Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 09/18/2023
Chapter 113: Zhang Ziyi's Gratitude & Cui Luoheng's Asian Championship Goal
Once again, faced with Zhang Ziyi's serious and expectant expression, Su Bai swallowed the words of dissuasion he had initially wanted to say.
In fact, before leaving this choice to Zhang Ziyi, the coaching team had already guessed what choice he would make.
The Olympics, without a doubt, is a sacred stage that all athletes around the world aspire to step onto. However, it only occurs every four years, and it can be said that it's a golden period in an athlete's career. Those who can successfully qualify for the Olympics are considered fortunate.
Zhang Ziyi mentioned that he was already 25 this year.
Now was the golden period of Zhang Ziyi's career, and theoretically, it was the stage where he was most likely to achieve remarkable results.
Who wouldn't want to enter that arena during the prime years of their career?
As for the potential impact on his future career and personal peak...
Zhang Ziyi understood it well. Su Bai was considering his physical condition. But if he were to give up the chance to compete in the Olympics for the sake of a longer career or the possibility of reaching greater heights in his career?
Zhang Ziyi looked firmly at Su Bai, conveying his decision with the utmost determination.
Su Bai naturally understood the meaning behind Zhang Ziyi's gaze. He glanced at Zhang Ziyi and then lowered his head to look at the plan in his hand.
Even though Zhang Ziyi was so resolute, Su Bai still found it difficult to make a decision.
"You can go back and think about it. After all, this decision is about your career," Su Bai said with a wry smile. It was the first time since becoming a coach that he had faced such a difficult choice. "Now, there are many world-class professional athletes who maintain their physical condition very well. Among them, many athletes continue to achieve peak performances in their careers even after crossing the age of 30."
"In fact, for the next Olympics... we may still have hope."
This was Su Bai's inner thoughts. With the assistance of the system, dietary adjustments he made, and the various training buffs provided by the system, as long as the training program and overall control were well managed, Zhang Ziyi still had a chance four years later.
Seeing Su Bai's hesitation, Zhang Ziyi's posture became even more decisive between the two. He looked at Su Bai and smiled, saying, "Coach, but that won't be my best time."
Hearing Zhang Ziyi's words, Su Bai was taken aback.
Zhang Ziyi earnestly said to Su Bai, "Perhaps if I maintain my condition well, I do have a chance to compete in the next Olympics. But I would definitely regret why I didn't step onto the Olympic stage when I was at my best."
Su Bai closed his eyes upon hearing this, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes to look at Zhang Ziyi. He asked, "Even if this effort might not necessarily get you into the finals at the Olympic Games, you won't regret it?"
Zhang Ziyi's eyes were clear, and he looked at Su Bai earnestly. He smiled and said, "I will absolutely not regret it!"
Su Bai, upon hearing this, finally stopped saying anything. Instead, he took out a brand new training plan from his hand. However, before handing the plan to Zhang Ziyi, he sighed and took it back. "Wait a few more days. I'll adjust the plan again to see if there's any room for improvement."
Zhang Ziyi showed no objection to Su Bai's words. He simply nodded in agreement. Just before parting ways with Su Bai, Zhang Ziyi suddenly smiled and said, "Coach, this decision is my own choice. Don't put too much pressure on yourself." After a pause, he added, "Before I met you, I didn't even dare to think about the possibility of making it to the Olympic stage next year, let alone the next Olympics."
"Before I met you, the biggest hope and possibility in my career might have been trying to break the national record of 45.25 seconds in the 400-meter sprint," Zhang Ziyi continued. "However, there's also a significant chance that I might never break that record, even if I give it my all throughout my entire career—after all, it has stood in our country for a solid 15 years."
"And now, with the help of Coach, I've already achieved my original career goals ahead of schedule. Any further progress from here is a bonus. Under Coach's guidance, I might have a chance to become the first athlete in our country to break the 45-second barrier in the 400 meters. I even have hopes of stepping onto the Olympic stage... even if it's just the 400 meters sprint final, as Coach mentioned. This career outlook is so much better than anything I ever imagined."
After saying these words, Zhang Ziyi stood up and respectfully bowed to Su Bai. Su Bai tried to stop him from bowing, but Zhang Ziyi remained firm in his gesture.
After listening to Zhang Ziyi's heartfelt words and seeing his determination, Su Bai patted his shoulder and finally said, "Alright, I understand what you mean. You just focus on your training. I will work on strengthening your training plan. In the upcoming year, even during the outdoor season, your training will be intense."
