Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/04/2023
This Asia Six-Nation Athletics Joint Challenge was destined to leave behind many legends.
After the conclusion of the men's 400m final, which had started with a gloomy and rainy morning, the weather suddenly cleared. It wasn't as scorching as summer sunshine, but the warm feeling made people quite comfortable.
In the spectator stands, Pei Jin'an sighed with a smile, saying, "Xiaobai, it's all thanks to your proposal back then. If you hadn't suggested expanding the promotion and publicity scale of our winter training competitions, the Athletics Management Center wouldn't have organized an event as significant as the Asia Six-Nation Athletics Joint Challenge."
If they had followed their usual practice and only conducted small-scale friendly competitions during winter training, such as Sino-Japanese matches, without the participation and organization by the Athletics Association to ensure the event's official status, regardless of Fang Yu's sub-10-second 100m or the later performances by athletes like Chen Yadan and Zhang Ziyi, these achievements would not have been recognized as official meet records by the Athletics Association.
Just thinking about this possibility made even an experienced coach like Pei Jin'an shudder.
As the weather cleared after a rainy start, the staff at the venue quickly cleaned the track and made adjustments to the slippery conditions and field equipment.
Perhaps due to the unprecedented results achieved in the previous races, which greatly motivated other athletes in the national team, as the 800m race began, the women's 800m team that took the stage first saw a young recruit, Zhao Jia, who had only recently been called up to the national team, outperforming the veteran national team athletes and winning the women's 800m final.
In the commentator's box, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen were still immersed in the excitement of Zhang Ziyi breaking the 400m national record earlier. However, as the 800m final progressed, their anxiety grew.
"Well done! The young athlete Zhao Jia has established an absolute lead in this 800m final. As she sprints to the finish line in the last 50 meters..."
As athletics commentators, Shao Minyi and Li Sen hadn't seen such exciting and exhilarating races for a long time. In today's entire final schedule, Chinese team athletes had achieved too many excellent results. In this 800m final, Zhao Jia's commanding lead, following the previous record-breaking 400m race, was truly inspiring!
When Zhao Jia crossed the finish line in the 800m final, not only Shao Minyi and Li Sen but also the viewers in the live broadcast room erupted in cheers and excitement.
【Today's competition is really uplifting! Zhao Jia, this young lady, is barely 21 years old, right? Yet, she managed to win the championship in this competition! It's truly remarkable!】
【Zhao Jia is amazing! By the way, haven't we failed to secure a spot at the World Championships in the women's 800m for a long time? With Zhao Jia's performance today, could she earn a qualification for the World Championships in the women's 800m again?】
【You're right; it's possible!】
【What's the qualifying time for the women's 800m this time? Is it 2 minutes 00.60 seconds? I think it's a bit close. Didn't our best performance in the women's 800m last season fall short of that standard?】
On the field, the young Zhao Jia was ecstatic after winning the championship, and after her teammate Yang Liuqing also crossed the finish line, she enthusiastically embraced Yang Liuqing. Both girls were smiling happily.
Unfortunately, when the final results were announced, although Zhao Jia's performance was excellent, there was a slight discrepancy from what people had expected.
"In the Women's 800m Final of the Challenge, First Place: Zhao Jia (China) 2 minutes 00.89 seconds, a personal best. Second place..."
The time of 2 minutes 00.89 seconds achieved by Zhao Jia not only marked her personal best but also surpassed the best women's 800m season time in the country from the previous year. However, it fell short by just 0.29 seconds from the qualification time for this year's World Championships in the women's 800m.
This was an extremely narrow margin, and it left the once joyful young girl looking as downcast as a wilted eggplant right there on the spot.
Shao Minyi and Li Sen couldn't help but express their regret with a sigh.
Pei Jin'an sighed and said, "It's a pity." However, Su Bai smiled and responded, "Coach Pei, the year has only just begun!"
"Oh," Pei Jin'an shook his head, "I'm well aware of that, but I've heard from Zhao Jia's coach that she's a talented athlete with some fluctuations in her performance. Today, she clearly hit her stride, but it's a shame she missed the World Championship qualification by just that little bit. It's indeed quite unfortunate."
Su Bai, on the other hand, didn't quite see it that way. After some thought, he said, "Coach Pei, as the team we lead, our ultimate goal isn't just World Championship qualifications."
This statement caught Pei Jin'an off guard for a moment, but then he chuckled and said, "Alright, I understand what you mean."
