Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/02/2023
"What do you mean by 'this Su Bai and that Su Bai'?"
Wu Shengping 's words left Li Peisheng perplexed. After all, Li Peisheng was familiar with someone named Su Bai, but how could Wu Shengping also know about Su Bai?
Considering Su Bai's performance before retiring, there was no reason for Wu Shengping to be aware of him!
"Cough." On the side, He Yishen cleared his throat awkwardly, "Um, yes, it's true, it's that Su Bai."
A string of exclamations erupted in the VIP room. Wu Shengping and Yue Bowen, seated next to him, exchanged puzzled glances, both feeling like they had just heard something outlandish.
Seeing Li Peisheng also puzzled, He Yishen sighed and explained, "Old Li, the situation is like this..."
As Li Peisheng listened to He Yishen's explanation, he couldn't help but feel a mixture of laughter and tears – their retired sprinter, Su Bai, wasn't just a top-notch chef, but also a phenomenal coach who could uncover an athlete's potential, provide on-site technical guidance, and help them perform exceptionally well in impromptu tests?
Li Peisheng truly felt that even the protagonists of movies and novels wouldn't dare to be this audacious. Yet, such a character had actually appeared in their team.
After hesitating for a moment, Li Peisheng questioned, "Are you sure about Su Bai guiding Qiu Wen in the 400-meter event?"
After all, while Su Bai's culinary skills were now certain after their meal, coaching for a 400-meter event was a different matter altogether.
Zhao Heping was well aware of how incredible the idea of Su Bai providing technical guidance sounded. So, he straightforwardly said, "I'll inform Qiu Wen, and we'll conduct another round of testing tomorrow. Everyone can witness it firsthand. Coach Wu can also provide some preliminary guidance to Qiu Wen and see how the situation plays out."
This was a way to have all the coaches present witness and assess the situation. After all, it would be difficult to provide solid evidence for Su Bai coaching Qiu Wen, so having everyone on-site tomorrow to observe the situation would be more effective than just empty words.
None of the national team coaches present, including He Yishen and Li Peisheng , had any objections. After all, seeing is believing, and witnessing the situation firsthand would naturally provide a clearer understanding.
With this topic temporarily set aside, the group sat at the table, and He Yishen shifted the conversation elsewhere.
"In the following days, the third-floor cafeteria will prepare special meals for all the coaches. We'll make sure everyone eats and drinks well."
Oh, talking about this got everyone excited. They couldn't stop praising tonight's dinner. "We're in for a treat in the next few days!" Wu Shengping exclaimed with a smile. "I mean, Su Bai's culinary skills are truly exceptional."
"Ah, we don't even have to wait until tomorrow. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's meal,"Yue Bowen chimed in with a smile. His compliment was met with nods of agreement from the other coaches present.
Li Peisheng also chuckled. "Forget about the other coaches, this is my first time enjoying a meal like this tonight. It seems like I'll have to come to our cafeteria more often to have a good meal!"
As the group chatted and laughed, the atmosphere between them was harmonious and filled with anticipation. Everyone was certain – regardless of whether Su Bai turned out to be a promising coach, he was definitely an exceptional chef.
After a busy day, Su Bai returned to his dormitory. On the way back, Qiu Wen, who had also returned from the cafeteria kitchen, kept laughing and occasionally glanced at Su Bai. It seemed like he had made up his mind to seek guidance from Su Bai, eagerly wanting him to explain the rhythm and control for the 400 meters.
Su Bai was inclined to entertain the idea, considering that his system space now had a simulated athlete created based on Qiu Wen's data. He could continuously adjust the training plan for this simulated athlete, allowing it to experiment with various training directions and content within the space 24/7.
However, the training methods for the simulated athlete in the system couldn't be directly applied to real-world training. The simulated athlete in the system executed the training plan perfectly, while real athletes, even diligent and hardworking ones like Qiu Wen, couldn't guarantee full dedication during real training sessions.
