Olympics | Tokyo Olympic champion Zhang defends Chinese swimmers, questions 'unfair' Western media

Two-time Olympic champion Zhang Yufei defended her teammate and newly crowned 100m freestyle champion Pan Zhanle at the Paris Olympics. She hit back at accusations of cover-ups in recent contamination cases involving the country's athletes.

In a press conference after her bronze medal in the women's 200m butterfly on Thursday evening, Zhang expressed her support for Pan, who broke the world record to win gold in the men's 100m freestyle at the Paris Games on Wednesday.

"He has swum under 47 seconds and steadily improved in recent years. This is not something that has been achieved in one day. Pan, like every other Chinese athlete, has taken dozens of doping tests."

Zhang challenged the double standards in the scrutiny faced by Chinese athletes compared to their Western counterparts.

"Maybe you should ask him or his coach why he can swim so fast," she said of Pan. "But why should Chinese athletes be questioned about it? What if an athlete from another country breaks the world record? Has anyone questioned Michael Phelps when he won so many medals? Why did the Western media not question Katie Ledecky when she was dominant? It's ridiculous."

Zhang said that Chinese swimmers had "nothing to hide" and strongly defended the actions and integrity of the Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA).

"I don't think it has influenced me or any other Chinese swimmer," said Zhang, reflecting on the impact of the allegations on her performance and morale.

Zhang emphasized the transparency and diligence of global authorities such as the swimming governing body World Aquatics and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

"We're innocent. World Aquatics and WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] have made very clear statements about the whole thing. Some people just don't want to believe it. There's nothing we can do to change those people's minds."

Highlighting the rigorous testing regime that athletes undergo, Zhang acknowledged the inconvenience but stressed the importance of compliance.

"It's our responsibility to do the doping tests," said the 26-year-old, who won two gold and two silver in Tokyo before claiming three bronze medals at the Paris Olympics.

"It's not only for Chinese swimmers. The frequency of doping tests for Chinese swimmers and swimmers from other countries has been increasing. It's every athlete's obligation to do it. In terms of the impact, I think anyone who is woken up to take the test around 5 a.m. might feel a little bit annoyed."

Zhang also addressed the broader impact of the doping allegations on China's Olympic ambitions. "We won't change our goal for the Olympics. The goal was established before the Games, and we won't change it because we don't need to."

She reiterated her faith in the fairness of World Aquatics and WADA, condemning the leaks that have marred athletes' reputations.

"I believe World Aquatics and WADA have made fair decisions, and they won't cover up anything for anyone who makes mistakes. World Aquatics has made the investigation and respected the privacy of the athletes. They don't want the athletes to be influenced and unfairly compete in the Olympics. But the athletes' information has been leaked out by Western media."

Zhang expressed sadness at the unfair portrayal of her image in the media after some Western media outlets accused authorities of covering contamination cases involving 23 Chinese swimmers.

"Some websites used my picture to represent the 23 athletes. That's not right and has caused me trouble. It's not my problem or my fault, so why should I bear the consequences? As an athlete still competing, I'm worried that other competitors doubt me and won't want to compete with me. I'm also worried that some spectators don't want to see me competing anymore."

(Source: Xinhua）

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