Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 10/02/2023
Chapter 179: Return to China & Brief Online Appearance by Cui Luoheng & Su Bai's Plan
On the second day after the World Athletics Relays concluded, the Chinese team packed their bags and prepared for their journey back home. However, during the preparations for the team's return, Lin Ping, the translator responsible for liaising with the Japanese Athletics Association, received an invitation. It was stated that a Japanese television station wanted to interview the coach and team members of the Chinese team.
Lin Ping conveyed that, based on the hints from the Japanese Athletics Association, the person they wanted to interview was likely Su Bai. After all, the Chinese team's athletes had already undergone group interviews after the two days of competition. At that time, the journalists who needed to conduct interviews with the athletes had most likely already done so.
Furthermore, over the past two days, during the live broadcasts on Yokohama Television, there was no sight of Su Bai. It was reported that some Japanese viewers even called in to inquire why the Chinese team's coach, Su, was not present.
However, Su Bai didn't pay much attention to these trivial matters. After confirming with Jiang Wentao that refusing interviews was not a problem, he directly declined the corresponding invitation and embarked on the journey back to China along with the rest of the Chinese team.
Upon their return to China, it was already 3:00 PM local time. As the national team members exited the airport, they realized that not only had there been reporters conducting farewell interviews when they left for Japan, but there were also many journalists present to conduct welcome-back interviews upon their return.
"Wow, have we become so famous all of a sudden?" Qiu Wen scratched his head, and his comment elicited laughter from the surrounding journalists.
After a brief round of interviews at the airport, reporters asked Su Bai about the upcoming competition schedules and goals for Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, Li Junhao, and others.
"Our next target is tentatively set for the Netherlands station of the World Athletics Challenge, which should take place in early June," Su Bai replied. He didn't elaborate further on the final performance goals for Zhang Ziyi and the others. Over the past two days, he realized that he had shared quite a bit of information during the Yokohama Television broadcast, and now, expressing specific performance goals for his athletes could lead to excessive interpretations.
It would be more appropriate for Zhang Ziyi and the others to state their own goals.
Zhang Ziyi expressed his sincere hope to run within the 44.90-second qualification range for the 400 meters before the deadline of June 30th next year. Although Qiu Wen's 400 meters personal best was currently only 45.27 seconds, he also confidently stated the same goal as Zhang Ziyi.
Among the four members of the men's 4x400 meters relay team, Guo Dun aimed to break the 46-second barrier in the next one to two years, while Li Junhao frowned and indicated that he would make a full effort to qualify for the World Championships in September this year.
The reporters present knew that the qualification standard for the World Championships in September this year was 45.30 seconds in the 400 meters, which meant that Li Junhao needed to run under 45.30 seconds in a 400-meter individual race before August 31st to achieve his goal.
Reporters discreetly searched their memories - what was Li Junhao's previous personal best? It was 45.98 seconds, which he achieved at the beginning of the year at the Asian Six Nations Athletics Challenge.
At that time, while this performance did break the 46-second barrier, it was still a considerable distance from 45.30 seconds. Moreover, Li Junhao had been primarily a relay team member in the national team, participating in official competitions from the Asian Games last year until now.
The reporters were well aware that Li Junhao had shown excellent performance in the relay team, and even many athletics enthusiasts speculated privately that Li Junhao's personal best might have improved. However, this improvement couldn't possibly be an instantaneous jump from 45.98 seconds to 45.30 seconds, could it?
Li Junhao furrowed his brows. Seeing the expressions of the reporters present, he knew exactly what they were thinking. However, he also realized that his performance in the 400-meter individual race in the past two years had not been particularly outstanding, and since joining Su Bai's coaching, he had not achieved any remarkable results in the 400 meters. Therefore, the doubts of these reporters were quite reasonable.
However, knowing was one thing, and facing such silent doubts didn't make Li Junhao feel any better.
Su Bai noticed Li Junhao's mood and patted him on the shoulder before taking over the conversation. He addressed the reporters present, saying, "The national team's 400-meter athletes, including those in the relay training, have been making continuous progress since the winter training. Over the past year, I believe you've all seen the changes in the national team."
"Going forward, the national team's 400-meter athletes won't stop here. Please believe that in the future, our national team's athletes will undoubtedly deliver even more impressive results in competitions."
Su Bai's words concluded the interview about the 400-meter project.
In addition to Su Bai and the male members of the 400-meter team, various teams and athletes from the female team, 4x200 meters, 4x100 meters, and others were also individually interviewed.
After this delay, when everyone returned to the national athletics team training base, it was already evening. Around five or six o'clock, the athletes who had stayed behind to train had already finished their daily training tasks, taken showers, and come to the cafeteria for dinner.