Their diligent coaching aimed not merely at securing World Championship qualifications but rather at genuinely enhancing the athletes' abilities and overall progress in various events.
Reaching the World Championship qualification was often seen as a confirmation of an athlete's current performance and training effectiveness. If an athlete's actual capabilities didn't meet that standard and they only managed to reach it due to fluctuations in form, it could lead to misconceptions about the athlete's true abilities and performance.
As the saying goes, forcing things doesn't lead to happiness.
In reality, such a situation wasn't beneficial at all. Some coaches, however, didn't take this into consideration and focused solely on meeting their objectives, which was an irresponsible approach to coaching.
Pei Jin'an looked at the electronic screen displaying Zhao Jia's result on the venue's big screen and didn't feel as disappointed anymore. He turned to glance at Su Bai and thought that recruiting Su Bai to the national team was truly one of the best decisions the Athletics Management Center had ever made.
Su Bai possessed youth, vision, and strong coaching abilities. Even when his athletes achieved remarkable results, he still maintained his own composure, avoiding impatience and rash decisions.
As seen in his assessment of Zhao Jia, it was evident that he held a stable balance when it came to training, athletes' performance, and dealing with certain temptations.
Although Pei Jin'an had long recognized Su Bai as a good coach, at this moment, he couldn't help but feel that every time he thought Su Bai was excellent, this seemingly treasure-like guy would exceed his expectations even more.
Bringing him to the national team was a real coup!
"Su Bai, coming to the national team, has truly been a big win for this old guy, Pei Jin'an!" Pei Jin'an couldn't help but exclaim.
Within the Athletics Management Center, Jiang Wentao was also discussing this with Wang Zhengsheng and a few others.
Whether it was the establishment of the Asian Six-Nation Athletics Competition or the impressive breakthroughs made by the track and field team in sprinting events, it was all more or less related to Su Bai.
Among the directors of the center, Liao Jie had a better understanding of media and public opinion due to his role in the Marketing and Events Department. After today's remarkable performances, Liao Jie calculated that all the events with standout results had Su Bai's influence behind them. Added to that was the continuous request from the Athletics Management Center for increased media coverage.
Liao Jie glanced at his WeChat messages. Reporters had already begun preparations to interview Su Bai through him, and some journalists were contacting him to request information related to Su Bai. There were also requests from journalists who wanted to enter the track and field team to live broadcast the "top 5 battle" in the 400m event.
From these signs, it was evident that the success of the national team this time would simultaneously cement Su Bai's reputation.
Hearing the conversation between Jiang Wentao and Wang Zhengsheng, Liao Jie added with a smile, "That's a good point. I think in the future, our national track and field team not only needs to produce a string of star athletes but also a highly coveted head coach."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhengsheng and Jiang Wentao both laughed.
In H City, at the venue of the Asian Six-Nation Athletics event, after a series of sprint and middle-distance races, there was a temporary pause for venue adjustments.
Following the explosive performances in the earlier sprint events, from the men's 800m onwards, the members of the national track and field team failed to maintain their previous glory. None of them made it to the top three in the men's 800m, women's 1500m, or men's 1500m events.
In the eyes of the spectators, who had been electrified throughout the day by the eye-catching results in sprinting events, this once thrilling event was beginning to seem a bit dull at this stage.
Indeed, for most viewers who aren't well-versed in athletics, what they seek in a race is the thrilling sprint and excitement, like the 100 meters where runners dash in around ten seconds. The rapid changes within a few seconds are enough to send adrenaline soaring.
If, within such a race, there's an underdog story or if a local athlete breaks through limits and takes the lead, then that sense of excitement and pride as fellow countrymen can make the experience even more exhilarating.
Conversely, when the race extends to events like the 800 meters or 1500 meters, it begins to be counted in minutes. The strategic dynamics between different athletes, leading, following, and jostling for position can be hard to grasp. Without an understanding of these intricacies and subtle competitions on the field, such races may seem less engaging.
At the same time, if local athletes consistently fail to seize the lead or achieve significant results in these kinds of races, the viewing experience for non-athletics enthusiasts among the general audience might not be as enjoyable or relatable.
From the emotional fluctuations in the live chat of the sports channel, you can see the differences among the viewers.
Compared to the excitement of the audience when Chen Yadan secured a spot in the World Championships in the 400 meters and the fervor when Zhang Ziyi broke the national record in the 400 meters, the live chat during this period seems to have a much more subdued atmosphere.
