This year's World Championships in Singapore have become a gathering place for unexpected surprises. In less than four days since the start, each competition has left everyone astonished.
First, Chinese champions like Pan Zhanle and Wang Shun were unexpectedly eliminated in the preliminaries. Today's morning session witnessed the biggest upset of the Championships, with the long-standing world number one in swimming being knocked out in the heats.
Pan Zhanle, in his signature event, narrowly advanced amid explosive performances from other competitors, raising concerns about his current form.
Entering the fourth day of competition, the Chinese swimming team is set to compete in five events. Among these, Pan Zhanle's 100m freestyle remains the most anticipated, given his historical dominance in this category.
Last year, the 20-year-old Pan burst onto the scene, repeatedly breaking world records in the 100m freestyle across major competitions, including disrupting the American dominance at the Olympics.
He was an undisputed king in this field, stunning countless spectators with his achievements. At this year's World Championships, as a leading figure in Chinese swimming, expectations were high for another dazzling performance.
However, his early elimination in the heats has inevitably raised concerns. Many attribute his elimination to not prioritizing non-main events, making today's pool a focal point of attention.
During the race, Pan Zhanle didn't exert full effort in the first half, trailing at the back until the turn. In the latter half, although he pushed harder, his tension was palpable, ultimately finishing fourth in his heat with a time of 47.86 seconds.
Despite advancing sixth overall for the semifinals, spectators couldn't help but sweat. This Olympic champion and world record holder clearly isn't in his usual form this year.
His performance of 47.77 seconds in the national championships dropped him out of the world's top ten. Furthermore, due to certain reasons, he was compelled to participate in basketball activities in Zhejiang during his closed training period.
Further unsettling signs came from the relay race. In the men's 4x100m freestyle relay two days ago, Pan Zhanle swam the final leg in 46.63 seconds, but was overtaken and suppressed by Australia's champion Chalmers in 46.53 seconds.
Pan Zhanle, known for his technical swimming style, is particularly vulnerable to wave disturbances, a tactic his opponents have mastered to disrupt his rhythm by creating strong initial surges.
A real threat looms ahead with Romania's \"Rocket\" Popovici's impressive 46.71 seconds at the European Championships, trailing Pan Zhanle's world record by just 0.31 seconds.
While Pan Zhanle has historically held the upper hand in their encounters, Popovici's current form poses a significant challenge. Tonight's semifinals and tomorrow's finals are destined to be a brutal clash of will and technique.
In addition, China's Wang Haoyu, fourth in the last World Championships, suffered an unexpected elimination due to poor performance.
Meanwhile, in the women's 50m backstroke, Wan Letian advanced third in her heat, while Lu Xingchen, unfortunately, finished nineteenth and was eliminated.
Just as concerns over Pan Zhanle's form linger, another competition nearby produced the biggest upset since the start of the event.
The mixed medley relay has also attracted considerable attention from viewers. Despite being the dominant force in this event, the US team fielded a secondary lineup for the heats, missing any of their main stars in the relay lineup.
Upon finishing, they touched the wall in 3 minutes 44.50 seconds, over 2 seconds slower than the leading Italian team, ultimately ranking only tenth, just a step away from qualification.
Upon the announcement of the final standings, the American coaching staff in the stands remained expressionless.
This is a historic humiliation, marking the first time the US team has been eliminated in the heats since this event became an official part of the World Championships.
After the race, netizens sarcastically commented, \"Why did the 'Purple Sweet Potato Team' perform so poorly this time?\"
Some even joked, \"Did the US team forget to take their medication?\"
In fact, cracks in the dominance of American short-distance swimming have been evident for some time.
Former \"New Phelps\" Dressel, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist, surprisingly finished 19th in the domestic selection trials for the 100m freestyle in 2023, completely missing the World Championships.
Nevertheless, they still maintain an arrogant posture.
While the US team left the stage disheartened, China's mixed medley relay team unexpectedly burst into the spotlight in a dark horse manner.
The Chinese team, composed of four athletes, showed outstanding performance and forcefully advanced.
Segmented data reveals critical breakthroughs, with Dong Zhihao swimming a superb 58.74 seconds in breaststroke, while Cheng Yujie's freestyle leg clung tightly to her opponents with a time of 53.46 seconds, even surpassing the American freestyle swimmers.
The reshuffling of the final lineup creates a historic opportunity for the Chinese team. Despite temporarily ranking behind Italy and the Netherlands, if China fields its strongest lineup, substituting Yu Yiting with butterfly specialist Zhang Yufei and maintaining Pan Zhanle's physical reserves after the evening semifinals for the freestyle leg, the gold medal is within reach.
At this point, swimming enthusiasts are boiling with excitement. With the absence of the US and France in the finals, China's chances of winning the championship are very high!
However, some netizens sensibly pointed out that Australia is still a strong contender. Comparing these two teams, the championship remains uncertain.
Nevertheless, the Chinese mixed medley team has already seized the best opportunity.
This Singapore swimming storm also reflects deeper changes in the world swimming arena.
The American swimming's \"complacency culture\" has backfired, from Dressel's downfall to the mixed relay defeat, exposing cracks in its talent pool and tactical arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Chinese team is demonstrating the advantage of collective combat. Xu Jiayu, at the age of 30, leads the backstroke, while young talent Dong Zhihao withstands pressure.
Despite fluctuating form, Pan Zhanle's entry into the 47-second range in the relay race proves his enduring capabilities.
This multi-generational relay inheritance model—combining veterans, middle-aged, and youth—is a key pillar against European and American dominance.
Furthermore, swimming's \"wave tactics\" have quietly evolved. Technical swimmers like Pan Zhanle need to decode opponents' wave manipulation tactics, while power-based swimmers leverage their physical advantages to forcefully lead.
This technological and physical game will redefine the survival rules in the short-distance swimming pool.
Tonight, Pan Zhanle will once again face off against several old rivals in a peak showdown.
Simultaneously, several members of China's mixed medley relay team are spirited, determined to boldly challenge the highest podium.
When the arrogant leave the arena, the focused will eventually reap the battlefield. The wave of the swimming pool does not reminisce about past thrones; it embraces only those who vigorously strike the water in the present moment.
