Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/04/2023
Until he woke up the next day, Li Junhao remained somewhat annoyed. Lin Chuan, his roommate in the dorm, saw his demeanor and felt curious.
"Ah Hao, what's wrong with you?" Lin Chuan asked.
With a stern expression, Li Junhao still felt displeased, but he couldn't reveal the actual reason for his annoyance. So he replied in a grumpy tone, "Nothing!"
?
Lin Chuan took a glance at Li Junhao's demeanor and thought to himself, "You don't look calm at all."
Though somewhat worried that Li Junhao's mood might affect the upcoming race, seeing that Li Junhao looked more lively and spirited than usual despite his irritation, Lin Chuan temporarily eased his concerns.
As time passed, more than half of the Asian Games' overall schedule had already concluded. The Chinese team had garnered over a hundred gold medals. From the perspective of the entire Chinese delegation, the Asian Games had been quite fruitful. However, from the standpoint of the track and field team, their performance in track events was still relatively weak.
Fortunately, in this edition of the Asian Games, the national track and field team had made some breakthroughs in track events, particularly in the 400-meter sprint and the 110-meter hurdles. The achievements in these two events were evident for all to see.
Lin Chuan and his fellow members of the national 4x400m relay team, even though their roles were as relay runners, felt proud of the accomplishments achieved by Qiu Wen and Zhang Ziyi in the individual events.
As the days of the competition progressed, the nervousness and excitement of the 4x400m relay team members increased day by day. By the time of today's preliminary race, this excitement was reaching its peak.
"Ah, I can't wait to start the race and see the results of our training during this time!" Lin Chuan exclaimed with a smile, then looked at Li Junhao, "Ah Hao, you're feeling the same way, right?"
"...Of course." Li Junhao replied through clenched teeth, "I'm indeed impatient to start the race."
—Then, in the race, he would show that annoying Su Bai that he, Li Junhao, had no issues with his state!
?
Although unsure of what was happening, Lin Chuan thought that Li Junhao seemed particularly spirited today.
In this instance, the track and field team only participated in three relay events: men's 4x100m, women's 4x100m, and men's 4x400m. The 4x100m races for both men and women had concluded, with the men's team winning bronze and the women's team securing silver. Now, it was up to the performance of their men's 4x400m relay team.
Since the 4x400m preliminary race was scheduled for the evening, after the athletes had finished resting in the afternoon, Su Bai gathered everyone together to announce the team's grouping.
"There are a total of 11 teams participating in tonight's relay race, split into two groups. Our group is in the first preliminary group, with a total of 5 teams."
Upon hearing this, Guo Dun smiled, "Hey, not bad. The second group for the preliminaries has 6 teams!"
Su Bai smiled and continued, "In the first preliminary group, the teams are Japan, India, Bahrain, Qatar, and China."
...
...
...
After hearing the latter part of Su Bai's statement, Guo Dun's smile stiffened on his face.
In simple terms, out of these five teams, every team except the Chinese team was a strong Asian team with a good chance of winning medals.
Certainly, Su Bai's expectations for the current Chinese team were also to aim for a medal.
However, even so, was it appropriate for them to encounter these four strong teams in the preliminary round?
The final qualification for the finals was based on the top three teams from both the first and second preliminary groups, along with the best-performing two teams from the remaining five teams.
For the Chinese team, they were now in a situation where they were grouped with the four teams that currently held the best relay times. It felt like they were facing a final with extreme difficulty right from the start of the preliminaries.
Even someone as calm as Zhang Ziyi couldn't help but feel somewhat stunned—wasn't this grouping a bit too challenging?
Guo Dun couldn't help but ask Su Bai, "Coach, this grouping... can we handle it?"
Su Bai looked at Guo Dun with a reassuring smile, "Don't worry. You've all been in good training form lately. During our time in Jakarta, you've been focusing on improving baton exchanges. Have confidence in yourselves." He then stroked his chin, "Besides, I have high expectations for you all to win a medal."