Factors such as differences in training environments, the athlete's psychological state, and personal conditions can introduce positive or negative deviations to the effectiveness of a training plan.
The training plan formulated within the system space might require adjustments when faced with actual athletes in the real world. How much adjustment would be necessary?
These questions could only be answered through practical experimentation.
Given Su Bai's current conditions, Qiu Wen was indeed the best candidate for the plan's experimentation. After all, among the three Level-2 connected users he had, the other two, Wang Shen and Cui Luoheng, were currently occupied with their own achievements and training, making them unavailable for testing.
Su Bai agreed to Qiu Wen's request, and Qiu Wen returned to his dorm room looking content. After finishing his evening routine, Su Bai entered the training space of the system.
In today's training space, it was divided into two different courses: culinary arts and coaching. For the first three hours, Su Bai immersed himself in familiarizing himself with ingredients, selection, and practicing culinary fundamentals. In the latter three hours, when transitioning to the coaching simulation course, Su Bai immediately located the training dossier of the 'code-named Qiu Wen' within the system. He began examining whether the 'code-named Qiu Wen' who was training with full dedication according to the prescribed training content, had shown any changes.
At the same time, in the coaching simulation course, there were specialized professors in kinesiology and experienced coaches who analyzed Su Bai's training plans. They explained and replayed the time when Su Bai was absent from the training space, discussing the potential consequences and questions that might arise during an athlete's training process.
For instance, Su Bai noticed that in the training plan he had left from the previous day's session, it was relatively more focused on specialized training for weaknesses than the overall simulation training time of the 'code-named Qiu Wen.' This plan had become too one-dimensional, with an excessive emphasis on specific areas. It neglected strength training, lower body training, and upper body training, among other aspects. If this training plan were maintained in the long run, it might lead to speed barriers for the athlete, resulting in performance stagnation.
These issues were points of knowledge that Su Bai had learned during his university courses. However, when transitioning this theoretical knowledge into practical application, there was a considerable gap. This could be due to Su Bai's temporary lack of understanding of the system, or his intense focus on the overall rhythm training for Qiu Wen's 400 meters. Regardless, bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and accurately applying it to reality required a more profound understanding.
Fortunately, Su Bai had this quirky system at his disposal. Within the space of this system, he had a rapid learning mechanism and the ability to learn from mistakes, allowing him to quickly accumulate experience.
Throughout the entire night, Su Bai immersed himself once again in the two courses within the training space. By the time the training courses concluded and he entered into a deep sleep, Su Bai still felt reluctant to end his studies and training in the relevant areas.
Early the next morning, while it was still dimly lit, both roommates Qiu Wen and Su Bai woke up according to their regular biological clocks. Qiu Wen got out of bed and headed to the training ground for the morning session, while Su Bai proceeded as usual to the third-floor kitchen to prepare breakfast for the team's athletes.
The news of the arrival of the National Track and Field Team coaching staff had spread since the previous evening's dinner. As athletes came to the third-floor cafeteria for breakfast, their attention was naturally drawn to the VIP room where the national team coaches were accompanied by figures like He Yishen.
Inside the VIP room, although the breakfast prepared by Su Bai was simple, it was undoubtedly nutritious and delicious. Considering that some of the coaches were from the northern city of B, Su Bai specially arranged soy milk and fried dough sticks for them.
Savoring a crispy fried dough stick, drinking a bowl of naturally fragrant soy milk, occasionally enjoying a bowl of golden millet porridge, and taking a few bites of the cold dishes prepared by Su Bai—this was the breakfast scene.
"In your team, without mentioning anything else, the food is truly beyond compare," Wu Shengping said as he ate a bowl of bone soup noodles in his hand, while also scooping up a piece of crispy tofu skin in front of him. "I don't know how this Su Bai managed it, but the tofu is wrapped in a thin layer of golden crispy skin. On top of that, there's a layer of translucent wooden fish slices. Besides, there are five different sauce plates placed next to the tofu plate, all of which Su Bai meticulously prepared. Whether you want a sweet and sour flavor, a rich sauce, or a refreshing touch of chili flakes, all the sauces are there in those plates."
