Pan Zhanle crashed out of prelims in the men's 200 freestyle at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, finishing 22nd with a time of 1:47.46.
What happened?
Pan's performance was a surprise, given his recent success in the 100 freestyle, where he set a world record at the Paris Olympics in 2024.
He had been working to extend his range, winning the 400 free and 200 free at Chinese nationals in the spring, with a time of 1:45.45 in the latter.
Why it matters for Pan Zhanle
The 200 freestyle was seen as a logical choice for Pan to exert his dominance, but it didn't work out, with his time more than two seconds behind David Popovici, who set the pace in prelims.
Pan's time was nearly eight tenths behind the 16th-place time of Italy's Carlos D'Ambrosio, which got him the last ticket to semifinals.
What comes next?
Pan is not in poor form, having split 47.73 off the end of the Chinese 400 free relay in prelims on Sunday, then 46.63 in finals, pulling China from seventh to fifth.
He seems to think the struggle in the 200 is of a completely different nature, saying "it won't affect my upcoming races" and "the 200m and 100m are two different events."
Pan went on to say "Am I ranked 22nd? My time is unexpected – I didn’t think I would be this slow."
He had been 22nd at the Paris Olympics in the 200 as well, albeit in 1:49.47.
Pan will look to bounce back in his upcoming events, having already shown his capabilities in the 100 freestyle.
The 20-year-old from China will aim to make adjustments and keep working hard to improve his performance in the 200 freestyle.
Pan's quote "I felt quite OK yesterday, but today's swim felt completely different" suggests he is still trying to figure out what went wrong.
He will have to regroup and refocus for his next events, with the goal of getting back to his dominant form.