When Kyle Chalmers lined up for the 100m freestyle finals, he knew China’s Pan Zhanle would be his biggest challenge. Zhanle had shown promise ever since he arrived on the international scene. However, 2024 has turned out to be historic for the Olympic debutant. After winning four gold medals at the Doha World Championships, the 19-year-old lined up to stake his claim at the 100m gold in Paris.

However, not even former 100m freestyle world champion James Magnussen could guess he would watch history unfold before his eyes. The three-time Olympic medalist watched in awe as Zhanle pulled away from the competition at an astonishing pace, leaving Kyle Chalmers far behind. “I never thought I would see that in my lifetime,” Magnussen wrote in The Courier Mail.

The Australian swimming legend recounted the exhilarating experience of watching Pan Zhanle etch his name into the history books. “He went out in 22.28 and back 24.12 — that is just insane speed. The race was probably over at the 35m mark. Nobody was near him,” the Magnussen wrote in the report. However, he also had some words of encouragement for his fellow Australian.

“Kyle Chalmers did a huge job in that last 25m to get into the silver medal position. He might be disappointed now but when he reflects on his performance and what he has achieved in this event he should be very proud,” added the fifth-fastest 100m freestyle swimmer in history. However, the Chinese swimmer’s monumental feat made him the fastest 100m swimmer in history.

The 3x Asia Games gold medalist’s 46.40s finish earned him a new world and Olympic record. Although Chalmers may have been among the favorites, the 19-year-old phenom already held the world record at 46.80s coming into the finals. Zhanle later spoke to the media, explaining his deceptively simple plan to win the 100m free final in Paris.

How Pan Zhanle left Kyle Chalmers in the dust

The uninitiated might believe that swimmers jump into the pool and swim as fast as they can. However, a lot of what makes a swimmer successful comes from meticulous strategizing. Take Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus’s coach Dean Boxall as an example. Boxall spent three years obsessively analyzing Arnie’s rival Katie Ledecky before beating her in Tokyo. However, the secret to the 19-year-old’s success was brute force.

“My plan was to sprint hard at the beginning, and even if I got tired later, I would have to stick to it no matter how tired… In the last 15 meters, I realized I had pulled away from them too much, and they had no chance of catching up,” said Pan Zhanle, who turns 20 on the last day of the Games. Meanwhile, Kyle Chalmers did the opposite, going all out on the final stretch.

Although the Chinese swimmer stunned Chalmers, the Australian added a sliver to his medal tally. The 100m free silver was the 26-year-old’s second one in Paris. “I’m really proud to be on the podium three consecutive times,” Chalmers, who won his first Olympic medal in 2016, told Nine Network. Pan Zhanle’s historic win in the 100m freestyle exemplifies the blend of raw power and strategic brilliance that defines Olympic greatness.