Guo Dun stiffened—of course, they also wanted to win a medal. However, sometimes luck wasn't on their side. Even if they drank cold water, they could still get a toothache, just like their current situation.
If they made any mistakes, didn't rank high enough, and couldn't make it to the finals, getting a medal would become even more distant...
At that point, who would care that their preliminary round was almost as tough as the final?
It would be said that the 4x400m relay team was a waste, unable to even make it to the finals.
For a moment, Guo Dun felt somewhat worried, and his adjacent Li Junhao's expression also worsened a bit.
Su Bai thought for a moment and then said with a smile, "Rest assured, as long as everyone maintains their form, runs at the same level as in training, and when it's Li Junhao's turn on the fourth leg, you can believe in him. He'll definitely be able to run a good race with everyone's hopes on his shoulders, right?"
Saying this, Su Bai looked at Li Junhao.
...!
!!!
Li Junhao's mind exploded right there.
Clearly, the atmosphere was so serious, yet why did he suddenly bring up his name and say that he would definitely be able to run a good race with everyone's hopes on him?
But before Li Junhao could reflexively retort, he suddenly saw the hopeful gazes of his teammates around him. He clenched his teeth, feeling a surge of anger, and coldly replied, "Yeah."
Zhang Ziyi, Guo Dun, and Lin Chuan all looked at him with a relieved gaze, and Zhang Ziyi even patted Li Junhao's shoulder encouragingly, "That's right, Ah Hao has grown. He can bravely bear this pressure and responsibility now!"
He continued with a smile, "Old Guo, old Lin, don't worry. I've got the first leg, Ah Hao has the last leg. With all of us cooperating, we'll surely achieve our goal of making it to the finals and aiming for a medal!"
"Guys, both the men's and women's 100m relay teams have won medals. The honor of our 4x400m relay team is on our shoulders!"
As they spoke and laughed, they stacked their hands together and gripped tightly, encouraging each other.
Among them, Li Junhao felt somewhat dazed at the end—damn, he felt like he had been set up again.
Although China's team grouping was not the best, the advantage was that during the group stage, they could experience what it was like to compete against several top relay teams. This feeling could be transformed into their competitive experience, helping them face these top Asian relay teams with more composure after qualifying for the finals.
On the internet, due to recent trending topics related to betting and Su Bai, there were quite a few passersby who had started paying attention to the men's 4x400m relay race scheduled for 7:30 in the evening.
Of course, the group that truly cared about the preliminary race tonight were the genuine track and field enthusiasts.
After the national track and field team released the men's 4x400m relay group list for the evening, these track and field enthusiasts couldn't help but start to worry.
【They're grouped with these 4 strong Asian teams in the preliminaries? Can the Chinese team still make it to the next round?】
【Wow, this is the death group, right?】
【Looking at this list, I have only one thought—Su Bai's prophetic talent won't stop here, right?】
The track and field enthusiasts who knew about the 4x400m relay team's past performances were naturally concerned. After all, for the Chinese team, the national record for the 4x400m relay was over ten years old, set at 3 minutes 3.66 seconds. For the other teams, such a time wouldn't even be considered their best of the season.
Facing these teams, even with Su Bai's aura, the track and field fans still felt a bit unsure. Some chose to continue trusting Su Bai's ability—
【Brothers, look at our Coach Su Bai. Doesn't he know the results of these teams? But he still set the goal for the track and field team to win a medal. So, we can try believing in Coach Su Bai's judgment. The preliminary round is tonight, and when the time comes, we can watch the game together to know everything!】
In any case, expectations, anxieties, and various emotions were swirling all over the internet. Everyone was looking forward to the upcoming men's 4x400m relay preliminary race.
As evening approached, Jiang Wentao seemed a bit anxious. Although it was just a preliminary race tonight, the other four teams in the same group had stronger historical records than the Chinese team.
If they were lucky and all the athletes in the first preliminary group performed better than the fourth place in the second group, then everyone would be happy, and all five teams in the first group would advance to the finals. But if luck wasn't on their side and only the Chinese team failed to qualify from the five teams, that would be awkward.
