Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/04/2023
Over the course of four years, as many accolades adorned Fang Yu, so did the pressure.
As the first East Asian to break the ten-second barrier, this achievement had thrust Fang Yu into the position of a leader in Chinese athletics. However, after that single success, he struggled to reach new heights.
Did he not want to break the ten-second barrier once again? Of course, he did!
Regardless of the training regimen or adjustments made, he couldn't recapture the feeling of that first sub-ten-second 100-meter run. It seemed like a fleeting moment, lost in time.
Over these past few years, he had fortified his heart. He thought that discussions of his sub-ten-second run being attributed to luck and claims of his declining abilities wouldn't affect him anymore. He believed that he had come to terms with the idea that he might never surpass his previous peak.
Until now, at this very moment... When he saw that bold and clear "9.96 seconds" on the screen, he placed his hand over his chest, feeling the intense and exhilarating pounding of his heart. Tears welled up uncontrollably in his eyes. That was when he realized how long he had been yearning for this moment.
The on-site camera setup lacked flexibility and couldn't capture Fang Yu's front view, but the reporters who had come from B city now had their cameras squarely focused on Fang Yu.
Amidst countless shutter clicks, reporters from all over the country captured the image of Fang Yu with his right hand over his chest, eyes closed, and head tilted upward.
On the internet, as soon as Fang Yu's performance appeared, the track and field enthusiasts in the live chat went wild. For a moment, the barrage of messages in the chatroom was so dense that individual comments were indistinguishable. It was a chorus of excitement and jubilation.
Some users even cleared the chatroom and directly posted screenshots on the Track and Field Athletics Kingdom forum.
"After 4 years, Fang Yu sets a new personal best!!!"
Under this brief headline were the passionate hearts of countless people.
"From the 2015 World Championships to now, the first East Asian to break the sub-ten-second barrier in the 100 meters was Fang Yu! And now, for the second time, he's done it again! Throughout these years of dedicated training, Fang Yu has borne the hopes of all of us. He never gave up. From 9.99 seconds to 9.96 seconds, he has once again proved that the sub-ten-second 100 meters is not the limit for East Asians. We can be faster and stronger! On the path of exploring speed limits, we will never be absent!"
In the commentary booth, the voice of commentator Shao Minyi was powerful and resounding. He had been waiting for this day for far too long. In fact, it felt like all Chinese people had been waiting for this day for far, far too long.
In the offices of the Athletics Management Center in B city, Wang Zhengsheng and others watched Fang Yu cross the finish line together. They all exclaimed loudly in excitement.
"Well done! He ran incredibly well!"
Wang Zhengsheng couldn't contain his excitement, and his expression said it all. Just as Shao Minyi had said in his commentary, the sub-ten-second 100 meters was long-awaited. And the appearance of this result was like a declaration to the world: the previous 9.99 seconds wasn't an illusory image but a very real achievement. Chinese people could run a sub-ten-second 100 meters. They could do it in 2015, and they could do it now and in the future!
This was an eruption that people had been waiting for far too long, and no one could restrain the excitement and joy of everyone this time.
On Weibo, the official accounts of the Athletics Management Center, the National Athletics Team, and the Sports Channel, among others, had all posted Weibo announcements about Fang Yu's performance.
Athletics Management Center's Official Weibo: "#FangYuBreaksSubTenAgain In today's Asian Athletics Six-Nation Relay, our 100m ace Fang Yu seized the championship in the men's 100m sprint and broke his own 9.99-second Chinese record with a time of 9.96 seconds. He has pushed the East Asian limit for the 100 meters forward by 0.03 seconds!"
The National Track and Field Team Official Weibo: 【#FangYuBreaksSubTenAgain# Our track and field star @FangYu, in today's Asian Athletics Six-Nation Relay, achieved a personal best of 9.96 seconds in the men's 100m sprint. This time is the best ever recorded for an East Asian athlete! He has proven to us that the East Asian limit for the 100 meters is far beyond ten seconds. We believe that in the near future, we will witness Fang Yu creating new miracles!】
Sports Channel Official Weibo, Sports News Network Official Weibo, Weibo Sports... Almost instantly, news about Fang Yu breaking the 10-second barrier spread to every corner of the internet.
On Weibo, QQ, WeChat... Many people shared this news in no time. The live broadcast platform of the sports channel also saw a surge of new viewers who wanted to revisit Fang Yu's moment of glory!