With a single bite of this tofu, a burst of juices exploded in his mouth, accompanied by the freshness and crispiness of the wooden fish slices, as well as the satisfying crunch of the crispy skin...
Even though it might seem like just a set of side dishes, anyone who tasted a bite would surely praise its refreshing taste. The thought and skill invested in this dish were definitely far more than what a simple side dish would entail.
And then there was the bone soup noodles.
They might look ordinary, but when eaten...
Whoosh!
Honestly, after last night's dinner and today's two meals, Wu Shengping couldn't help feeling a bit envious of the treatment the athletes in the s Provincial Sports Institute's Track and Field Team were receiving. No wonder during the meeting yesterday, He Yishen could confidently say that athletes trained with high spirits due to good meals! If the national team's athletes were able to enjoy these three meals a day plus snacks, their spirits would surely be high as well!
At the dining table, the national team coaches were all eating with great satisfaction. When Yue Bowen was halfway through his meal, he couldn't help but exclaim, "Oh my, Old He, you've really got us this time! We're in trouble after experiencing these few days of Master Su Bai 's cooking!"
Hearing this, He Yishen was momentarily stunned, "What are you saying..."
Yue Bowen shook his head and laughed, "After enjoying Master Su Bai's cooking for a few days, how are we supposed to cope when we return to the national team!"
This remark drew laughter from everyone present, but it was also true—comparing the skills, even though the chefs in the national team were highly skilled, they still fell short when compared to Su Bai.
Amidst the laughter, after breakfast, coaches from the national team were led away by coaches from different groups, such as high jump, long jump, and throwing events, to their respective training venues for on-site guidance with the athletes and their related work.
He Yishen personally accompanied Wu Shengping to find Zhao Heping in his office, and then they all headed to the sprint training field together.
The previous evening, Zhao Heping had already informed Qui Wen that there would be a second round of testing the next day, and this time, the guidance before the test would be provided by the national team coaches.
The night before, Wu Shengping had already taken away Qui Wen's complete set of training files and test data after dinner. He had thoroughly reviewed Qui Wen's series of data and analyzed it from his own perspective.
Today, before the formal testing began after meeting with Qui Wen, Wu Shengping had a rough idea in his mind. He had Qui Wen undergo the usual endurance training involving steady pace and endurance exercises. He gave Qui Wen two sets of distinct pace rhythms with notable differences in stride length and frequency. Qui Wen performed several sets of training with these different rhythms to establish a baseline understanding of the pace and stride he was setting for him.
After establishing these baseline concepts, Wu Shengping began explaining the complete speed and pace arrangement to Qui Wen.
When Su Bai arrived at the training ground, he saw Wu Shengping providing technical guidance to Qui Wen.
Upon seeing his apprentice, Zhao Heping gave him an annoyed glare. Su Bai could only awkwardly scratch his head and offer a pleading smile to his master.
Although Zhao Heping was still somewhat displeased, after tapping Su Bai's head, he gestured for him to go greet He Yishen. Then they waited on the side to observe Qui Wen's testing performance.
While Su Bai, He Yishen, and Zhao Heping watched Qui Wen's training and engaged in a brief discussion, Wu Shengping had finished his guidance for Qiu Wen.
As Wu Shengping walked over to Zhao Heping's group, he naturally noticed Su Bai.
"Ah, and who might this be?" After a pause, Wu Shengping immediately realized, "This must be Su Bai?"
Hearing Wu Shengping's question, Su Bai obediently nodded, "Hello, Coach Wu, I'm Su Bai."
"Oh my, after sharing two meals with you, I finally get to see you in person." Wu Shengping shook Su Bai's hand with a smile, "Our Chef Su is truly talented!"