"Now that you've made up your mind, let's give it our all. I'm with you."
Hearing Su Bai's words, Zhang Ziyi smiled and nodded seriously, saying, "Alright."
After Zhang Ziyi left Su Bai's office, he saw Qiu Wen and Li Junhao still standing there at the corner, and it seemed they had overheard his conversation with Su Bai. Zhang Ziyi approached them, and Li Junhao had his usual rebellious expression, but there was a hint of unease in his face.
Qiu Wen was more direct, saying, "Zhang, are you really going to push yourself like this?"
Zhang Ziyi laughed and then looked at Qiu Wen, "If this opportunity was in front of you, would you choose to push yourself?"
Hearing Zhang Ziyi's question, Qiu Wen hesitated for a moment and then nodded decisively, "Of course, I'd push myself to the limit!"
After saying this, Qiu Wen also understood what Zhang Ziyi meant. Sometimes, when people have to make choices that require personal sacrifices, they can easily give straightforward answers. But when it comes to close friends, they can't help but wish that they would consider their own well-being more, to avoid future regrets.
Zhang Ziyi patted Qiu Wen's shoulder with a smile and also smiled at Li Junhao. Then he said, "Don't worry, I know what kind of choice I've made. For me, this is the best choice."
Su Bai was unaware of Zhang Ziyi's encounter with Qiu Wen and the others after leaving. After Zhang Ziyi's departure, Su Bai sat at his desk, contemplating the training plan in his hands for a long time. Finally, he decided to bring the plan to Pei Jin'an's office.
It was already seven or eight in the evening by now, and Pei Jin'an knew that the athletes had returned today. He also anticipated that Su Bai would hand over the decision-making power to Zhang Ziyi today. So, he had been in his office, waiting for Su Bai's response.
Su Bai knocked on Pei Jin'an's office door before entering at Pei Jin'an's invitation. After taking a seat as indicated by Pei Jin'an, he handed over the new plan to Pei Jin'an.
Pei Jin'an received the training plan from Su Bai. The title clearly read, "Zhang Ziyi's Special Training Plan for the Olympic Cycle."
Pei Jin'an didn't immediately open the plan but held it in his hands. He then looked at Su Bai and asked, "Did he choose to go all out?"
Su Bai nodded.
"..." Pei Jin'an suddenly felt that the plan in his hands had become heavier. He sighed and said, "Ah, this kid."
In fact, when Su Bai mentioned the possibility at that time, the coaching staff already knew what decision Zhang Ziyi might make. However, no matter who it was, they wouldn't truly feel comfortable or take it for granted once he actually made that decision.
After a moment of silence, Pei Jin'an looked up at Su Bai and asked, "How confident are you in this plan?"
"As long as it's strictly followed, I can guarantee that Zhang Ziyi will achieve at least one Olympic qualifying result."
Pei Jin'an, upon hearing this, tapped the desk with his fingers and then began to meticulously read Su Bai's training plan. Compared to Su Bai's previous approach, which pursued high intensity while deliberately shortening training time and focusing on efficiency, this new plan had significantly increased training intensity, imposing a noticeable load on the athlete's body. Additionally, the training duration had noticeably extended. It aimed not only for technical adjustments but also for comprehensive enhancement of the athlete's physical qualities.
This comprehensive enhancement of physical qualities and the forceful push to increase them can rapidly improve an athlete's physical abilities in the short term. However, due to the urgency of this improvement, it places a significant burden on the athlete's body.
If the monitoring during training is not well-executed, there is always a risk of overstraining and wearing out various muscle groups and joints of the athlete's body, potentially leading to stress fractures and other physical injuries caused by excessive training loads.
Even with precise control and no physical injuries, the human body has limitations in its capacity to handle intensity. While Zhang Ziyi is still young, this type of training can rapidly elevate his abilities in the short term. However, it also means that he might exhaust his potential prematurely, and due to the excessive strain on his body, there could be a rapid decline in his physical capabilities at a certain stage.
In the training space, Su Bai conducted numerous combinations and adjustments, but no matter how he fine-tuned the program, any attempt to get Zhang Ziyi to break the 44.90-second barrier within a year would inevitably lead to these circumstances.
The best Su Bai could do was to minimize all potential risks and reduce the negative impacts on Zhang Ziyi's body to the greatest extent possible.
Pei Jin'an sat in front of his office desk, carefully checking Su Bai's training plan, and confirming the objectives of each component with Su Bai one by one. They exchanged questions and answers until they had gone through the entire training plan.
