Pan Zhanle waves to spectators in Tokyo, Japan, on Sept 20, 2026, during the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. [Photo/IC]

When the Japanese quartet cut the gap to a mere 0.29 seconds during the men's 4x100m medley relay at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games, the pressure inside the Tokyo Aquatics Centre reached a boiling point.

But Pan Zhanle, swimming the anchor leg for China alongside teammates Xu Jiayu, Dong Zhihao and Xu Fang, remained unfazed.

Cutting through the water with his signature explosive finish, 22-year-old Olympic champion Pan held firm to touch the wall first, sealing the gold for China in 3 minutes and 27.89 seconds.

For Pan, world-record holder in the 100m freestyle, this relay victory provided the perfect crowning moment in a sensational Asiad campaign.

Concluding the swimming events with a remarkable haul of four gold medals — triumphing in the 100 freestyle, the 4x200 freestyle relay, the 4x100 medley relay, and the 4x100 freestyle relay — Pan views these Games not merely as a competition, but as a crucial "mid-term exam" on the road to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

"I need to move forward, step by step. It's important for me before the next Olympics, as well as my entire swimming career," Pan told China Daily.

Two years ago, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, a 19-year-old Pan sent shockwaves around the globe. Under immense pressure, he clocked a jaw-dropping 46.40 seconds in the 100 freestyle final, slashing an incredible 0.40 seconds off his own previous world record to claim China's first men's Olympic swimming gold in a sprint event.

He had broken the 47-second barrier four times before his Paris victory, becoming the first swimmer to record five sub-47 swims.

That historic feat firmly established his legacy on the international stage.

Yet, returning to the Asian Games arena, Pan displayed a markedly more mature mindset, providing a stark contrast to the young phenom who first stormed onto the scene at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023.

"This time is a very different experience for me," said Pan. "During my first Asian Games, I was a young rookie charging at others. I was a bit young and frivolous, thinking about which events I could win gold in. But this time, in Tokyo, facing a Japanese team in excellent form, the requirement I set for myself was simply to stop overthinking, be myself, and showcase my training level."

This philosophical shift stems from a two-year journey marked by technical refinement and a much deeper understanding of competitive sports. Pan admits that, while winning gold remains paramount, he has learned to embrace the entire process, including the inevitable setbacks that come with elite sports.

"In the past, I always wanted to win. But now, I have learned how to face failure. Both winning and losing yield rewards for me," he said, reflecting on his personal growth.

Nowhere is this maturity more evident than in his approach to team relays, where Pan transforms from a calculated individual sprinter into a fearless, selfless team player. In individual events like the 100 or 200 freestyle, the fear of running out of steam in the final stretch often forces swimmers to hold back slightly. But in relays, Pan unleashes his full, explosive potential right from the starting block.

"Relay races suit me better," Pan explained.

"In individual races, you worry about sprinting too fast in the first half and not being able to come back in the second, but in relays, I don't care, because I have my teammates. So, I sprint from the very beginning.

"With their support acting as a safety net, I can perform much more freely."

That unwavering trust is mutual across the Chinese squad. As veteran backstroke specialist Xu Jiayu noted after the gripping medley relay victory: "Although we have young swimmers on the team, we've been working together for four years. So we trust each other."

Perhaps the most fascinating evolution in Pan's career is his newfound "no preset benchmarks" philosophy, an approach heavily influenced by his recent overseas training camps and exchanges with international rivals, particularly Romanian star David Popovici.

Previously, Pan said he was obsessed with his training times, often believing that the stopwatch in practice directly dictated his results in competitive races. However, training alongside global peers drastically altered his perspective.

"I learned a very important lesson during our overseas training," Pan revealed. "I asked Popovici before we returned if he could break the world record, and he just said, 'maybe'.

"They don't obsess over the seconds they clock in training. So, before coming here, I didn't set any benchmarks for myself. I didn't even know if I could swim under 48 seconds. But when you don't obsess over the times and just ensure your training is on point for the day, the results turn out surprisingly well."

By embracing the unknown, Pan has found a way to race without the burden of expectation. "Everything is random," he laughed. "If I don't even know my own limits, how can my opponents know what I'm capable of?"

Following his Paris triumph, the 22-year-old sprint star continues to face intense scrutiny, welcoming both praise and skepticism as sources of motivation.

"Flowers and doubts are both my motivation," he said. "I don't care as much about gains and losses as I used to. My goal now is simply to give my all in training and leave competitions with no regrets."

Looking ahead to LA28, Pan aims to remain at the top of the 100 freestyle pack, while gradually improving his 200 performance and solidifying his role as a relay anchor.

He actively welcomes the rapid rise of younger swimmers within the Chinese team, seeing the fierce competition as a driving force to ensure he "stands steady amidst the storm".

But beneath the relentless, high-stakes pursuit of speed, Pan still craves moments of absolute tranquility.

When asked how he recharges outside the intensity of the competitive arena, he paints a picture far removed from the roaring crowds and glaring lights of the swimming pool.

"My most relaxed state is being alone, surrounded by green mountains and clear waters, with no one disturbing me," Pan said. "In the pool, I only listen to the sound of splashing water. But in my ideal world, I want to listen to the birds, see the flowers, feel the wind, and just focus on myself."