Today, Su Bai was dressed in a simple white sportswear set with a touch of refreshing green accents. He didn't appear particularly exceptional in terms of attire. The main reason was Su Bai's own clean and fresh appearance. His hair was somewhat fine and soft, causing it to appear a bit fluffy and disheveled. When a breeze blew, his hair fluttered slightly.
Despite his background as a former sprinter, he was expected to have undergone significant strength training. However, Su Bai didn't exhibit overly pronounced muscles. Even his skin seemed exceptionally fair compared to what one might expect from his previous identity as an athlete.
He didn't display an especially warm expression on his face, giving the impression that he might not be particularly skilled in interpersonal communication. However, when he smiled, there was a sense of "good kid" radiating from him.
Wu Shengping sized up Su Bai from head to toe. He truly didn't expect that the "chef" Su Bai would have such a well-behaved appearance, akin to that of a good junior.
After a brief introduction, on the other side, Qiu Wen was also ready. Wu Shengping briefly explained the method and content of mastering the 400-meter pace that he had instructed Qiu Wen to follow.
After listening to this, Zhao Heping felt that there was something he could learn. Wu Shengping's on-the-spot guidance seemed much more refined than his own approach from the previous day.
Upon completing his explanation, Wu Shengping recalled the mention of Su Bai during last night's dinner and redirected the conversation toward him.
"Little Bai... how do you think Qiu Wen's performance will be later?"
After seriously considering Wu Shengping 's words, Su Bai thought for a moment and provided his assessment, "The final result will be higher than 50 seconds, but in my estimation, it's unlikely to break 48 seconds."
"Hmm?"
Present in the scene, whether it was He Yishen, Zhao Heping, or Wu Shengping, none of them had anticipated that Su Bai would make such a clear judgment.
It wasn't a vague estimate of what level the athlete could achieve, but rather a specific range of results.
Zhao Heping was about to caution Su Bai to be careful with his words, but Wu Shengping beat him to it by asking, "What's your basis for this judgment?"
After glancing at Qiu Wen, who was already at the starting position, Su Bai earnestly explained, "I noticed that Coach Wu just had Qiu Wen undergo two different steady pace endurance training sessions. In my personal opinion, this training, when placed in Qiu Wen's normal 400-meter daily training cycle in the future, is highly necessary. However, placing it as a short-term training right before today's test can give Qiu Wen some short-term memory, but this short-term memory can easily be overwritten by various other elements at any time."
"Qiu Wen does indeed possess the potential and talent for the 400 meters, but I've reviewed his historical training records. He has had certain deficiencies in controlling pace, including both the 100-meter and 200-meter rhythms. These have been achieved through long-term training to establish fixed rhythm memory. In my personal judgment, this is one of the reasons for his past speed obstacles and slow improvement in results despite diligent training."
Hearing this, He Yishen, Wu Shengping, and the others understood Su Bai's point. It seemed that Qiu Wen had average talent when it came to pace control. Despite Wu Shengping's short-term memory reinforcement before the test, this kind of enhancement might be limited and easily disrupted by factors like fatigue during the full 400 meters, the pace influences of other runners ahead and behind him, or Qiu Wen's own unfamiliarity with the 400 meters leading to misjudgment of remaining distance.
"Temporary pre-race memory might lead to some improvement in Qiu Wen's overall pace control, but this enhancement is likely to be quite limited and could be disrupted at any time," Su Bai analyzed earnestly. "So, in my personal judgment, his final result will be better than the test results of the second and third groups yesterday, but he won't reach the level of the first and fourth groups. His result will likely be around 48.70 seconds."
Seeing Su Bai making an even more precise judgment about Qiu Wen's result range, Wu Shengping raised an eyebrow in astonishment. While he was quite certain about Su Bai's earlier analysis and conclusions, Su Bai's final judgment on Su Bai's result interval was rather bold, leaving him somewhat skeptical.
With this skepticism, Zhao Heping, He Yishen, and Wu Shengping all directed their gaze to the track and started watching Qiu Wen's test.