Because of this, despite the assurance Su Bai had given the previous night, Jiang Wentao still appeared somewhat uneasy.
In the audience area for Chinese athletes, Qiu Wen had attached a Chinese flag emblem to his arm and held a flag in his hand. He seemed eager and enthusiastic.
His competition was already over after the 400m individual event, so now he was acting purely as a spectator. He couldn't wait for the race to begin so he could cheer on his teammates.
For this competition, there were no physical or other issues affecting the main relay team members. Therefore, Zhou Xu and Zhang Chang, just like Qiu Wen, brought various cheering props, preparing to cheer for their teammates in the upcoming preliminary race.
In the online live stream, track and field enthusiasts who were following the competition were already waiting in the chatroom. On the live chat, people were discussing whether the Chinese team could beat at least two other teams in the upcoming competition to advance to the finals, or they were discussing the historical records of the five teams in the first preliminary group.
The content of most discussions on the chat aligned with the discussions taking place among the crowd. Since the competition hadn't started yet, Shao Minyi and Li Sen were currently introducing the conditions of the five teams in the first preliminary group and explaining the rules of the 4x400m relay.
"...In terms of historical records, the current Chinese relay team is indeed the weakest among the five teams. However, things are not absolute. If we could judge a team's strength solely based on historical records, then there'd be no need to watch the live competition." Shao Minyi said with a smile.
Li Sen also nodded, "Indeed. Now, returning to the 4x400m relay event itself, it's different from the 100m relay race where athletes run in separate lanes throughout. In the 4x400m race, only the first leg runner needs to stay in their designated lane. After the baton exchange to the second leg runner, they can break into the innermost lane at the exchange zone and continue running from there."
"Therefore, during the race, you'll often see multiple runners gather in the innermost lane. They only switch to the outer lanes when they intend to overtake the runner ahead. If they succeed in overtaking, they quickly switch back to the inner lane to continue the race."
"Choosing an advantageous position for the first leg start is crucial, as it affects whether the second leg runner can gain an advantage during the lane break."
"Of course, the choice of the anchor leg runner is also crucial. Looking at past team data, you'll see that the fourth leg runners for each team are usually the strongest, which affects whether the team can catch up or maintain their lead in the final leg..."
After briefly introducing these aspects of the 4x400m relay rules, Shao Minyi and Li Sen went on to give a simple overview of the rules. They detailed it almost like a beginner's guide, which was mainly because there were many casual viewers of the Asian Games over the past couple of days who weren't familiar with the rules of athletics. The sports channel's live broadcast had seen a surge in attention from casual viewers, so the directors specially asked Shao Minyi and Li Sen to provide explanations for the more complicated aspects of each event.
Sure enough, after Shao Minyi and Li Sen finished their explanations, there were several comments in the chat like 【So that's how it is】 or 【I can't believe there's even lane breaking and overtaking rules】, which showed that the change in commentary style had helped clear up some confusion for the track and field fans who were a bit bewildered earlier.
With the introduction of these aspects in the first half of the competition, and the end of another event on the field, the camera's focus shifted to the starting point of the 4x400m race.
At this moment, the athletes from the five teams in the men's 4x400m relay preliminary race were already on the track. Even the first leg runner for the Japanese team was a dark-skinned mixed-race athlete, so the presence of Zhang Ziyi as the first leg runner for the Chinese team made the race still seem like there were genuine Asian athletes participating.
In the spectator stands, Qiu Wen looked at the track in bewilderment, "What the hell, why are they all black people?"
On the side, Zhang Chang explained to Qiu Wen, "No, that Japanese guy, look, his skin isn't actually that dark. He's a mixed-race individual of black and Japanese heritage."
"Oh..." Despite Zhang Chang's explanation, Qiu Wen still had a surprised expression, "This isn't right, are they trying to suppress our talents?"
？
God, talent suppression.
