Mr Zhanle and stalwart Zhang Yufei led China to 12 Olympic medals in the Paris pool, shrugging off intense oversight of the doping controversy that engulfed the team before the Games.
Their haul – two gold, three silver and seven bronze – improved their Tokyo total of nine.
Once again, they finished behind the eternal cruise controls of the United States and Australia.
The team arrived in Paris under a dark cloud after the New York Times reported in April that 23 Chinese swimmers had tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ) before Tokyo.
China claimed it was the result of food contamination – an explanation accepted by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
But US anti-doping authorities angered their Chinese counterparts by accusing WADA of covering up the facts of the case, and the scandal overshadowed their preparations.
Butterfly ace Zhang, on the scene for a decade with 10 Olympic medals to her name, including five bronze in Paris, was reportedly among the 23 and admitted it was stressful in France.
“I competed very well with friends from different countries, now I’m coming to participate in the Olympics and I’m very worried that my good friends are looking at me with (suspicious) eyes and don’t want to compete with me,” she said.
“I’m afraid the French think Chinese athletes don’t deserve to stand on this podium.”
In fact, the fans at La Defense Arena were respectful and greeted the Chinese athletes with applause.
Zhang, who once again anchored the team, urged any doubters to look at the details of the case. “Each of us was tested 20 to 30 times in two months, three to four times a week on average,” she said, adding that none were positive.
