Pan's the man for surging Team China
Sprint sensation Pan Zhanle puts Olympic rivals on notice with stunning campaign at Doha world championships
Powered by Pan, Team China won both men's free relays and the mixed 4x100m free relay. Combined with victory in the women's 4x200m free relay, it was the country's best collective result at the long-course worlds.
Another talented prodigy, Dong Zhihao, and his women's counterpart, Tang Qianting, claimed individual golds in the 200m and 100m breaststroke respectively to cement the rise of China's next-gen, joining accomplished swimmers such as reigning Olympic butterfly champion Zhang Yufei and breaststroke king Qin Haiyang, who both skipped the Doha meet, on a potential world-beating Paris 2024 squad.
Meanwhile, the team's surging teen power suggests Chinese swimming has a bright future beyond Paris 2024. Sixteen-year-old Zhang Zhanshuo produced a strong final 50m split to help secure the men's 4x200m free relay gold, while 14-year-old Gong Zhenqi, the youngest swimmer in Doha, kept up with her older rivals in the women's 4x200m free relay triumph.
"I feel like we now have to expand and redecorate our 'champion wall' at the national training base," Pan said of Team China's encouraging haul in Doha.