Zhou Xu burst into laughter, "It's not like we're playing a video game. Just saying black people can't completely suppress us, right? But it's generally true that black athletes have stronger muscle explosiveness. Compared to them, we don't have much of an advantage." After a pause, Zhou Xu added, "Speaking of which, don't you forget, in the 400m final you ran not too long ago, it was somewhat similar, right? You and Lao Zhang both made it to the top four."
"...Oh!" As Qiu Wen realized this, he nodded and took the opportunity to boast, not just about himself, but also about Su Bai, "You're right. Ah, I, Qiu Wen, have personally certified that I have a 400m talent, and with the endorsement of our prophet Su Bai, there's no way they can beat me in the future!"
Hearing Qiu Wen's nonsensical chatter, Zhou Xu and Zhang Chang laughed and playfully rubbed Qiu Wen's head, and even chimed in with phrases like "Stick your leg out for us to hold onto in the future!"
Sitting in the front row, Su Bai heard the voices from behind but didn't say anything.
Jiang Wentao was a bit nervous, but seeing Su Bai's actions and the energetic attitude of the young athletes, he felt a bit relieved.
"This little Qiu..." Jiang Wentao smiled, "But he's not wrong. He switched events less than half a year ago and has already secured fourth place in the Asian Games. In reality, his talent might even be stronger than many black athletes, right?"
Su Bai nodded, "Yes, he does have good talent, so..."
"So?"
Su Bai smiled, "So it's time for him to find time for relay training."
Energetic kids are mostly idle.
Of course, Su Bai also genuinely believed that Qiu Wen's performance this time was good and it was time to give him more responsibilities, to take him into more advanced training stages.
？
Jiang Wentao didn't sense any hidden danger behind Su Bai's words. He felt pleased when he heard Su Bai saying that Qiu Wen should start relay training. He smiled with contentment.
While they were chatting, the athletes on the field were making their final preparations.
For the start of the 4x400m relay, there was no difference from a regular 400m race. There were a total of five teams in this group, with lanes 2 to 6 being used on the track. The Chinese team was positioned in lane 5, and the outermost lane belonged to Qatar, the strongest team in the 4x400m relay.
Standing behind the starting blocks, Zhang Ziyi took a deep breath and glanced at the Qatari first-leg runner to his right. Then, he looked back at the teams from India, Japan, and Bahrain behind him.
Formidable opponents!
In the past, such a lineup would have been seen in the finals, yet today, they were competing in the preliminary round.
Zhang Ziyi looked at the other athletes around him and closed his eyes, no longer paying too much attention to the other runners. The race was about to start, and thinking about other things at this point was meaningless.
Giving it his all to ensure their team's entry into the finals was the most important thing!
Not long after he closed his eyes to concentrate, the voice of the referee finally came through the venue's speakers.
"On your marks."
Following this command, the athletes quickly got into position at their starting blocks. They got into the crouched position with their hands on the track, then sprung up onto their starting blocks, assuming their standard starting positions.
"Set."
The referee's calm and mechanical voice sounded, and right after that, the starting gun fired.
The race had begun!
Holding the baton, Zhang Ziyi, in the first split-second after the gunshot, launched himself forward and accelerated explosively, charging ahead at high speed!
In this preliminary race that was akin to a final, Zhang Ziyi was carrying a heavy burden. As the top performer in the relay team's first leg, he had to ensure that his teammates gained some advantage before taking over the baton!
Though Zhang Ziyi's position on the track was on the outermost lane, he was fortunate to have a Qatari athlete ahead of him as a reference. He needed to ensure his speed was not inferior to that of the Qatari runner. If there was an opportunity, he should attempt to overtake him!
On the field, though there were only five teams competing in this preliminary group, the performance of the four strong teams was the main focus of attention. People were also curious to see how far the Chinese team could withstand being encircled by these strong teams.