After reviewing Su Bai's training plan, Pei Jin'an let out a long sigh. Su Bai's plan was clear in direction, and the objectives were well-defined for each training combination.
Having finished reviewing it, he didn't have much else to say. He nodded at Su Bai and urged him to start preparing for the training. "Since we're doing this, let's aim for the best. We not only want Zhang Ziyi to qualify for the Olympics but also to ensure he performs at his best, leaving no regrets in his professional career."
"If there's anything in your training plan that requires the team's assistance, feel free to ask. Zhang Ziyi's journey is not only about his Olympic dreams; it's also about bringing honor to our national team. We won't let him suffer needlessly."
Su Bai understood what Pei Jin'an meant. After nodding, he prepared to leave Pei Jin'an's office, but Pei Jin'an stopped him for a moment.
"Xiao Bai... What about the other athletes in the 400m team? Do they have a chance besides Zhang Ziyi?"
After asking this question, Pei Jin'an shook his head. Currently, Zhang Ziyi was the closest to the Olympic qualifying standard in the team. The gap between Qiu Wen and Li Junhao and the Olympic qualifying standard was significant. At the national team level, improving their times by more than 0.5 seconds within a year...
Su Bai didn't immediately dismiss the possibility when he heard this question. He only mentioned Chen Yadan from the women's team. "I'll do my best to adjust her personal condition. As for the other athletes like Qiu Wen and Li Junhao... luck will play a role."
Pei Jin'an had initially thought that, aside from Zhang Ziyi, the other athletes had little hope. However, he was surprised that Su Bai didn't completely rule it out.
Qiu Wen and Li Junhao had different circumstances compared to Zhang Ziyi. They were both around the same age, just turning 23 this year. Su Bai was confident that with proper adjustments, they could qualify for the next Olympics, even if the qualification standards became stricter.
Regarding the current qualification standards for this Olympics, both Qiu Wen and Li Junhao had the foundation to meet them. They needed a scientific adjustment to their competitive condition. If they could reach their peak condition and face strong opponents who would push their competitive spirit to the limit, they might have a chance to surpass the qualifying standard.
Compared to the situation of Qiu Wen and Li Junhao, forcing them into intensive training at this stage would not be worth it.
"I will personally discuss their situations with them, but from my personal perspective, it would be a pity to overdraw their potential for the sake of the Olympics," Su Bai concluded without specifying the extent of their potential. Pei Jin'an nodded in agreement, trusting Su Bai's judgment.
The next day, the national team's athletes had returned to their regular training routine. Before the day's training session began, Su Bai had a private conversation with Qiu Wen and Li Junhao, explaining their individual arrangements and situations.
Qiu Wen scratched his head and then grinned, saying, "Hey, Xiao Bai, the way you put it, it sounds like there's hope for me and Ah Hao!"
Li Junhao, on the other hand, snorted and said, "Don't try to use reverse psychology on me. I won't fall for it!"
...
...
...?
Su Bai glanced at the defiant Li Junhao and couldn't help but chuckle. It seemed that he had used reverse psychology quite a bit before, making Li Junhao overly sensitive.
But well, maybe this misunderstanding wasn't entirely a bad thing?
Qiu Wen glanced at Li Junhao, then at Su Bai, and continued cheerfully, "Anyway, Xiao Bai, I believe in you, and I'll give it my all in the competition!"
After the national team's 400m athletes had completed a circuit of indoor competitions both domestically and internationally, they were brought back to the national team for a month-long training camp.
This training camp had two main objectives: the Asian Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar, scheduled for April 15th, and the World Athletics Relays in Yokohama, Japan, taking place in May. The relay event in Yokohama also served as the qualifying event for the World Athletics Championships in Doha in September. The rankings in some events during this relay competition would determine the participants for the Tokyo Olympics.
In reality, the Asian Championships served as a precursor and rehearsal for this year's World Championships, but the importance of the Yokohama World Athletics Relays might even outweigh that of the Asian Championships.
Compared to the preparations for the Asian Games last year, the overall pressure and atmosphere for the 400m team preparing for the Asian Championships this year were much more relaxed.
In less than a year, these athletes in the team had made significant progress, both in their confidence levels and their skills.
After the team completed a training session and was about to pack their bags for Doha, Su Bai smiled and spoke to the team members.
