What could be sweeter for the Chinese mainland than putting an end to the USA's 40-year reign over one of its most-coveted gold medal events at the Olympics?
A sensational team from the Chinese mainland featuring Xu Jiayu, Qin Haiyang, Sun Jiajun, and Pan Zhanle accomplished the seemingly impossible in Paris, after stunning their highly-regarded American rivals to clinch victory in the men's 4×100m medley relay on Day 9 of the 2024 Summer Olympics.
This historic win halted the USA's remarkable winning streak in the event that dated back to the Los Angeles Games in 1984. The Americans settled for silver, while France secured bronze, adding to Leon Marchand's impressive medal haul.
"We make a fantastic team and achieved an incredible result," exclaimed Pan, who led the charge in breaking the USA's stronghold on the event with an exceptional time of 45.92 seconds that represents one of the fastest 100m freestyle splits in history, while Qin also delivered a stellar showing of 57.98 seconds to outpace Marchand in the breaststroke leg.
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Day 9 in Paris: Chinese swimmers end USA's 40-year medley relay reign
cgtn.com