In the stands, Coach Pei Jin'an's eyes were filled with tears of excitement. Fang Yu was his protege, and he had witnessed Fang Yu's rise in 2015 and the subsequent struggles. Although he didn't want to admit it, Pei Jin'an understood that there was still a considerable gap in track and field training philosophy and results between China and other countries. This gap meant that some problems with Chinese athletes might be easily identified by foreign coaches but could consume a significant portion of an athlete's youth in domestic training. However, how much time does a talented athlete truly have for their golden athletic career?
Last year, because Fang Yu's performance had not been improving and even saw a severe decline, Pei Jin'an communicated with the Athletics Management Center to send Fang Yu abroad for training under a renowned coach. However, when Fang Yu returned to China after his foreign training period, he struggled to maintain the improvements he made abroad.
This winter training, if it weren't for Su Bai's sudden involvement, Pei Jin'an might have considered sending Fang Yu abroad for training once again.
Oh right... Su Bai!
Pei Jin'an finally remembered the person who played the most significant role in Fang Yu's achievement today.
He turned around, placed both hands on Su Bai's shoulders, and said, "Xiao Bai!"
Pei Jin'an looked at Su Bai with excitement on his face, took a deep breath, and had many words in his heart to say. However, when he looked at Su Bai, he suddenly didn't know what to say.
"Thank you... thank you, Xiao Bai!" After hesitating for a while, Pei Jin'an finally expressed his gratitude with these few words.
Su Bai understood Pei Jin'an's excitement. He looked at Pei Jin'an, nodded quietly, and smiled, "Coach Pei, I'm also a part of the national team. This is what I should do."
Pei Jin'an looked deeply into Su Bai's eyes, then patted his shoulder firmly, nodding. He knew that as the head coach responsible for the 400m event, Su Bai's responsibility primarily lay in the 400m event. Beyond that, there was the 110m hurdles with Cui Luoheng. Initially, when Su Bai proposed the training plan for Fang Yu, there were doubts, but now, no one questioned him. Instead, he received recognition for the comprehensive training program he provided to Fang Yu.
Su Bai had never given up on arguing based on reason. It was his persistence and the evidence he presented that eventually convinced Coach Pei Jin'an, who was willing to let Fang Yu try the training plan.
Even though Su Bai said this was what he should do, Coach Pei Jin'an would never forget the cause and effect in this situation. He owed Su Bai an apology and a thank you.
On the field, after Fang Yu had calmed his excitement, he wiped his face vigorously and opened his slightly reddened eyes. He turned to look in the direction of Coach Pei Jin'an and Su Bai in the audience stands, then respectfully bowed in their direction.
Near the field, the flashes from the photographers' cameras were incessant, capturing Fang Yu's actions. Together with his previous moments when he covered his chest, looked up, and shed tears in the rain, these images already had headlines in the minds of these reporters.
【Emotional Fang Yu Breaks 100m Record Again on the Field】
【Fang Yu Sets a New Personal Best at 9.96 Seconds, Expressing Gratitude to His Mentor Amidst the Excitement】
【Deep Mentor-Student Bond, Fang Yu Sheds Tears on the Field】
Various titles like these had already sprung up in the minds of the reporters.
When Fang Yu finally wiped away the rain from his face with the help of the staff and prepared to pass through the mixed interview zone and return to the backstage, reporters who had been waiting here pounced on him with microphones of all kinds.
"Fang Yu, congratulations! After 4 years, you've once again broken the 10-second barrier. Could you describe your current feelings?"
The first question came from a reporter at the sports channel.
Holding the microphones in his hand, Fang Yu, whose excited emotions had now settled down significantly, faced the flashing cameras and nodded with a smile, saying, "Right now, I'm extremely excited. From 2015 until now, I've been longing for a second breakthrough in the 100m, and as I got older, this hope seemed to become increasingly distant. However, this time, I succeeded. I can proudly tell everyone that we Chinese, descendants of the Yan and Huang Emperors, are by no means inferior to Black and White athletes. Our limit in the 100m is definitely not 10 seconds. On the battlefield for speed, we still have room for growth!"