After charging through the first curve and onto the first straightaway, the Bahraini first-leg runner, Rakhim, who was behind Zhang Ziyi, began to close the gap. Not only was Rakhim catching up, but also the Japanese first-leg runner, a mixed-race athlete named Akiyama Sora, was demonstrating astonishing explosive speed. After the first curve, he had already started narrowing the distance between him and the Indian runner ahead.
In the live commentary booth of the sports channel, Shao Minyi and Li Sen were watching the track closely.
"Zhang Ziyi had a good start, but his lane position isn't advantageous. He's probably focusing on the Qatari first-leg runner, but he hasn't realized that Qatar's strongest runner, Roger, isn't running as the first leg. This Qatari athlete likely isn't exceptional in their team. Zhang Ziyi is fully capable of overtaking him. However, perhaps because he's fixated on him, he hasn't realized that his speed might also be constrained by his competitor's influence!"
"Japan's Akiyama Sora is really strong. He's probably a newcomer to Japan's 400m scene, as he didn't participate in the 400m individual race this time. But judging from his performance as the first leg runner in the 400m relay, he's a completely new talent with extraordinary natural ability, comparable to the top Asian athletes!"
Shao Minyi and Li Sen continued to describe the situation on the track while closely monitoring Zhang Ziyi's actions.
Starting from the second curve, Zhang Ziyi noticed that Rakhim from Bahrain was rapidly closing in from behind. He seemed to realize that fixating on the Qatari runner ahead was a mistake. As he approached the second curve, Zhang Ziyi paid no attention to the Qatari runner and instead chose to accelerate forcefully once again. He aimed to correct his previous misjudgment.
In a 400m race, forcibly changing the pace and accelerating midway is a risky move. It could potentially lead to a complete breakdown of the runner's rhythm in the latter part of the race.
Zhang Ziyi was well aware of this consequence, but he also understood that maintaining his current speed wouldn't allow him to establish the advantage he envisioned for the first lap. With a resolute determination, he gritted his teeth and forcefully increased his speed. He raised his cadence, sacrificing more physical energy for a speed boost. The trade-off was an even more rapid depletion of his energy!
By this point, they were on the second straightaway, the final stretch of the 400m track. The effects of heightened energy depletion, combined with the exhaustion that naturally intensifies after completing three-quarters of a 400m race, were hitting Zhang Ziyi... hard!
At this moment, Zhang Ziyi was relying solely on his willpower to keep going—hold on! Hold on until he passed the baton to Lin Chuan!
Behind Zhang Ziyi, Rakhim from Bahrain watched him suddenly change his pace and accelerate. He hadn't expected this Chinese athlete, who seemed rational and perhaps lacking a bit of competitive spirit before, to now display such an ignited determination on the stage of the Asian Games?!
Rakhim hesitated for a moment, opting not to follow Zhang Ziyi's acceleration. Bahrain's advantage wasn't solely in him; his teammates were also reliable!
Rakhim speculated that Zhang Ziyi was pushing so hard because, as China's first leg, the strongest one, he wanted to secure a spot in the finals. As for the remaining teams present, they believed they would all make it to the finals. Consequently, they wouldn't exhaust all their energy in today's preliminaries; they needed to reserve some for recovery before tomorrow's 4x400m final.
Perhaps because the other teams had more or less this mindset, even though Zhang Ziyi's speed slowed down slightly in the last 50 meters due to severe energy depletion, he managed to maintain his advantage. He left the first leg runners of the other four teams far behind and then handed the baton to Lin Chuan in the relay exchange zone just before the starting line!
"Lin Chuan, take the baton!"
After a roaring shout, Zhang Ziyi, still in motion, successfully completed the baton exchange with Lin Chuan, who had taken the baton and sprinted forward at full speed.
Lin Chuan had clearly witnessed how hard Zhang Ziyi had fought to create an advantage for the Chinese team in the latter half of the track. He couldn't allow the lead Zhang Ziyi had gained to be completely nullified during his leg!
"Good, Lin Chuan successfully takes the baton!"
