One year after clinching the men's 100m freestyle Olympic gold medal in a world record time, Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle failed to qualify for the final in this event at the World Aquatics Championships, signaling his comeback remains a work in progress.

by sportswriters Wang Zijiang and Li Jia

SINGAPORE, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Exactly one year ago, Pan Zhanle made history in Paris, winning Olympic gold and breaking the men's 100-meter freestyle world record. But on what could have been a night to remember Thursday, the Chinese star will not be on the starting blocks at the World Aquatics Championships.

Pan, who turns 21 next Monday, failed to qualify for the final after placing 10th in Wednesday's semifinals. He clocked 47.81 seconds to finish third in his heat, where only the winner, Australia's Kyle Chalmers, advanced. The remaining seven finalists came from the other semifinal.

"10th place?" Pan responded in disbelief when told the result, before admitting, "I am not in good shape."

The defending world champion had vowed weeks earlier to break the 47-second barrier again in Singapore. His world record stands at 46.40 seconds, while the championship record is 46.80, set at last year's Doha worlds.

Earlier in the meet, Pan also failed to reach the 200m freestyle semifinals - signs that his comeback remains a work in progress.

Following his breakout performance in Paris, where he also anchored China to gold in the men's 4x100m medley relay, Pan became a household name. But with fame came a surge of media and public commitments that disrupted his training. Within three months, he had gained about four kilograms and struggled to maintain form.

When he returned to training at the end of 2024, Pan admitted he was far from competitive. "I couldn't even win a provincial race, let alone a national one," he said.

"His form at the Olympics was 100 out of 100. Now, maybe 20 out of 100," coach Zheng Kunliang said in a national TV interview last November.

Pan worked to rebuild his fitness, winning five gold medals at the Chinese National Championships in May, including a 47.77-second 100m freestyle. He estimated his recovery at "80 to 90 percent" before heading to Singapore.

For Pan, recovery is about more than physical performance - it also means navigating fame and finding balance.

In a recent interview with state broadcaster CCTV, he said he no longer treats medals as seriously as before. "Why would I care what others think? I think being happy is the most important thing. I just go with the flow and follow my own path and goals."

"In the past, going to meets was just about racing. Now I want to experience new things - travel, explore. It's not just about competing."

"Experiencing new things helps me mentally relax. Everyone knows I went to Paris, but I never even saw the Eiffel Tower. Even with a good result, there was still regret. I want to go there again someday."

"My perspective has changed," he added. "I'll keep training, of course, but I think staying fresh mentally by experiencing new things is also an essential part of training."