Upon arriving at the base, Su Bai and his group dispersed on the spot. The athletes returned to their dormitories with their luggage, freshened up, and then went to the cafeteria.
Su Bai was no exception. When he arrived at the cafeteria, ready to eat, he ran into Cui Luoheng, who was eagerly staring at him.
"Xiaobai!"
Cui Luoheng fixed his gaze on Su Bai, but after the white lie he had told Su Bai earlier about his "poor mental resilience," he didn't dare to approach Su Bai directly as he used to.
However, someone else dared to approach.
Wang Shen and Ye Wenhao had originally gone to get their food together. However, when they saw Cui Luoheng and Su Bai from a distance, Wang Shen brought Ye Wenhao to their table with a cheerful smile.
"Xiaobai, it's been a while. I saw the news about you in Japan these past few days. Coincidentally, I have some questions about training data. How about we sit together during the meal?"
Cui Luoheng watched in astonishment as Wang Shen, with a beaming smile, sat down next to Su Bai. At the four-person table, he and Ye Wenhao, the two tall guys, had to sit across from Su Bai and Wang Shen.
......
......
Seeing Wang Shen's cheerful demeanor, Cui Luoheng couldn't find an opportunity to speak and could only stew in his own frustration, eating his food slightly faster.
Unexpectedly, Su Bai casually looked back at Cui Luoheng's actions and suddenly said, "ALuo, your appetite seems good now. It looks like Chef Jin's cooking suits your taste."
...
???
Su Bai's remark had quite an impact. Even though Cui Luoheng usually maintained a stoic and emotionless persona, his pupils dilated for a moment, and he almost reached out to say, "It's not that I don't like it." However, he remained frozen in his seat and after a while, he mumbled, "No."
Wang Shen, who had started the teasing with a smile, found himself wearing a bewildered expression after seeing Cui Luoheng's reaction.
"Of course not," Wang Shen glanced at Cui Luoheng and then turned to Su Bai. "Xiaobai, the dishes you make, Ah Heng here savors them bite by bite, cherishing every moment. When it comes to his favorite dishes, he's naturally careful and cautious."
With Wang Shen's explanation, Cui Luoheng immediately nodded in agreement.
Even though Su Bai was not the best at picking up on subtleties in romantic matters and ambiguous atmospheres, he couldn't help but feel that something was amiss. Wang Shen's previous statement seemed to have hidden implications.
Before he could pinpoint what was off, Qiu Wen's voice chimed in.
"Hey! Ah Heng, Lao Wang, Xiaobai! Oh my, and even Ah Luo. Mind if I join you? Hmm? This is a four-seater, and I have nowhere to sit..."
Qiu Wen arrived at Su Bai's table with a tray of food, but when he realized there was no available seat, he scratched his head and went off to find Zhang Ziyi, Guo Dun, and the others.
Qiu Wen's appearance was like a gust of wind, disrupting the conversation completely.
Su Bai, after skipping the previous topic, turned the conversation towards the training data issue they had been discussing with Wang Shen earlier.
After finishing their meal, the group returned to their dormitory together. After Su Bai separated to head towards the coaches' dormitory, Wang Shen gave Cui Luoheng a meaningful look, patted his shoulder, and offered some words of encouragement.
The results achieved by the Chinese relay team at the World Athletics Relays Championships and Su Bai's demonstrated abilities had stirred up a buzz on social media and among sports enthusiasts in China.
Not only in athletics but also in various other sports, Su Bai's name would often come up in casual conversations, along with discussions about the changes in the track and field team over the past year.
Despite returning to the track and field team, Su Bai quickly detached himself from the recent competitions. Apart from keeping a close eye on the team's regular training program, he also prioritized a matter that had come to his mind during the competitions – the selection of potential talents for the track and field team.
So, two days after returning to China, Su Bai approached Pei Jin'an and requested a comprehensive set of data on sprinters in China aged between 15 and 22 years old.
"Are you asking for data on all sprinters?" Pei Jin'an was surprised. "That's quite a large amount of data. How about I filter out the data for the 400-meter category and provide that to you?"
Su Bai shook his head. "I prefer to trust my own judgment."
While coaches at various sports schools and provincial teams regularly conducted physical tests and assessments on their athletes, using a variety of data, it was essential to ensure that athletes were well-suited to their chosen events. However, different coaches had varying abilities to interpret data.
The same set of data might be interpreted differently depending on whether a coach focused solely on standardized metrics or considered an athlete's unique characteristics. Su Bai believed in his ability to identify promising talents by examining the raw data himself.