Shao Minyi introduced Lin Chuan's baton exchange with a slight hint of nervousness in her voice. Her eyes remained fixed on the screen, watching the developments closely.
After receiving the baton from Zhang Ziyi at the end of the first leg's 400 meters, the second leg runner must run the first curve of 400 meters. At the end of the curve is the point where the lanes merge in the 400m race!
"Lin Chuan, hold on! The Chinese team is currently in the lead!"
After the baton exchange with Lin Chuan, runners from Qatar, Bahrain, Japan, and India also received the baton and began to advance. The race was now entering the crucial phase of the lane merge!
Lin Chuan had good technique for running curves. As an experienced athlete, his psychological composure and willpower were outstanding. These were the reasons Su Bai had placed him as the second leg runner.
After the baton exchange, Lin Chuan always kept to the inner part of the curve, slightly leaning his body inward. This allowed him to maintain high-speed progress on the curve using specialized techniques for running curves.
Just as Su Bai had predicted, Lin Chuan remained composed. While his explosive power might not be the strongest, he had a mastery of maintaining consistent pacing, coupled with sufficient resilience under pressure.
Compared to other teams' second leg runners, Lin Chuan's 400m ability was weaker. Despite being aware that the runners behind him were closing in, he maintained a steady and stable pace.
As they were about to finish the first curve and reach the lane merge, the runners from the five teams were already closely grouped together.
During the transition from the curve to the straightaway, Lin Chuan adjusted his stride and frequency, forcefully accelerating his speed. He maintained a precarious advantage as he crossed the lane merge, swiftly shifting lanes to the innermost one.
By this stage, runners slower than Lin Chuan had a difficult time overtaking him and securing the first-place position after the lane merge, particularly the Qatari second leg runner who had moved to the second lane. The Indian second leg runner was also following closely behind the Qatari second leg, aiming to insert themselves into the gap ahead of Lin Chuan after the Qatari runner surpassed him.
However, while these second leg runners were indeed stronger than Lin Chuan, their advantage was limited. Consequently, despite Lin Chuan's declining pace in the last 50 meters of the second leg due to exhaustion, he managed to retain his advantage. He left the first leg runners of Japan and Bahrain, who were now in the second and third lanes respectively, behind him. As a result, for a moment, Lin Chuan's steady performance unexpectedly restrained the entire field of runners on the track!
"Great! Well done!"
In the spectator stands, Jiang Wentao's eyes lit up with excitement.
He hadn't anticipated that the Chinese team would be able to maintain an advantage at this stage in the 4x400m relay.
Su Bai's expression also reflected satisfaction, but he knew that Lin Chuan's advantage couldn't be maintained for too long.
After all, Lin Chuan wasn't like Zhang Ziyi; he didn't possess the raw 400m strength to forcefully contend with the other runners. While his 400m ability was quite solid within China, on the international stage, it fell a bit short.
While still struggling to maintain his lead, Lin Chuan was overtaken by the Qatari second leg runner during the second curve. The Qatari runner seized the opportunity to claim the first position.
At this point, the order on the track was Qatar's second leg, Lin Chuan, Japan's second leg, and Bahrain's second leg.
The runners behind Lin Chuan weren't necessarily weaker, but due to the speed of those ahead of them and the recent burst of speed from the Qatari and Indian runners, it became challenging for the runners behind Lin Chuan to find openings to surpass those in front.
With the Qatari runner now free from the constraints, the gap between him and Lin Chuan began to widen. Lin Chuan couldn't accelerate to fill the gap when the opportunity arose. As a result, the Indian runner, who had maintained the second lane position, seized the chance to advance, securing the second inner lane position.
At this stage, Lin Chuan could only try to maintain his speed, while the runners behind him from Japan and Bahrain were itching to make a move. He couldn't afford to lose to these two runners!
Ahead in the relay exchange zone, the third leg runner for China, Guo Dun, was waiting in the fourth lane for Lin Chuan's baton.
At this point, the runners spread out, no longer confined to the inner lanes, as they made their final sprint toward their teammates.