This test was much more formal. Not only were He Yishen, Wu Shengping, and Zhao Heping, the coaches, watching closely, but He Yishen even called in an assistant coach and set up the team's photography equipment to record Qiu Wen's 400-meter test from multiple angles. This would serve as a comprehensive record of today's training and testing session, as well as provide insights for future technical analysis and pacing adjustments for Qiu Wen's training.
At the starting line, Qiu Wen appeared more relaxed compared to his test yesterday. He knew he was making the transition to the 400 meters smoothly, and he fully believed what Su Bai had said about his natural talent for the event.
Given this, there was no need for him to be nervous. He just needed to focus on training seriously and follow the coaches' instructions obediently.
Standing on the starting blocks, Qiu Wen placed his hands on the ground and excitement flickered in his eyes as he waited for the assistant coach's starting command.
With the sound of the starting gun's "bang," Qiu Wen earnestly followed Wu Shengping's instructions and sprinted full speed from the curve, launching his challenge for the first test of the day!
On the sidelines, Wu Shengping and the others were watching Qiu Wen intently. He was still placed in the seventh lane today, with the province's 400-meter athletes Zhang Wei and Hu Li on his sides, one in front and one behind.
From the starting line to the 200-meter mark, Qiu Wen executed Wu Shengping's instructions fairly well, keeping his speed close to his usual training pace. Then, from the 200-meter mark to the 300-meter mark, Qiu Wen followed the pace adjustments Wu Shengping had instructed him to make before the test.
Watching from the sidelines, Wu Shengping frowned, "No, this stride rate is too fast. It's deviating from the uniform pace exercises I had him do earlier."
Before the test, Wu Shengping had Qiu Wen practice memory exercises for both medium-paced uniform running and accelerating from a 100-meter starting point. According to Wu Shengping's instructions, Qiu Wen was supposed to adjust his pace to a medium-paced uniform running rhythm in this section of the race. However, Qiu Wen's current stride rate and pace had deviated from what he practiced earlier, introducing a speed discrepancy.
This speed discrepancy would amplify Qiu Wen's energy consumption, increase his fatigue, and weaken his sprinting ability in the fourth 100-meter segment. Even if he had a strong talent for speed and endurance, his speed would inevitably decline when energy consumption became excessive.
As anticipated, during the third 100-meter segment, Qiu Wen maintained what he believed to be a "medium-paced" state, but in reality, his energy consumption was gradually accumulating and intensifying, causing his speed to decrease involuntarily.
While Qiu Wen fought to maintain his speed, Zhang Wei and Hu Li, who were originally behind him, gradually caught up. The sensation of being chased by Zhang Wei and Hu Li from behind induced a trace of involuntary panic in Qiu Wen. Clenching his teeth, he tried to sustain his pace, but he still got entangled in a battle of endurance with Hu Li and Zhang Wei.
In this battle of endurance, which was not at all suitable for Qiu Wen due to his lack of rhythm control, he soon lost his memory of the initial pace. He could only rely on his foundational talent to keep up with u Li and Zhang Wei in the 300-meter segment, becoming entangled with them.
Fortunately, he remembered Wu Shengping's instructions. In the final 100 meters, he slightly leaned his body forward, adopting the accelerating sprint posture from the 100-meter starting point. He increased the amplitude of his arm swing, using larger arm swings to generate more body kinetic energy and achieve acceleration for the final sprint phase.
He made a great effort to control his breathing, attempting to regain the faster pace in his accelerating sprint state.
Ahead and behind Qiu Wen, both Hu Li and Zhang Wei were not slow either. As experienced 400-meter athletes, their previous results usually hovered around 48 seconds, a bit faster than Qiu Wen's current speed.
After the three of them crossed the finish line, He Yishen, Zhao Heping, and Wu Shengping all looked at Qiu Wen's final result, then simultaneously turned their gaze toward Su Bai.Qiu Wen's final result was—48.78 seconds.