Upon seeing Su Bai's determination and remembering the example of Qiu Wen, Pei Jin'an reluctantly agreed to Su Bai's request. However, he still advised Su Bai, saying, "Don't rush too much on this matter, even if you have a sharp mind, you shouldn't overexert yourself."
Su Bai smiled and replied, "Coach Pei, don't worry. I also have certain requirements for these data. Actually, I need someone to help me with the initial screening. After that, I'll pick from the already screened data."
Hearing Su Bai's assurance, Pei Jin'an felt relieved and agreed to Su Bai's request.
Soon, news spread to all the national sports schools and provincial teams: Su Bai, the head coach of the national 400-meter team, was about to select new talent!
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Chapter 180: Su Bai's New Recruits (Part 1)
S Province Athletics Team
After receiving the news that Su Bai wanted to select 400-meter backup talents, the head coach of the s Province Athletics Team, He Yishen, called Zhao Heping into his office and had a private conversation with him.
"What do you think Su Bai's criteria will be for selecting athletes?" He Yishen had been thinking about this since he received the news. After all, Su Bai had come from the s Province Athletics Team, and both Qiu Wen and Cui Luoheng were groomed by Su Bai. Now that Su Bai was looking to select talent, He Yishen naturally hoped that some of his athletes would catch Su Bai's eye.
However, getting selected by the national team was not an easy task. The national team had clear requirements and standards for selecting long-term trainees based on their performance.
This time, it was clear that the talents Su Bai was looking for wouldn't become official national team members immediately. They might only receive a trial opportunity, and after Su Bai observed them for a period of time, he would select the most promising candidates. Nonetheless, every provincial team hoped to have their athletes included in the selection pool.
After all, one of the main responsibilities of provincial teams was to cultivate and provide talent to the national team. For provinces like S Province, having athletes from their region achieve important awards in international competitions or contribute to the national team's success was a significant achievement in the world of sports among provinces.
Over the past year, the S Province Athletics Team had seen remarkable achievements with athletes like Liu Jiaonan, Qiu Wen, Cui Luoheng, Wang Shen, Zhang Wei, and Hu Li achieving outstanding results in domestic and international competitions. This had brought great pride and recognition to the s Province Athletics Team within the sports community of the province.
With this track record, He Yishen naturally hoped that the S Province Athletics Team could continue to produce more talented athletes.
Zhao Heping understood what He Yishen meant. He shook his head and said, "For now, all we know is that we need to report all historical physical test data and various medical examination data for the athletes. There haven't been specific requirements regarding performance so far." He paused for a moment and added, "One thing is certain, though. He's looking for data on athletes in sprinting events, regardless of the specific sub-discipline. We're currently compiling all the data for sprinting talents to submit."
He Yishen had also heard about this matter. Initially, he wanted to comment on the huge amount of data involved, but then he remembered Su Bai's incredible memory, which had become legendary.
"This guy, does he intend to personally analyze all this data?" He Yishen couldn't help but express his astonishment.
"Probably," Zhao Heping replied with a hint of pride for his disciple. He continued, "He has a clear plan in his mind."
At this point, Zhao Heping addressed He Yishen, saying, "Lao He, I know what you're thinking. However, athlete selection is a matter that concerns the future development of the national 400-meter team. Even if I have some say, I can't make the final decision."
He Yishen was surprised by Zhao Heping's directness. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled and nodded, saying, "Alright, I understand your point. Su Bai is your disciple, and I've been observing him for nearly ten years in the athletics team. I'm just thinking out loud." He Yishen then added, "Besides, those new 400-meter talents we have in our team now, weren't they selected by Su Bai based on the data you provided him?"
Since these talents were already reviewed by Su Bai back then, if there are suitable candidates among them, he will definitely remember," Zhao Heping said with anticipation upon hearing this.
Similar discussions were taking place in the offices of coaches across various provincial teams. Su Bai's remarkable achievements over the past year had made him a highly regarded figure in the athletics community. He was considered a talent scout with a Midas touch.
Coaches from various provincial teams hoped that a promising talent like Qiu Wen could catch Su Bai's eye. They believed that with Su Bai's guidance, their athletes could achieve greater success, bringing honor to their teams.
While coaches held this hope, young athletes had a different perspective.
"Ah, A-Tang, do you think we have a chance to be selected by Coach Su Bai?"
The speaker was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy. At his age, his body was still developing, and gaining muscle was not easy. Despite being an athlete, he appeared somewhat lean.
A-Tang, whose full name was Zhuo Yutang, and Qiu Mingjie, were both athletes from the F Province Athletics Team. They had been classmates at a sports school and were selected for the provincial sports team after passing the team's summer training camp assessment last year. They had been training with the team for about a year and had participated in some domestic youth competitions this year, achieving decent results.