Panting heavily, the sensations of exhaustion and weight clung to Lin Chuan's nerves. Yet, he was steadfastly telling himself—not to give up!
"Guo, take the baton!"
Without saying a word, the two smoothly and skillfully completed the baton exchange!
The atmosphere in the venue had reached its peak. Spectators in the stands were pounding the backrests of their seats. Every exchange, every change in the order of runners, the excitement of fighting for position on the inner lanes—all of these elements were igniting the spectators' nerves.
"Go!!! Go!!! Go, Old Guo!!!"
In the spectator stands, Qiu Wen, Zhou Xu, Zhang Chang, and all the others were shouting at the top of their lungs to cheer for Guo Dun on the track!
In the live chat section of the online stream, viewers were flooding the comments with the words "加油" (jia you), Go" or "Keep it up."
"The competition is extremely fierce!!!" Shao Minyi suppressed his excitement while speaking. At that very moment, right after he finished speaking, Guo Dun, who had received the baton, swiftly cut to the inner lane, attempting to surpass the Japanese third leg runner. The Japanese runner was vying for the same position and was behind Guo Dun.
Within a mere second or two of receiving the baton, all runners started to shift to the inner lane again, each aiming for the most advantageous position!
"Guo Dun is competing for the inner lane!"
"Alright, he has beaten the Japanese runner behind him!"
At this stage, the intense competition among the runners, combined with the transitions during the baton exchange and the lane changes, carried significant risks.
Changing lanes symbolized a sprint and confidence in one's ability, but it also carried risks.
No one could guarantee that after changing lanes, they would secure the advantageous position they wanted. Once they left their original lane, they forfeited their existing advantage.
Nevertheless, some runners chose to cut to the inner lane in pursuit of victory.
The third leg runner for Japan was one such case.
Behind him was the third leg runner from India, and ahead were the Qatar, Bahrain, and China's Guo Dun.
If he didn't change lanes, he would never be able to secure a better position. This race had only three spots for direct qualification to the finals.
So, after a brief hesitation following an unsuccessful attempt to take the inner lane, the Japanese runner decisively switched lanes, ceding his previous position to the Indian runner behind him. He then accelerated in the second lane, aiming to find a gap between the second Bahrain runner and Guo Dun!
"The Japanese third leg runner is attempting to cut into Guo Dun's position!"
Li Sen responded, "Currently, Guo Dun's speed is holding up well, but it's difficult for him to overtake those ahead of him. What he can do is try not to leave any gaps for the Japanese third leg runner!"
Unfortunately, as soon as Li Sen finished speaking, the Qatari and Bahrain runners ahead of Guo Dun accelerated, and his pacing couldn't match their speed. As a result, the Japanese third leg runner found an opening and instantly accelerated into the lead!
Fourth place...!
From first place in the first leg to fourth place in the third leg, both Lin Chuan and Guo Dun struggled due to their individual abilities in the 400m discipline. They couldn't hold onto the advantage Zhang Ziyi had gained.
But Guo Dun gritted his teeth. He hung onto the tail of the Japanese third leg runner. As he approached the relay exchange point where Li Junhao would take the baton, Guo Dun fought through the tearing pain of his breaths and forced himself to accelerate even further...!
Damn it!
At the very least, he couldn't let Li Junhao start the last leg with too much of a gap from the other runners!
In this moment, Li Junhao, positioned for the anchor leg, was wide-eyed with anxiety—he deeply believed that Su Bai had set him up. Handing him the anchor leg, he was certain that he could handle it without any problems...
Damn it!
He's in fourth place now!!!
Li Junhao's temples were about to burst with the tension. As Guo Dun handed him the baton, he felt a surge of fiery determination throughout his body.
Fueled by this fiery determination, Li Junhao surged forward with his long strides. The boiling anger within him prevented him from caring about the inner lane; he directly claimed the second lane position—damn it, he was going to seize that lane!
