds of WADA giving them the green flag.

The NY Times also mentioned CHINADA and WADA exchanging emails, where the Chinese anti-doping agency provided evidence. They showed that the athletes tested positive after ingesting contaminated food. Chinese commentator Wang Dazhao also defended Pan Zhanle and all Chinese athletes.

“With China’s development, the nutritional security and scientific training of athletes have become increasingly advanced,” said Dazhao. “In those areas that were originally lagging behind due to physical weakness, breakthroughs will naturally be made,” the Beijing-based commentator added. Yet the 100m world record holder remained unfazed in the face of scrutiny.

Unmoved by accusations, something else surprised Pan Zhanle

The swimmer who turns 20 in 2 days, re-iterated CHINADA’s stance on rigorous testing. “Last year I received 29 tests and never had a positive. From May to July, I had 21 tests, no positive. Today we received a second test already,” Zhanle told the press from Paris. However, the swimmer himself made some explosive comments about his fellow competitors.

After winning the 100m free, Pan Zhanle told the Chinese media that he was surprised and felt disrespected by Kyle Chalmers’s behavior. The 19-year-old said King Kyle ignored him after the 4×100 free relay. He even accused Team USA’s Jack Alexy of intentionally splashing water on his coach. However, the Australian icon denied accusations of unsportsmanlike behavior.

Kyle Chalmers explained that he had reciprocated Zhanle’s greeting before the relay. However, he then focused on doing well at the event. “No issues from my end,” clarified the 8x Olympic medalist. The issue that many athletes raised was why WADA and CHINADA didn’t reveal the incident in 2021. The fact the news came through a media house instead of official channels could be the reason why an air of unease has enveloped swimming events in Paris.