"This Asian Championships is the opening battle of your outdoor season this year. From last year's winter training to the recent training period, your real training results will be on display in this competition. I've placed a lot of confidence in you, and I guarantee that your performance will be outstanding."
Su Bai looked at the relaxed and smiling faces of the athletes and continued, "Just don't make me lose face."
For this Asian Championships, the 400m team was under the leadership of Coach Wang Ting. Meanwhile, Su Bai and the head of the research team, Ma Changping, were working on the data models for training effectiveness prediction. With the athletes feeling relatively low pressure for this competition, Su Bai had no plans to accompany them to Doha.
While the team members generally respected Su Bai's guidance, they weren't afraid of his threats at this moment.
Especially Qiu Wen, the joker of the team, he looked at Su Bai with shining eyes and said, "Xiao Bai, Xiao Bai, if we win the competition, can you cook a big meal for us?"
Su Bai looked at Qiu Wen and then smiled mischievously, "Sure, but the kind of big meal you get depends on your performance."
?
Seeing Su Bai's threat, Qiu Wen suddenly had a realization. He remembered that he had foolishly dug a hole for himself one day during winter training. He had said that in the first outdoor competition of the season, they would have to meet the qualifying standards for the World Championships.
But that wasn't the only thing. There was the matter of the big meal...
Qiu Wen thought carefully. During the winter training period, he had almost caught up to Lao Zhang's performance, but in the past month, Su Bai had adjusted Lao Zhang's training program, and even Lao Zhang's training state seemed to be on fire, like he had been injected with chicken blood.
And not only Lao Zhang, but Ah Hao had also improved significantly during this winter training.
Add to that the naturalized athletes from some countries in West Asia.
After considering all of this, Qiu Wen turned a little pale. What if, in the end, everyone else in the team enjoyed a hearty meal while he was left alone nibbling on steamed buns?
Next to him, Zhang Ziyi cast a glance at Qiu Wen, a faintly amused expression in his eyes.
This time, Qiu Wen wasn't just a participant in the 400m individual event; he also had the 400m relay to run. After so much training and coordination within the team, they had made significant progress in the relay event compared to last year.
The relay event was sure to be one of the team's key events at this year's Asian Championships, but Qiu Wen himself hadn't seemed to have realized it.
Guo Dun, Lin Chuan, and Zhang Wei seemed to have caught on to this, but they found Qiu Wen's nervousness amusing and didn't let on. Li Junhao, on the other hand, after giving Qiu Wen a disdainful look, turned his head away in annoyance. This guy was beyond help when he got silly.
The next day, when the athletics national team arrived at the airport in City B, they were suddenly startled by the overwhelming presence of media reporters. At first glance, there were over a dozen media outlets gathered at the airport.
In the past, when the national athletics team traveled abroad for competitions, there would usually be some media interviews, but it was mainly specialized sports reporters from channels and sports newspapers who covered athletics events.
This time, it was quite different. Dozens of reporters swarmed them, and upon seeing them, it seemed like they were eager to thrust their microphones in front of the team.
Leading the team was still Director Jiang Wentao, who had experienced many competitions and had even seen such situations during the Olympics, so he remained relatively calm.
However, after accepting the microphones handed over by these reporters, Jiang Wentao couldn't help but raise his eyebrows a couple of times. Wait a minute, what did he see? Why were there media outlets like "Fruit Entertainment Channel" among the interviewers? And it didn't seem like just one or two of them?
—"Director Jiang, after going through winter training and the Asian Championships training camp, what kind of results is the national team expecting in Qatar?"
—"Last year at the Asian Games, both the individual 400m and relay performances were excellent. What are the expectations of the 400m athletes for this Asian Championships?"
—"We heard that there are many domestic brands interested in inviting national team athletes for endorsements. Will this affect the athletes' mindset?"
A series of questions, ranging from professional to gossipy, were thrown at Jiang Wentao and the team members, and they answered each of these questions seriously.
It was only when a topic was directed at Cui Luoheng that things got interesting. Before this Asian Championships, Su Bai had not allowed Cui Luoheng to participate in any indoor circuit competitions. Up to this point, apart from the national team, no one had a clear understanding of Cui Luoheng's 8x7 training regimen.
—"Could you please tell us how your 8x7 training has been going, and what is your target result for this competition?"
Due to his popularity from the previous entertainment show, Cui Luoheng pressed his lips together. He looked at the microphones in front of him and remained silent for a moment. Then, he calmly spoke two words into the cameras.
"Gold medal."
