Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle wins gold No 4 at national meet – despite suffering from cough
The 12-year-old Yu Zidi wins her first gold of the event as several swimmers report having had fever amid rise in Covid-19 in Shenzhen
Pan Zhanle claimed his fourth gold medal of the Chinese National Swimming Championships on Wednesday, coming first in the men’s 100 metres freestyle final – despite suffering from a cough that he said made it hard to talk.
The double Olympic champion, who holds the world record in the event, touched the wall in Shenzhen in 47.77 seconds to top the podium, followed by Wang Haoyu in 48.36, while Liu Wudi claimed third in 48.42.
After the race, Pan was asked if a recent bout of illness had affected his race.
“I think the main issue is with my stamina,” said Pan, who, before the event started last week, had not competed since November. “I’ll keep working hard.”
Pan then cut his post-race media duties short, saying: “Are we finished? I really can’t talk.”
With local media reporting a rise in Covid-19 cases in Shenzhen, several Chinese athletes have said they have had a fever in the build-up to their races.