【The 800 meters and 1500 meters races don't seem as exciting as before...】
【I feel like I was most excited watching the 100 meters, and the 400 meters was great too, but now it's a bit boring?】
【Why do I hear that our country is weaker in sprinting? I often see news about marathon winners, so why don't our athletes seem to perform well in the 800 meters and 1500 meters?】
It can be said that due to the strong promotion arranged by the Athletics Management Center for this competition, this competition has received unprecedented attention. In this situation, including athletics enthusiasts themselves, they also know that there are many non-athletics enthusiasts watching in the live chat. When the competition is intense and the national team athletes perform well, these ordinary viewers are just like all the athletics fans, only needing to be excited and supportive.
However, when the competition reaches a stage that concerns ordinary athletics fans or makes them feel upset, the attitudes of these ordinary viewers will naturally change.
【So boring, can't watch anymore...】
Occasionally, such comments appear in the public chat, and athletics enthusiasts can't do much about these comments. Athletics knowledge, love for athletics, or appreciation of athletics events all require time to accumulate. It's an unrealistic expectation to make ordinary viewers immediately feel the power and beauty of athletics events and recognize the subtle competition that might not be obvious at first glance.
Some impatient athletics enthusiasts try to educate ordinary viewers through the chat by explaining the differences between the 800 meters, 1500 meters, and marathons. They earnestly point out that China already has the strength to be among the top eight in the world in athletics events. Even a powerhouse like the United States can't win gold in every event. We've made great strides in the sprinting events, haven't we?
In the earnest persuasion of athletics enthusiasts, some ordinary viewers leave the live stream, but many others choose to stay. Just as the athletics fans said, they begin to seriously try to understand athletics competitions.
In this atmosphere, two competitions began simultaneously on the field, the finals of the 110-meter hurdles and the high jump.
A total of 13 male high jumpers from the six countries participating in the joint competition came without separate qualifying rounds but directly competed in the finals today.
Naturally, the national team's high jumpers are Wang Shen and Ye Wen Hao, while among the other five countries, the strongest individual performers are Japan's Tomoaki Yamashita and Qatar's Abdullah.
These two, along with Wang Shen and Ye Wenhao, have a similar level of skill. Both Yamashita Tomoaki and Abdullah have successfully cleared 2.28 meters in past events. It's hard to distinguish who among these four has the upper hand.
As the high jump competition was about to begin, Wang Shen, who had finished preparing in the athlete's area, bumped into Cui Luoheng, who was also on his way to the field.
"Hey, Ah Heng," Wang Shen greeted Cui Luoheng with a pat on his shoulder.
Since the start of winter training, they rarely had time to meet up after Wang Shen returned from his hometown. In the 400-meter event, Qiu Wen was constantly pushed to his limits, complaining daily in their group chat about how ruthless the female team members were and how ruthless Xiaobai was.
Cui Luoheng's training was relatively normal, but his personality was introverted, and Wang Shen also noticed that besides training, Cui Luoheng had other things to do—like, after training, he often sneaked into the 400-meter training area with a curious look in his eyes, silently handing his questions about various training issues to Su Bai.
Wang Shen only discovered this during training one day when he had a question and went to find Su Bai.
In any case, since winter training began, not only did Su Bai not have the time to prepare late-night snacks for them, but each of them was immersed in training. There were very few opportunities to get together.
However, despite this, the brotherly bond between the three of them hadn't diminished in the slightest. Now, as they met before their respective competitions, with both Wang Shen and Cui Luoheng scheduled to compete at the same time, Wang Shen patted Cui Luoheng on the shoulder, encouraging him to do his best.
Cui Luoheng also didn't expect that he and Wang Shen would be stepping onto the field at the same time. He nodded to Wang Shen and solemnly said, "Do your best."
Before winter training, on the night when Wang Shen had just returned, he remembered watching Wang Shen repeatedly attempt high jumps outside the training hall while he and Su Bai looked on. He felt a sense of confusion and helplessness.
During this time, Cui Luoheng would often approach Su Bai with questions about technical and training aspects of the 110-meter hurdles. Occasionally, he would also inquire about Wang Shen's condition. Although Su Bai didn't go into detail, he did indicate that Wang Shen's current state was indeed improving. This result made Cui Luoheng breathe a slight sigh of relief when he saw that Wang Shen's style remained unchanged in their chat group.