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Chapter 114: Invitation to Lecture for Su Bai & Preliminaries Begin
If we were to say that, prior to this, most spectators in China and abroad still regarded the many indoor competitions as a way to "practice and train," then when the Doha Asian Championships truly approached, fans couldn't hold back their nervousness anymore.
Ever since the qualifying standards for the Tokyo Olympics were announced, there had been extensive discussions about these standards in the domestic media for a period of time. Ultimately, from a media perspective, it seemed that the athletes from the 400m event of the national athletics team, who had gained popularity during the winter training through reality TV, might collectively face difficulties in securing their spots at the Tokyo Olympics.
However, on the Athletics Kingdom forum, fans were actively calculating which events had taken place during the past year and the point ratings of these events. Many people were seriously discussing whether it was possible to secure alternate qualifications for the Tokyo Olympics through world rankings.
From the side of the national team, since the announcement of the Tokyo Olympics' athletics qualifying standards, the official statement was: 【 We will actively strive for excellence, strengthen training, and aim to secure more qualification spots in various events.】
However, this kind of official statement left fans feeling uncertain.
And this time's Asian Athletics Championships, on the one hand, served as a preview for the World Championships, on the other hand, it had a bearing on the qualifications for the World Championships and even the Tokyo Olympics for some athletes. What was even more important was that this Asian Championships was the opportunity to reveal the actual progress that the athletes had made in their training since the previous winter.
Only after they truly shine in their performances can we gauge the Athletics National Team's chances and confidence in securing qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.
Doha, Qatar
When the national team's athletes arrived in Doha, it was already 6 PM local time, but the air in Doha still carried a sense of warmth. Although it was only April, the average temperature in Doha was already a scorching 32 degrees Celsius. Due to these extreme temperature conditions, the Doha World Championships for this year had been rescheduled from early August, as it had been in previous years, to late September and early October to avoid the adverse effects of the scorching heat on the athletes' performance.
Of course, this adjustment in scheduling also meant that most track and field athletes had to adapt their competitive conditions to match the Doha World Championships' schedule, ensuring that they would reach their peak performance in late September.
"Is this really the temperature for April..." Even though Qiu Wen was usually full of energy, he felt a bit drained when it came to extremely hot places. Arriving in Doha, he hadn't yet acclimated to the local climate, and he looked a bit wilted.
Zhang Ziyi patted Qiu Wen on the shoulder and comforted him, saying, "Don't worry, we'll be at the athlete's village in a little while. We still have a few days before the competition on April 15th. Use these days to adapt to the local climate and adjust your condition."
The national team arrived on April 12th, giving them three days to acclimate and make adjustments before the start of the Asian Championships on April 15th. During these three days, the national team didn't rest but joined other athletes from around the world in early adaptation training at the Khalifa International Stadium.
Back in China, at the Athletics National Team's training base, the Research Team
After most members of the national team had departed for Doha, Su Bai's focus shifted to the Research Team. During this period, Ma Changping continually worked with Su Bai on fine-tuning various data components.
These data components were part of the athlete training data prediction model research that Su Bai had promised to collaborate on with Ma Changping months ago.
Now, this data prediction model had been mostly fine-tuned. During this time, Ma Changping and his team of researchers were shuttling between the national team's training base and B-city's sports schools, preparing to input large amounts of data on the performance and physical measurements of sports school students. This data would be used to validate the effectiveness of the data prediction model.
During these days when Su Bai stayed behind, he was primarily occupied with verifying the data-related tasks that Ma Changping had assigned to him.
In addition, he was preparing for a lecture to be presented at an upcoming seminar.
Over the past half-year, Su Bai's work with the national team had already gained widespread recognition, and not only did the team members respect his abilities, but there was also a growing demand for him to deliver lectures and training sessions to coaches within the national team. Furthermore, various regional teams had also submitted numerous requests to the Athletics Administration Center for training and exchange programs.
The common thread among these requests was remarkably consistent. Su Bai's teaching methods, coaching philosophy, and guiding principles in the 400-meter discipline had become widely acknowledged as the best in the country.
Compared to Su Bai's coaching results, other 400-meter coaches in the country always had a feeling that they couldn't keep up with him.
The only group that could somewhat keep pace with Su Bai was probably the athletics team from Province S. When Su Bai was in charge of the 400-meter discipline, they made significant progress. However, after Su Bai left, the team underwent a new round of talent selection at the sports school level, and the newly selected young athletes achieved impressive results.
