Pan Zhanle's incredible 100m freestyle: The mind-blowing numbers behind Chinese youngster's performance

China's Pan Zhanle stands in a class of his own following his astonishing victory in the 100m freestyle in Paris.

In an Olympic pool which has come under fire for being "slow" , the 19-year-old's time, and dramatic winning margin, are statistical anomalies.

We take a look at the numbers behind Zhanle's victory:

MORE: Updated medal tables for Paris 2024

Pan Zhanle smashes world record in 'slow' Paris pool

Prior to the men's 100m freestyle final, not a single world record had tumbled in the pool at La Defense Arena in Paris.

The depth, 2.15 metres, is shallower than the 3m recommended by World Aquatics, creating more than ideal turbulence and resulting in slower than expected times.

Torri Huske came closest to breaking a world record, posting a time of 55.29 in the 100m butterfly, 0.11 seconds off the mark, or 0.2 per cent.

Leon Marchand, in the 200m breaststroke, and Kaylee McKeown, in the 100m backstroke, were next closest, 0.29 and 0.35 per cent away, respectively.

That was until Zhanle blitzed the field, posting a 46.40 to break his own world record by 0.4 seconds, 0.86 per cent faster than the old mark.

To put that in perspective, it took 16 years for 0.4 seconds to get wiped off the world record between Alain Bernard's 47.20 in 2008 and Zhanle's 46.80 at the world championships earlier this year.

Here are all the gold medal winning times so far in Paris, relative to the world record at the time. Hover over the chart for details:

Single stroke, individual events only

Pan Zhanle's winning margin blows competition away

It wasn't just his time which stunned the swimming world in one of the sport's showpiece races.

Touching the wall a full body-length in front of his competition, the rising superstar left the world's best sprinters in his wake, literally.

Australia's Kyle Chalmers claimed silver in a time of 47.48, more than a second in arrears and the most significant margin in the event since the 1928 Olympics.

As a percentage of race time, the Zhanle was 2.33 per cent faster than the next best swimmer.

Across all single stroke, individual events in Paris, no other gold medal winner has come close to Zhanle's winning margin.

Katie Ledecky won by more than 10 seconds in the 1500m freestyle final, but that equates to a percentage of 1.11 over the 15.30.02 race time.

The American legend is the only other swimmer who recorded a time more than one per cent faster than their closest rivals.

Here are all the gold medal winning margins so far in Paris as a percentage of race time. Hover over the chart for details:

Individual, single stroke events only

Incredibly, Zhanle could secure more history when he lines up in 50m freestyle, which begins with the heats on Thursday morning in Paris.