This result perfectly matched Su Bai's prediction, leaving no room for doubt. The difference between this result and Su Bai's second prediction of "48.70 or slightly higher" was extremely minor!
This was simply...
Wu Shengping didn't quite know what to say.
As experienced coaches who had worked with their athletes for a long time, they could use their extensive knowledge of their athletes' training curves, their thorough understanding of their daily training status, and their analysis of the athletes' physical condition to roughly estimate the range of performance in a particular competition. However, this estimation was purely experiential and not always accurate.
After all, there are too many factors that affect an athlete's actual performance.
As for Su Bai?
When he made the earlier prediction about Qiu Wen's performance, he didn't have much data to rely on. The data Su Bai could see was basically in line with what Wu Shengping had. At most, Su Bai had a higher level of familiarity with Qiu Wen as an athlete.
As for Qiu Wen's training status on regular days, and his recent personal condition?
The person who should know about those things is probably Zhao Heping!
So, the basis for Su Bai to make such a prediction is mainly derived from his keen analysis of Qiu Wen, based on his familiarity and the training records that everyone could see.
Thinking of this, Wu Shengping couldn't help but show a look of amazement. This Su Bai was not only excellent in cooking, but also had an extraordinary talent and vision for coaching, it seemed!
Beside Wu Shengping, He Yishen also seemed to have realized these key points, and Zhao Heping, needless to say, would certainly understand too.
For a moment, except for Zhao Heping who still felt a bit upset about not revealing his disciple's outstanding coaching talent earlier, the expressions on the faces of the other two coaches were complex and astonished.
Zhao Heping was regretting not mentioning his disciple's coaching talent earlier, and now he was getting more and more unwilling. He could only glare at his disciple and stew in anger on the side.
After seeing his own result, Qiu Wen felt somewhat disheartened. He knew he had significant shortcomings in controlling the pace for the entire 400 meters. However, he had thought that with Coach Wu's guidance before the test, there would at least be some improvement during the test... Yet, he still forgot about the pacing while running.
Today's test results can't be said to show no improvement from Coach Wu's guidance. However, when compared to the two sets of guidance that Su Bai provided Qiu Wen yesterday, the improvement isn't as ideal.
By the side of the track, Wu Shengping also recalled the impressive data Qiu Wen achieved after Su Bai's guidance yesterday. After thinking for a moment, he suggested, "Su Bai, why don't you give it a try? Explain the pacing for the 400 meters to Qiu Wen according to your thoughts and methods. Let him rest and recover his stamina, and then have him run the test again."
After hearing this, Su Bai nodded earnestly and headed towards Qiu Wen.
Observing Su Bai's figure, He Yishen turned to Zhao Heping and asked, "Old Zhao, do you think it's effective to have Su Bai communicate and guide Qiu Wen?"
Zhao Heping took out Qiu Wen's test data from the previous day and pointed at the data from the first and fourth rounds of testing, both of which were guided by Su Bai. He asked, "These two rounds were both guided by Su Bai. Do you think they were effective?"
Upon hearing Zhao Heping's words, He Yishen fell silent for a moment and then looked towards Su Bai, who was not far away, engaging in communication with Qiu Wen. If Su Bai truly possessed this ability, he had to seriously consider how to make the best use of him.
As the saying goes, there are often excellent horses, but rarely exceptional trainers.
This saying is just as applicable in the world of sports.
After all, China is vast, and it's not like there are no individuals with talent in track and field or in short-distance sprinting. Of course not!
However, talent is one thing; if that talent isn't discovered, those individuals might miss the optimal training phases and the prime years for athletes. Eventually, they could grow and develop quietly, achieving mediocrity without anyone ever knowing, just like Qiu Wen in this case.
If Su Bai hadn't spoken up, Qiu Wen would have already been removed from the list of key athletes being considered for intensive training by the track and field team. Whether it was Zhao Heping or any other coaching staff members who carefully considered the list of athletes to be eliminated, no one had thought that Qiu Wen might actually possess talent in the 400 meters.