All the people in the Chinese athletes' area in the stands stood up, not just them, many track and field enthusiasts watching the livestream on their computers also jumped up in excitement. Damn, damn, damn!!!
Li Junhao was going for the inner lane!
The name Li Junhao was well-known to those who had followed the 400m for a long time—a guy who had fallen from being a hopeful star to a 49-second runner.
How many people had sighed in disappointment over Li Junhao's performances?
No matter how many, right now all these people, upon witnessing Li Junhao's move, were so excited they pounded their desks!
"Li Junhao, go!!! Snatch it from him!!!"
Even Shao Minyi and Li Sen felt like swearing at this moment. It seemed that only such straightforward words could accurately express their inner excitement!
Li Junhao was indeed preparing to cut into the inner lane. Whatever the reason for his lane change, the fact remained that he was giving it his all!
The originally last-placed Bahrain runner in the inner lane was now switched back to the Indian runner. The order of Qatar, Bahrain, Japan, and India seemed impervious to disruption.
Li Junhao, however, didn't care about any of this right now. He gritted his teeth and charged in the second lane. After coming out of the curve, on the straight sprinting track, his speed gradually increased. He went from being side by side with the Indian runner to being level with Japan's fourth leg runner, Asou Youta. Soon after, Asou Youta's pace began to lag behind, but since the gap between him and the second Bahrain runner ahead wasn't that wide, he couldn't make further progress and had to stick behind the Bahrain runner.
At this moment, Li Junhao positioned himself between the Bahrain runner and Asou Yota.Just as he was about to enter the second curve, Li Junhao had a chance to cut into the space between Asou Yota and the fourth leg Bahrain runner. However, he suddenly recalled his position on the second lane when Asou Youta was trying to overtake him. So, gritting his teeth, he held his ground instead of trying to cut in again. He fought with all his strength to maintain his current position in the second lane.
"Smart...!" Pei Jin'an's eyes lit up. "At this point, cutting to the inner lane again isn't necessary. Being fixated on the inner lane during the final straight isn't essential!"
"There's hope! Go, go, go!!!"
In the venue, the sound of whistles, applause, and cheering mixed together. In the vast space of the stadium, the noise spread widely, creating an atmosphere of intense confrontation.
In the live stream's chat, the comments practically covered the entire screen, each one saying "加油" (jia you),"Go" or "Keep it up."
"Go!!! Charge, Li Junhao!!!"
Shao Minyi shouted loudly, "Hold on! Currently, Li Junhao is in third place. He's neck and neck with Japan's Asou Youta! The final 20 meters! 10 meters! 5 meters!!!"
"He won!!!"
Right up until the end, Li Junhao's brain was almost starved of oxygen. Exhausted muscles enveloped him, and yet, he continued to grit his teeth and fixedly stared ahead, pushing himself to the very last moment.
At this moment, his brain had no room to think about what to do if he failed.
The only thought was—damn it, charge!!! He couldn't let that infuriating Su Bai mock him!
With this determination, Li Junhao finally pulled ahead of Asou Youta by a body length in the final stretch. He charged across the finish line in third place, securing China's spot in the 4x400m relay finals!
In this very moment, everyone in China's spectator stands leaped to their feet. They waved their national flags in excitement and then yelled loudly at Li Junhao, who was already lying on the ground, gasping for breath, "Well done!"
Indeed, well done!
If it weren't for Li Junhao's final leg, China's 4x400m relay team's spot in the finals would still be up in the air.
Zhang Ziyi, Lin Chuan, and Guo Dun all rushed onto the field, congratulating Li Junhao immediately.
"Coach Su Bai was right. We still have to look at your performance on the fourth leg, Ah Hao! Well done!" Guo Dun cheered excitedly.
And there, sprawled on the track, Li Junhao panted heavily, his mind echoing with just one thought: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
At the end, the only thing flashing through Li Junhao's mind was Su Bai's face, a face with a faint smile, as if saying: Go for it! The 4x400m relay team is counting on you!
Damn, that cunning swindler!
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