Hearing Fang Yu's words, the reporters on the scene were also filled with excitement. There was no other reason for this; most of these sports reporters were passionate about sports. They had also lamented the woes of Chinese sprinting when discussing it privately. Today, on such a grand stage, with a naturalized Black athlete from West Asia also competing, it was a fellow Chinese who ultimately won!
Just this realization was enough to make them feel exhilarated.
Furthermore, Fang Yu's time of 9.96 seconds today surpassed Awei's personal best of 9.97 seconds, making it the best performance by an Asian athlete in recent years.
Some reporters even began to imagine the Asian record of 9.92 seconds set by the same naturalized Black athlete from West Asia. Could it be that someday, this Asian record might also be broken by a Chinese athlete?
Just the thought of this possibility made the reporters excited.
"Fang Yu, hello. We all know that in the previous National Championships, your form seemed to have slipped. However, it's clear from your performance in this competition, starting with yesterday's preliminaries of 10.03 seconds, that your results and form have been outstanding. In today's final, you maintained this excellent form and achieved a historic best time of 9.96 seconds. Does this indicate that during this winter training, the coaching team's training plan and adjustments played a crucial role in your exceptional performance?"
After hearing the question, Fang Yu recalled the slightly hesitant feeling he had more than two months ago when he first learned about Su Bai providing him with a tailored training program. He smiled and nodded earnestly, saying, "Yes, during this winter training, I received a completely new training program customized for me. The coaching team, working under the guidance of this program, continuously trained and adjusted with me. This helped me address personal shortcomings in physical fitness, power application techniques, and even the issue of imbalance between my left and right leg strength, which was well corrected during this winter training."
"I'm very grateful to my coaching team. It's with their support that I was able to break through today."
The reporters were curious and asked, "Could you briefly introduce the main adjustment ideas in Coach Pei's training plan this time? Why did they suddenly decide to make these adjustments during this winter training? Were these issues not discovered and corrected in past training?"
Fang Yu paused for a moment, realizing that the reporters seemed to have misunderstood something. He thought for a moment and then smiled, saying, "Um... actually, this time, it wasn't Coach Pei who provided the entire winter training program for me..."
Huh?
Not Coach Pei?
The reporters exchanged glances, directing their attention back to Fang Yu. "So, which coach designed and provided the training program for you? Was it Coach Wu Shengping?"
Fang Yu smiled and shook his head again, then revealed the answer, "It was Coach Su."
What?
Coach Su?
Did Coach Pei Jin'an have a coach named Su in his 100m sprint team? Why had no one heard of this before?
The reporters pondered curiously and then, in a sudden moment of insight, someone remembered that right after Fang Yu's result was announced, Coach Pei Jin'an had excitedly hugged someone next to him...
Who was that person?
It seemed to be... Su Bai.
...
...
Wait!
Su Bai?!
Coach Su?!
This particular reporter suddenly asked Fang Yu, his voice trembling, "Fang... Fang Yu... When you mentioned Coach Su, are you referring to Su Bai, the head coach of the 400m team?"
The other reporters around couldn't help but think, "How could that be?" But before they could stop this reporter, Fang Yu, holding a microphone, smiled and nodded, confirming what the reporter had said.
"Yes, it's Su Bai, Coach Su," Fang Yu confirmed.
Boom!
The reporters felt as if their heads had been hit by an atomic explosion. Su Bai? How could it be Su Bai? Wasn't he the head coach of the 400m team? Weren't they still vividly remembering the impressive collective personal bests achieved by the 400m team during the previous day's preliminaries? Now, even Fang Yu, who had shattered the 100m Chinese record, was revealing that his training program had been provided by Su Bai?
Some reporters even muttered a few profanities under their breath. How could this be possible? If their memory served them right, the current best 110m hurdler in China, Cui Luoheng, was coached by Su Bai. The entire 400m team had improved significantly, all thanks to Su Bai. Now, Fang Yu had broken the 100m Chinese record, solidifying China's position as the pride of Asia in sprinting. And still, Fang Yu's training program had been given by Su Bai?
To put it bluntly, every reporter on the scene was flabbergasted. They remembered Fang Yu bowing not just to Coach Pei Jin'an but also to Su Bai. This...!
Some reporters couldn't resist quickly scrolling through their photos and, upon finding pictures that included Su Bai, breathed a sigh of relief.