Thinking this, He Yishen was struck by the same concern as Zhao Heping—the group of key athletes from the third-floor cafeteria.
Lately, these athletes had been eating the meals prepared by Su Bai and were full of vigor. What if they found out that their "Chef Bai" was going to become a coach?
Rubbing his forehead with his fingers, He Yishen felt a headache coming on. Well, these headache-inducing issues could be dealt with later.
Meanwhile, Su Bai finished explaining the crucial pacing to Qiu Wen again and walked back to where Wu Shengping and the others were, signaling that he had finished.
He Yishen and the others exchanged glances, nodded, and indicated that they were ready to start the second round of testing.
Wu Shengping looked at Qiu Wen on the starting line and couldn't help but ask, "Su Bai, what do you think Qiu Wen's final score will be this time?"
Su Bai furrowed his brows and thought for a moment. "It should still be around 47.60 seconds." He paused and continued, "Qiu Wen has good talent, but with his training foundation in the 100 meters and 200 meters, and with some effort to control his pacing, a score around 47.60 seconds would be the best ideal state for him currently."
An ideal state?
Indeed, that's an ideal state!
Even though running under 47 seconds might seem like an ordinary achievement, for the vast majority of athletes, it's incredibly challenging to achieve. Not to mention 47.60 seconds, as there are still many athletes struggling to break the 50-second barrier.
Qiu Wen's test data had already proven his talent beyond doubt. However, currently, displaying this astonishing talent still required a certain amount of unpredictability.
Wu Shengping smiled and didn't say much more. He just watched Qiu Wen once again stepping onto the starting line of the track and sighed, "It's a bit regrettable that we didn't discover Qiu Wen's talent earlier. If he had been cultivated a few years ago, in another two years, he might have had a chance to run under 46 seconds."
Zhao Heping and He Yishen also had a sense of nostalgia. Currently, there are very few athletes in China who can break the 46-second barrier. The qualifying standards for the Doha World Championships next year haven't been announced yet, but if the qualification standard for the 400 meters is raised from the 17th World Championships' standard of 45.50 seconds, China might once again miss the World Championships. After all, the current national record for the 400 meters is only 45.35 seconds. If the qualification standard for Doha is raised by another 0.2 seconds, it's going to be difficult to find any male 400 meters athlete in the country who can meet the standard.
Su Bai noticed the concern in his master and Coach He Yishen's expressions, but he didn't say anything. Based on Qiu Wen's 7.6 potential score in the 400-meter event, he was confident that Qiu Wen definitely had the chance to break the 46-second barrier, and perhaps even dream of the 45-second barrier.
However, achieving such results seemed a bit distant at the moment. As he watched Qiu Wen crouching on the starting blocks, Su Bai remained quiet, silently cheering him on in his heart.
On the starting line, Qiu Wen had prepared for the second round of testing. Behind them, the assistant coach shouted "ready" once again.
Then, after the sound of the starting gun, Qiu Wen began his run from the starting line once more!
This time, after his communication with Su Bai, Qiu Wen found himself filled with confidence again for some reason. Perhaps it was because Su Bai's magical cooking skills had convinced him that he should stick close to Su Bai. Maybe it was the recommendation Su Bai had made to the coaches to switch him to the 400-meter event, or perhaps it was the result of Su Bai's guidance from the previous day, right outside the coaches' office.
Sometimes, the establishment of trust between a coach and an athlete happens in unexpected ways.
Upon hearing Su Bai's advice and instructions, a surge of confidence welled up within Qiu Wen. This confidence allowed him to listen more attentively to the messages and rhythms that Su Bai had conveyed to him.
On the track, during his second testing round, Qiu Wen maintained a steady pace in the first 200 meters. This alone made both Coach Wu Shengping and He Yishen nod in approval.
As Qiu Wen approached the first turn after 200 meters, both Wu Shengping and He Yishen focused their attention on him, watching as Qiu Wen naturally changed his stride and pace. Unlike the first testing round, this time the transition in speed control seemed effortless.