Province S didn't hide this fact; they openly admitted that Su Bai had assisted in the selection process. Furthermore, before leaving the team, Su Bai had essentially brought his assistant coach, Jiang Dongjian, into the fold. During that period, he had also provided various coaching philosophies, program analyses, and teaching methodologies to the coaching staff of Province S. These contributions had continued to yield results.
In addition, with Su Bai's mentor, Zhao Heping, still part of the coaching staff in Province S, they had a direct line to him if they encountered any issues. Given all these factors, the athletics team in Province S had seen significant growth in the past year and a half. It also helped that they had athletes like Zhang Wei and Hu Li, both of whom Su Bai had nurtured from the beginning.
Seeing the remarkable improvement in Province S's results, the athletics teams in other provinces couldn't sit still. They realized that Su Bai's teaching methods were advanced and effective, and they seemed highly applicable. If they didn't hurry up and apply for Su Bai to give a lecture, they feared their own provincial 400-meter programs might become obsolete.
As a result, athletics teams from various provinces all submitted applications to the national team and the Athletics Management Center. They were eager for Su Bai to give a lecture and were willing to send their key coaching staff members to learn from him, regardless of where the lecture would take place.
The increasing number of applications combined with the valid reasoning from provincial teams had led to quite a backlog. Furthermore, it was clear that the 400-meter discipline, under Su Bai's guidance, had become highly productive. However, for the national 400-meter program to thrive, it needed a more extensive pool of talent. Relying solely on Su Bai's current group of athletes wouldn't be sustainable.
In order to ensure a continuous supply of excellent athletes who could join the national team, there needed to be a strong talent pipeline across the entire nation for the 400-meter discipline. Otherwise, when athletes like Zhang Ziyi retired, followed by the next generation including Qiu Wen and Li Junhao, would the 400-meter discipline revert to its previous struggles?
During the training camp for the Asian Championships, the Athletics Management Center reached out to Su Bai to discuss this matter. They explained the situation and requested that Su Bai organize his experience and knowledge into a specialized series of courses for the 400-meter discipline. These courses would serve as training seminars for coaches from all over the country, helping them to gain expertise and improve the development of the 400-meter discipline nationwide.
Of course, although Su Bai claimed that he wouldn't interfere with the athletes attending the Asian Championships, he couldn't simply wash his hands of the situation. After the national team members arrived in Doha, Su Bai maintained remote communication with Wang Ting, staying informed about the athletes' adaptation and offering some simple adjustment suggestions to those who might be affected by the local climate in Doha.
During his pep talk with the athletes, while he spoke casually, he didn't reveal to them that everything he said was the absolute truth. He had indeed assured both the team and the Athletics Management Center that the athletes he was responsible for would achieve the required standards.
These standards included winning medals in the men's 400-meter individual event, making it to the top half of the finals in the women's 400-meter individual event, winning medals in the men's 4x400-meter relay, and making it to the top half of the finals in the women's 4x400-meter relay.
In addition to these, Su Bai had also made commitments for Cui Luoheng's hurdles, Fang Yu's 100 meters, and Wang Shen's high jump, working closely with the respective coaches.
For this Asian Championships, the General Administration of Sport had given a clear mission, hoping that the Athletics team would secure first place in both the total gold medals and total medals categories. Therefore, each individual discipline in the Athletics team carried a significant burden of pressure.
In recent days, Wang Ting's remote communications with Su Bai revealed his heavy concerns. Compared to last year's Asian Games, during the past year, the Chinese team had improved. However, Japan, as an athletics powerhouse in Asia, already had an edge in terms of elite athlete development. In recent months, Japan's lead had surprisingly expanded, which added to Wang Ting's worries.
Wang Ting had already heard that in recent domestic competitions in Japan, there had been a few young prodigies emerging in the 100 meters and 400 meters events. These talented youngsters had risen to prominence at the Japanese National High School Athletics Championships held last year.
While this might seem like a high school-level competition, these Japanese high school athletics championships had always been a breeding ground for their potential seed athletes. In fact, the performances of the finalists in this Japanese high school athletics championship could rival those of athletes in the finals of domestic athletics events.
These Japanese talents had suddenly appeared on the scene from last year and secured sponsorships from companies, turning them into professional athletes within Japan's specialized athletics teams. After competing in Japan's domestic selection contests, they had even earned qualifications to participate in this year's Asian Championships. It was evident that these young Japanese athletes were making remarkable progress.