As Wang Shen, Ye Wenhao, Cui Luoheng, Lu Mengfan, Zhao Yankai, and others stepped onto the field together, the atmosphere in the sports channel's live chat, which had been dull for a long time, finally regained its excitement.
【110-meter hurdles! Xiao Cui and Xiao Lu are finally up!】
【Oh my, Wang Shen and Ye Wenhao, these two rivals of life and death are competing together again today. I wonder if Wang Shen can break the curse today?】
With the entrance of these four athletes, the live chat regained some energy, and even some ordinary viewers regained their enthusiasm after seeing the 110-meter hurdles.
【Ah, the 110-meter hurdles, I still really like this event! Our country used to be super strong in the 110-meter hurdles, I remember they had good performances in the Olympic games, right?】
Over a decade ago, the glory of the 110-meter hurdles left a deep impression on the entire nation. The image of "China's strong 110-meter hurdles team" seemed to have never changed in many people's memories.
In the office of the Athletics Management Center in City B, when Wang Zhengsheng and others were watching the competition, they didn't block the live chat. So at this moment, they could directly see the audience's anticipation for the upcoming 110-meter hurdles event on the live screen.
Seeing this situation, Wang Zhengsheng couldn't help but feel a bit emotional.
"Look at this, this is the influence of star athletes and top performances on an entire event."
Over a decade ago, the generation of hurdling kings in China directly brought the 110-meter hurdles, which were relatively unknown at the time, to a world-class level. Thanks to their performances, China achieved stunning results in short-distance events on the world stage for the first time. At the same time, it inspired countless athletes and promising talents to enter the 110-meter hurdles event.
Moreover, because of the existence of these hurdling kings, the research and development in China related to the 110-meter hurdles continuously bore fruit, greatly contributing to the overall improvement of coaching standards in the domestic 110-meter hurdles event.
It can be said that if it weren't for the hurdling king who once existed in the 110-meter hurdles, the current 110-meter hurdles event might still be struggling, much like China's short-distance events are today.
It's precisely because of the foundation laid in the past that the 110-meter hurdles event in China can consistently maintain a top-level position in Asia, with medals in every edition of the Asian Games.
Not to mention the distant past, just looking at Lu Mengfan, Cui Luoheng, and Zhao Yankai, the current generation of 110-meter hurdles athletes, they chose this event more or less because of the influence of the former hurdling king.
Although today's track and field fans lament the fact that after the hurdling king, there was a shortage of talent, and the glory of the past couldn't be continued, the truth is that the current 110-meter hurdles event in China still has a large number of fans within the sport. It still garners enough attention nationwide, and all of this is the legacy of that treasure left behind from the past.
In the audience stands, because the 110-meter hurdles event was about to start, Su Bai's attention once again turned to the field. During this period of winter training, he could be said to have paid the most attention to Cui Luoheng.
Since winning the championship at the Asian Games, although Cui Luoheng's form had been maintained quite well, he rarely managed to reproduce the state he had in the Asian Games.
Su Bai had already given Cui Luoheng some words of encouragement in advance, telling him that the current decline in his form was completely normal. All he needed to do was accumulate experience, make the necessary adjustments according to the training plan, and enhance his overall capabilities. With that, he could definitely regain his strength and achieve a breakthrough.
However, Su Bai noticed that although Cui Luoheng did take his words to heart, he had shifted his focus from purely following the coach's instructions to studying technical adjustments and the effectiveness of various training aspects more carefully.
This change in Cui Luoheng's approach was a good thing, and Su Bai didn't hesitate to invest his time. Whenever Cui Luoheng had any doubts or questions, he would answer them seriously.
Over these past two months, Cui Luoheng occasionally realized some of his shortcomings in training and suggested improvements to Su Bai, which they worked on together.
Today's competition marked Cui Luoheng's first event after more than two months of research and adjustments. Su Bai was especially looking forward to it.
On the field, after adjusting his starting blocks, Cui Luoheng stood up and looked towards the section of the audience where Su Bai was seated. When he had just entered the arena, he had taken a moment to scan the crowd and accurately located Su Bai.
In the audience stands, Su Bai noticed Cui Luoheng's gaze and smiled back at him from a distance, silently encouraging him with a "good luck."
It was unclear whether Cui Luoheng had noticed Su Bai's silent encouragement, but soon, with the signal from the on-site starter, Cui Luoheng redirected his focus back to the track.
The 110-meter hurdles final was about to begin!
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