Seeing this, Wu Shengping was beginning to be impressed. Regardless of whether Su Bai's coaching abilities extended beyond this single athlete, if Su Bai could guide Qiu Wen effectively, it might mean that the country would gain a young and excessively talented 400-meter sensation!
On the track, Qiu Wen had never felt such clarity in his mind about rhythm control. He followed Su Bai's instructions, controlling his breathing while increasing his stride and slightly lowering his step frequency.
His speed had indeed decreased compared to the 100-200 meter segment, but he knew clearly that this was part of the planned rhythm control, and everything was going according to the plan.
The sensation of exhaustion spread throughout his body, but the flame of determination burned fiercely in Qiu Wen's heart.
The fatigue from his oxygen-deprived muscles was intense, yet Qiu Wen managed to steadfastly maintain the rhythm and instructions that Su Bai had conveyed to him.
"Steady!" Wu Shengping watched Qiu Wen's rhythm, observed his state on the track, and could distinctly sense the fatigue in Qiu Wen. However, Qiu Wen was not overwhelmed by this exhaustion.
It wasn't until Qiu Wen crossed the finish line once again that time, and this time, neither Zhang Wei nor Hu Li could catch up to his speed.
Qiu Wen's final result for this round was: 47.59 seconds.
Once again, this outcome confirmed Su Bai's prediction before the testing session.
Wu Shengping let out a long sigh and turned to Su Bai. He carefully observed this young junior who still looked like a teenager, and sincerely commented, "Impressive, the student surpasses the master!"
This commendation today was just as sincere as the praise for the delicious food they had eaten the day before, but they were two entirely different sentiments.
"Kid, if you can help bring out the best in Qiu Wen, and if he can run under 46 seconds, I'll make the decision. I'll personally report to the national team and get that kid Qiu Wen transferred to the national team alongside you!"
This statement made He Yishen shiver a little. "Wait a minute, Old Wu, are you trying to take over my territory in front of me?"
Wu Shengping laughed heartily. "Old He, in our country, there are fewer coaches who can train top-notch 400-meter athletes."
The conversation between Wu Shengping and He Yishen left Su Bai slightly puzzled. However, waiting for Qiu Wen to achieve a sub-46 second time was still in the distant future. What stood out more from Wu Shengping's words was another important piece of information.
He Yishen looked at Su Bai solemnly. "Xiao Bai, it seems like you'll be responsible for Qiu Wen from now on."
The implication was clear – Su Bai was to join the coaching team directly.
Su Bai hesitated for a moment. "But... what about my work in the cafeteria?"
Currently, using the system's training space and simulating athletes required a significant amount of reputation points. His work in the cafeteria provided a stable source of reputation points, which allowed him to sustain the expenses of various learning activities within the system space.
He Yishen also furrowed his brow. After all, they couldn't disregard the emotions of those important athletes in the team. He rubbed his head in frustration and said, "About that... for now, continue with your cafeteria duties. The team will assign you an assistant coach. Old Zhao will also keep an eye on things. You and your master can work on Qiu Wen's training plan together. Afterward, we'll make further decisions based on Qiu Wen's training progress."
At this point, Zhao Heping suddenly recalled Qiu Wen's original training plan and competition schedule for this year.
Hearing Zhao Heping's question, He Yishen considered for a moment. "We'll cancel the plans for the 100-meter and 200-meter events this year. You and Xiao Bai should come up with a new plan for Qiu Wen. Let's aim for him to participate in some domestic competitions this year."
He paused and continued, "The athletics grand prix will start next month. Since Qiu Wen can run under 48 seconds, let's have him participate in one of the grand prix events. Tell him that as long as he can make it to the finals of the grand prix, he'll be our team's sole key athlete in the 400-meter event."
He Yishen laughed, "By then, he won't be able to escape the three-story cafeteria anymore."
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