As a coach, Wang Ting naturally understood the immense pressure Su Bai was under this time. He was concerned that the pressure of achieving various performance targets might affect Su Bai's performance, especially with these talented Japanese athletes in the mix.
After hearing this news, Su Bai remained remarkably calm. "It's okay. In sports, there are always unexpected situations. If we can't handle these situations and are easily defeated by unexpectedly strong opponents, it means that our own foundation isn't strong enough. We should reflect on ourselves rather than blame the sudden emergence of powerful opponents."
Wang Ting, upon hearing Su Bai's words, understood the logic behind them, but overcoming the worry was easier said than done.
Amidst Wang Ting's concerns and the anticipation of countless fans and athletics enthusiasts online, the seemingly inconspicuous Qatar Doha Athletics Asian Championships officially began on April 15th.
This Asian Championships spanned 10 competition days. Domestic sports channels were prepared for full coverage, and their live streaming platforms were also running simultaneously.
On the first day of competition, only the heats and semifinals for the men's 100 meters and 400 meters, which were related to Su Bai, took place.
In the men's 100 meters sprint, Fang Yu's performance had stabilized after several months of adjustments, and he didn't need to participate in the heats. In the semifinals, Fang Yu and Zhao Shu were in the third and fifth groups, respectively. Fang Yu easily secured first place in his group with a time of 10.22 seconds (wind speed +0.2m/s), while Zhao Shu finished third in his group with a time of 10.41 seconds (wind speed +0.5m/s), both smoothly advancing to the semifinals.
Following the men's 100 meters sprint, the heats of the men's 400 meters, which featured athletes like Qiu Wen and Zhang Ziyi, were the events that Chinese audiences were most eagerly anticipating and nervous about.
In the Asian Championships in Doha this time, the men's 400 meters heats were divided into four groups, each consisting of 7 athletes. Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen were in the second and third groups, respectively. In these two groups, both athletes needed to finish in the top three of their respective heats or among the top four athletes outside of the top three to qualify for the semifinals.
For Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen, given their level of skill, this requirement wasn't considered difficult.
However, there's a saying that goes, "Nothing in this world is absolute."
In the third group with Zhang Ziyi, perhaps due to luck or some other factor, this group happened to gather strong athletes from countries like Qatar, Doha, Bahrain, and Kazakhstan, including some formidable opponents Zhang Ziyi had faced in previous competitions.
This group was one where nearly every individual could potentially reach the finals based on personal strength. Among the 7 athletes, there was one from Kyrgyzstan whose abilities were somewhat below the rest. Faced with the other 6 strong competitors, they seemed like the sacrificial lamb in the group.
At 11:10 PM local time in China, which was just past 6 PM in Doha, Qatar, the heats for the men's 400 meters, group two, were about to begin.
Qiu Wen was in this group. Among his fellow competitors, there was one athlete worth noting—Shiroishi Sagi from Japan. Wang Ting had specifically advised Qiu Wen before the race, urging him not to underestimate the competition, as the Asian athletes in the same field were all quite skilled.
Despite Qiu Wen's somewhat laid-back demeanor in daily life, he took his competitions very seriously. When Wang Ting told him to be more focused, he cranked up his intensity a notch from his usual state.
Online, the audience's excitement was aroused as they saw Qiu Wen take the field. They eagerly watched Qiu Wen on the track, not necessarily expecting him to break his personal best in the heats, but mainly curious about how he would perform while relaxed in the preliminaries.
In the live broadcast on the sports channel, Shao Minyi and Li Sen were discussing Qiu Wen and the upcoming appearance of Zhang Ziyi.
"Previous indoor competitions were different, but after all this waiting, we can finally see how the national team's 400m athletes will perform outdoors," Shao Minyi remarked.
"That's right," Li Sen nodded with a smile. "Unfortunately, the Asian Championships only have two slots for participation. This time, we can only see Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen's performance in the 400m individual event. We'll have to wait for another individual event to assess Li Junhao's current performance."
Shao Minyi and Li Sen chatted for a few more minutes before the start of the competition. After the athletes took the field, they briefly introduced the competitors to the viewers.
In contrast to Zhang Ziyi's group, which was filled with strong contenders, Qiu Wen's group mainly consisted of Asian athletes. According to Wang Ting's information, besides Qiu Wen, the only noteworthy athletes in this group were a young Japanese sprinter and a competitor from South Korea. The rest of the athletes were unlikely to run faster than 46.50 seconds in their personal bests. For Qiu Wen, advancing from this group should not be a difficult task.