Even after Fang Yu finished his interview and went towards the back, the reporters in the mixed interview area were still in a daze. What on earth had just happened? If Su Bai wasn't such a new coach, they would have already bestowed upon him the title of master coach. His coaching ability, coaching level, and coaching achievements were simply.....
This was a track and field coach who hadn't even been coaching for a full year!
If it weren't for the undeniable facts in front of their eyes, who would believe this?
Track and field athletes struggled to achieve results, and track and field coaches found it even harder. Honestly, before Su Bai, which master coach didn't have to train their athletes for five, six, seven, or even eight years before gradually building their reputation?
However, even though Su Bai was relatively new, no one could deny his abilities. In just one year, he had brought numerous miracles and changes to the entire track and field world, starting with the discovery of Qiu Wen.
"Incredible..."
One reporter couldn't help but exclaim, and those around him nodded in agreement. Previously, everyone had been more inclined to talk about the genius athletes, but now, these reporters had a vague suspicion in their minds. Perhaps, in the not-so-distant future, when track and field enthusiasts discussed the sport, Su Bai's name would also be a name no one could overlook.
In the backstage area, Qiu Wen, Zhang Ziyi, Li Junhao, and several members of the women's team, including Chen Yadan, Lin Huan, and Lin Yao, gathered in front of the backstage screen. They were watching the replay of Fang Yu's thrilling 100m race.
No matter how many times it was replayed, the moment Fang Yu crossed the finish line and the moment the scoreboard displayed his time still made their hearts swell with excitement.
"Wow, Yu-ge is amazing!" Qiu Wen couldn't help but exclaim as he watched the replay of Fang Yu's race.
"9.96 seconds! I wish I could run that fast someday..."
"Then, are you still going to run the 400m?" Li Junhao interjected suddenly.
Qiu Wen choked on his words for a moment but then insisted, "Hey, Ah Hao, don't say that. Look, there are 100m and 200m sprinters abroad who also run the 400m..."
Li Junhao remained silent after hearing Qiu Wen's explanation.
After a while, he asked, "Fang Yu's training plan was also given by Su Bai, right?"
Qiu Wen nodded.
Although people outside the national team might not be aware of this, the sprinting team had a general idea. After all, because of this matter, Pei Jin'an had conducted special tests before, and the research team led by Ma Changping had been assisting Su Bai with data-related work ever since.
Li Junhao pursed his lips, and after a moment, he furrowed his brows and suddenly said, "We can't lose."
Huh?
Qiu Wen was momentarily puzzled, then he nodded in agreement, "Of course, we can't lose! Otherwise, when the top 5 rankings come out at the end of the month, we'll be hanging on the shame pole!"
Li Junhao gave Qiu Wen a sidelong glance, his eyes practically screaming "stupid."
Qiu Wen scratched his head and then turned to watch the replay of Fang Yu's race on the screen. His eyes sparkled with the eagerness of a challenger, "Hehe, alright, I know what you mean. With Yu-ge being so amazing, and us being part of 'Xiao Bai's main force,' how can we lose to him?"
Not only Qiu Wen but also Zhang Ziyi was watching the TV screen with great concentration. In his eyes, there was a suppressed excitement and a strong desire for a challenge. Fang Yu had already achieved his dream, breaking the 10-second barrier in the 100m once again and setting a new national record.
So, what about him?
Could he fulfill his own dream?
45.25 seconds...
This number flashed through Zhang Ziyi's mind once more. He clenched his fist, his expression becoming even more determined.
As the staff on-site called the female team's athletes to the field, Chen Yadan, Lin Huan, and Lin Yao turned to head onto the track. Before leaving, they glanced back at the trio of Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, and Li Junhao.
"Fang Yu has achieved his own results and proven his performance during this winter training. It's our turn next," Chen Yadan's determined face radiated resolve. "We'll show everyone what level we've reached during this winter training. I hope you won't disappoint!"
Saying that, Chen Yadan turned around and, with Lin Huan and Lin Yao, walked towards the athlete's tunnel.
Qiu Wen scratched his head, "Oh man, Dan Jie looks so cool... Lao Zhang, Ah Hao, we can't afford to let Dan Jie look down on us!"
Li Junhao huffed coldly, "Do you even need to say that?"
Zhang Ziyi smiled and said, "Xiao Qiu, Ah Hao, let's wish them success, and of course, let's hope we can reap the rewards as well. As the main force under Xiao Bai, let's go!"
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------