People should treat new world records with an “inclusive and non-biased attitude”, and the best way to fight back against unfair questions is to keep yourself clean and achieve better results, said Chinese swimming gold medalist Pan Zhanle.
China’s swimming team returned home from Paris 2024 Olympic Games on August 6 with an impressive medals haul, including Pan who won two gold medals, one silver medal and broke a world record during the event.
The 48-second mark in the 100-meter freestyle had long been a threshold for Asian athletes. At the 2022 Budapest Swimming World Championships, Pan clocked a 47.65 seconds in the 100-meter freestyle semi-finals, becoming the second Chinese swimmer to break the mark in this event. Since then, his performance has been rising.
The Paris 2024 was Pan Zhanle’s first Olympics and, prior to his arrival in the pool, a Japanese swimmer had been the only Asian athlete to win the men's 100-meter freestyle competition.
Pan said in an interview with China Media Group (CMG) that he will not be constrained by any bias or judgments and will continue to strive for better results.
"So maybe everyone is stuck by this judgment, including the Japanese, whose national record is now 47.85 seconds. They may think the goal of getting under 48 seconds is a bit too high, as if it is sacred. But for me, it is not that out of touch, I just regard it as a small step in my life," Pan said.
Pan’s time of 46.40 seconds in the Paris finals, more than a full second ahead of his nearest rival, set a new world record but also raised questions among some commentators.
"We certainly all hope that we will not be biased, that people focus simply on breaking records or achieving better results. We also hope that there will be more people breaking the world record. That will be more interesting," Pan said.
The Chinese swimming team, among the most anti-doping tested ahead of the Paris Olympics, has undergone rigorous scrutiny. According to World Aquatics, swimming's global governing body, Chinese swimmers were tested for banned substances on average 21 times from January 1 to the start of the Games. By comparison, Australian and American swimmers were tested only four and six times on average, respectively.
The WADA has also reviewed the Chinese athletes' case and found no evidence to dispute a previous contamination scenario related to the Chinese team.
"I am innocent. Regarding my doping tests, I have tested negative more than 50 times last year and from May to July this year. What we eat and drink are all controlled, with strict screening, so there is no drug use or misuse. To break the prejudice, the first thing is to be myself and keep myself clean. The second is to use the results to effectively fight back against them," Pan said.
Strong results best way to counter bias, unfair questions: Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle
Strong results best way to counter bias, unfair questions: Chinese swimmer Pan Zhanle
Vietnam and Honduras, two of the world's major coffee-growing countries, were severely impacted by high temperatures, droughts and other abnormal conditions brought by climate change.
December is usually the peak season for coffee harvesting in Gia Lai Province, a key coffee-producing area in Vietnam. This year, however, local coffee farmers have encountered a significant reduction in production due to the drought in the summer.
"I have been growing coffee for 22 years and I have never experienced a drought like this year's," said Pham Duc Suy, a local coffee farmer.
Vietnam experienced an unusual combination of high temperatures and drought in the summer of 2024, leading to reduced production in many major coffee-producing areas in the country.
"In 2023 we collected six tons of green coffee beans and harvested nearly 30 tons of coffee cherries. But in 2024 we only collected 17 tons of coffee cherries, half of what we could get in previous years," said Nguyen Van Hoa, a local coffee farmer.
To combat the extreme weather conditions, local farmers increased their irrigation and the government deployed agricultural technicians to help solve the water shortage issues.
However, in addition to drought, the high temperatures also triggered a white aphid infestation, further exacerbating the decline in coffee production.
The reduction in coffee production in Vietnam has led to a decline in exports for 2024. In the first 11 months of 2024, Vietnam's cumulative coffee exports approached 1.2 million tons, a year-on-year decrease of 15.4 percent, according to industry data.
However, as coffee prices soared in 2024 globally, the country's coffee exports generated 4.84 billion U.S. dollars during the same period, up 32.8 percent year on year.
Coffee farmers in Honduras have also been severely impacted by climate change.
Coffee is a major agricultural product in Honduras, grown in 15 of the country's 18 provinces, with more than 120,000 families involved in its production.
The abnormal climate conditions in 2024 shortened the flowering season for coffee crops, resulting in a notable decrease in production.
"Normally, we experience three to four flowering seasons each year. Due to climate change, some areas may only see one or two flowering seasons. However, our coffee plantation only has one flowering season annually now," said Franco Ordonez, a local coffee producer.
Honduras' coffee exports during the 2023-24 period dropped from 7.15 million bags in the previous period to 6.1 million bags, and the export value fell from 1.213 billion U.S. dollars to 1.074 billion U.S. dollars, according to industry data.
Local farmers expressed the hope to improve the quality of their coffee beans and promote sustainable practices, while exploring new coffee products that appeal to emerging markets.
"We are studying the flavors of coffee. The Asian market prefers floral and sour flavors. And we're putting in the effort to refine our flavors to meet this demand," said Ordonez.
Climate change harms coffee production in Vietnam, Honduras