Just before the start of the heats in the second group, everyone believed that there wouldn't be any surprises in this particular race. However, unexpectedly, when the starting gun went off, a runner from Lebanon false-started.
False starts like this one usually occur more frequently in the 100m and 110m hurdles, where every 0.01 seconds matter for the athletes, prompting some to attempt gun-jumping—anticipating the starting signal based on the rhythm of the official's commands and reacting before it's given.
However, in the 400m race, athletes typically start relatively steadily since they begin in the curve. There's usually no need for gun-jumping in this event.
The Lebanese athlete's false start was evidently due to nervousness. According to the current false start regulations, the Lebanese runner was disqualified from the race and ordered to leave the track.
After the Lebanese athlete left the field, the remaining athletes on the track became somewhat nervous. Initially, they hadn't felt much pressure for this preliminary race. However, influenced by the Lebanese athlete's error, they were afraid of making similar mistakes and getting disqualified.
Perhaps due to this added tension, during the second attempt at starting, many athletes hesitated in their reactions when the starting gun fired, affecting their starting speeds.
Among the six remaining athletes on the track, only Qiu Wen and the Japanese athlete, Shiroishi Sagi, were unaffected by the first gun.
Qiu Wen was naturally a confident athlete. After crouching on the starting blocks once again, he had already dismissed the impact of the Lebanese athlete's false start from his mind. When the starting gun went off, he reacted swiftly and aggressively.
His starting reaction time was fast, and Shiroishi Sagi from Japan was no slouch either!
This Japanese 400m sprinter had the aggressiveness of a 100m sprinter during the start. Starting from behind Qiu Wen, he couldn't catch up immediately, but the gap between him and the South Korean runner in lane 4 was noticeably closing!
The viewers in front of their TV screens were surprised when they saw this development. Wasn't it said that there wasn't much danger in this preliminary race? Why did the Japanese athlete behind Qiu Wen seem to be chasing so fiercely?
In the commentary booth, Shao Minyi and Li Sen also noticed the Japanese sprinter. They had access to the athletes' information and were impressed after reviewing his profile.
"The athlete in lane 2, Shiroishi Sagi, is only 19 years old this year," Shao Minyi commented. "His background is remarkably similar to Qiu Wen's. He was originally a well-known 100m sprinter in Japan during his middle school years. It was only after high school that he unexpectedly switched to training for the 400m sprint. He excels in explosive speed, making him a highly-promising 400m sprinter in Japan's domestic scene and a future star."
Back in China, thanks to Wang Ting's reminder, Su Bai was also sitting in front of the television, watching this preliminary race closely. Based on the performance on the track, it was evident that this Japanese athlete indeed shared many similarities with Qiu Wen. However, Su Bai could discern that while he possessed explosive power, he seemed to lack the endurance and speed in the latter part of the race compared to Qiu Wen. His advantage appeared to lie in having a stronger natural sense of rhythm than Qiu Wen.
Observing the situation on the track, Su Bai noticed that when Qiu Wen stepped onto the racecourse, even if he held back, he fully immersed himself in the competition. He became highly excited and paid little attention to the athletes behind him. Typically, his enthusiastic running style would exert pressure on those chasing from behind. After all, facing an apparently tireless competitor like him, those pursuing from behind would start to feel fatigued.
By the midpoint of the race, Qiu Wen had already overtaken the athlete in lane 5 and was almost neck and neck with the South Korean runner in lane 4. Behind him, Shiroishi Sagi continued to chase.
As the race entered its latter half, Qiu Wen's advantage in speed and endurance became fully evident. Shiroishi Sagi's speed noticeably decreased.
However, Shiroishi Sagi remained remarkably tenacious. Despite the drop in speed, he maintained a good overall rhythm. When it came to the final sprint, he put in his utmost effort, boosting his speed partially.
In the end, Qiu Wen easily crossed the finish line in first place. Behind him, the South Korean runner and Shiroishi Sagi were neck and neck in speed, with the South Korean athlete finishing just a fraction of a second behind, securing the third position and also advancing to the next round.
After crossing the finish line, Qiu Wen turned around and took a special look at Shiroishi Sagi, only to find that Shiroishi Sagi was also looking at him with a clear challenge in his eyes. Qiu Wen then flashed him a bright smile.
With Qiu Wen smoothly finishing first in the group with a time of 45.89 seconds, the audience watching on television naturally responded with applause and then shifted their attention to the upcoming race in the 'death group' where Zhang Ziyi would compete.
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