China’s new world record holder in the 100m freestyle appeared to take a swipe at Aussie Kyle Chalmers after obliterating the field to win the gold medal in Thursday morning’s final.

Pan Zhanle accused Chalmers of “ignoring” him in the opening days of the Olympics, saying the Australian and other rivals had “looked down” on the new freestyle king.

Pan, 19, broke his own record by 0.4 seconds in claiming Paris gold in a time of 46.40, with Chalmers making a late charge to take silver in a distant time of 47.48.

Speaking with Chinese media poolside, Pan appeared to claim he had been given the cold shoulder by his rivals in the days before the race.

“Before, after we finished the first day … I greeted Chalmers. He ignored me at all. Including (Jack) Alexy from the American team,” he said in comments translated into English.

“When we were training, the coach was on the shore. He rolled over and splashed water directly on the coach.

“It just felt a little bit. You look down on us. Can you say it?

“Now today, I finally defeated all of them, and … I broke the world record.”

Pan went on to say he used “a lot of anger and also the hopes and dreams of our country” to break his own record.

The comments could cast light on renewed tensions within the swimming world, as Chinese athletes deal with scrutiny over doping scandals unearthed in recent weeks.

It comes a day after news broke that two Chinese swimmers tested positive to a banned steroid in October 2022, but this was not revealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Pan himself has not been caught up in any controversy, and at just 19 was competing at his first Olympics.

Chalmers and Pan shared a somewhat awkward handshake on the podium after receiving their medals.

Afterwards the Aussie said he did not suspect anything untoward about Pan’s sensational time.

“For him to produce a 4.40 and break the world record in the Olympic final is incredible,” he said.

“I do everything I possibly can to win the race, and guess everyone’s doing the same as I am and staying true to the sport and integrity of sport.

“I trust that’s he’s done everything he possibly can to be there. And he deserves that gold medal. And I did everything I possibly could to challenge for that gold medal.”

Pan’s comments are a far cry from what he apparently told Chalmers just a few days ago, according to the Aussie sprinter.

“Pan, the Chinese boy, straight before we walked out said: ‘You’re my idol and I love, love, love watching you,’” Chalmers said after the men’s 4x100m relay.

Romania’s David Popovici, who won the 200m gold, was also sure Pan was clean.

Popovici came third in the 100m event, just 0.01 seconds behind Chalmers.

“I think we can go even faster. There are people now alive and who are swimming who can do it. It’s just a matter of putting it together and doing it at the right moment. And I think it’s very possible, even faster,” he said

“This is only motivation for us. I mean, we can’t be mad, we can only congratulate him. This is what sports is.

“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That’s all I have to say.”

It hasn’t stopped instant speculation about his world record time, however, in what has been described as a “slow pool”.

It was the first swimming world record to fall so far these Games.

“I’ve studied this sport, I’ve studied speed,” former Aussie Olympian Brett Hawke said.

“You don’t win 100m freestyle by a body length on that field. You just don’t do it.

“It’s not humanly possible to beat that field by a body length.”

Meanwhile, China has suggested Australian beef exports could be to blame for its athletes testing positive to “trace amounts” of metandienone – a banned steroid known for use in meat production.

China told the WADA it believed two swimmers, Tang Muhan and He Junyi, ate contaminated burgers at a Beijing fast food restaurant in October 2022.

The swimmers were banned for 12 months but have since been cleared.

Australia’s meat industry has hit back at suggestions its products could be to blame, with Meat and Livestock Australia saying metandienone “is not used in any capacity in Australian beef production or in any veterinary medicine.”