Initially, when they were new to athletics, they tried various events, including the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and long jump. Eventually, they settled on specializing in the 200m and 400m sprints. In the beginning, they were clueless and simply followed their coaches' guidance, experimenting with different events. As they gained more knowledge about each event, the coaches decided to focus their training on the 200m and 400m sprints.
When they first learned they would be specializing in these events, they felt apprehensive. The 200m was manageable, especially since there had been a sprinter named Wu Yi who excelled in it a couple of years ago. However, they had their doubts about the 400m, as it seemed like an insurmountable challenge.
Their families, including parents, had asked for their opinions when their coaches decided to specialize them in the 200m and 400m sprints. They had even questioned if they should give up athletics. With the foundation of several years of specialized training, they could easily become college athletes, which would offer a good path for their future.
However, despite the demanding training, both Zhuo Yutang and Qiu Mingjie genuinely enjoyed sprinting and the thrill of competition on the track. Although they couldn't train in their preferred 100m sprint, the 200m and 400m were still exciting events for them.
Fortunately, their families were open-minded. After confirming their genuine interest and making sure they weren't just trying to cruise through sports school life, their parents stopped objecting and began focusing on their progress in the 200m and 400m sprints.
Initially, these two families were among the first to pay attention to the F Province Athletics Team and gradually learned about the team's members, such as Qiu Wen and Su Bai. They saw how the 400m sprint was rapidly progressing in China.
Not long ago, their coach attended a coaching seminar by Su Bai at the national team, and upon returning, he praised Su Bai highly. When they learned that Su Bai was selecting talents, their coach informed them that the data of eligible athletes had already been submitted.
In their coach's words, "Whether you get selected by Coach Su depends on your luck!"
Zhuo Yutang had a calmer and more reserved personality compared to Qiu Mingjie. Despite being around fifteen or sixteen years old, he spoke slowly and thoughtfully, not appearing as a typical athlete but more like a studious student.
"There's no need to rush; we just have to wait," Zhuo Yutang said. "But if you're really anxious, there's one thing we can do."
"What's up?" Qiu Mingjie was very curious.
"Pack your bags."
"Huh?"
Zhuo Yutang glanced at his friend and said seriously, "So that if we do get selected later on, you won't be rushing and forgetting things here and there."
...
Qiu Mingjie gave Zhuo Yutang a puzzled look. "You're making it sound like we're definitely going to get selected!"
However, despite his playful remark, Qiu Mingjie actually started packing his bags enthusiastically. When his roommates returned and inquired about it, he explained the reason given by Zhuo Yutang, and he did it so diligently that it looked like he was genuinely preparing for a national team trial.
His roommates were accustomed to Qiu Mingjie's occasional whimsical behavior and teased him.
"Oh, I remember our cousin has better results than you, right? If they're really selecting someone, shouldn't they choose him?"
Hearing this, Qiu Mingjie rolled his eyes dramatically. "Come on, guys. Do you really think I can be swayed by you? We've grown up together, wearing split-crotch pants since childhood. Do you think you can drive a wedge between us? If my cousin gets selected, I'll immediately buy ten strings of firecrackers to celebrate for him!"
Everyone in the dorm burst into laughter.
Qiu Mingjie playfully stopped Zhuo Yutang with his arm and grinned. "So, how about it, Ah Tang? See how loyal your brother is to you?"
While Zhuo Yutang's face didn't show much expression, there was a hint of a smile in his eyes as he replied, "No."
?
"Nothing?"
Qiu Mingjie stared at Zhuo Yutang. "Seriously, Ah Tang, are you saying I'm not loyal enough to be your brother?"
Zhuo Yutang couldn't help but laugh this time. "I meant we haven't worn the same split-crotch pants."
...
Qiu Mingjie rolled his eyes dramatically again, this time genuinely surprised. Their two roommates burst into laughter, with one of them teasing Qiu Mingjie, "Ah Jie, if both you and Ah Tang get selected for the national team, you might become the 400-meter twin stars, you know?"
Before Qiu Mingjie could respond, the other roommate chimed in, "Wait, that's not right. It wouldn't be the 400-meter twin stars; it would be the 400-meter short-distance comedy duo! You two would be the best at cracking jokes within the 400-meter sprinting community!"
As soon as this remark landed, both roommates received warning punches from Qiu Mingjie's fists and quickly moved away, laughing.
That day, countless age-eligible 400-meter sprinters across the country felt their hearts racing. After all, as athletes in this particular event, who wouldn't dream of achieving great results? In the eyes of many provincial athletes, the national team represented a sacred gateway, and every young athlete aspired to cross that threshold to experience the pinnacle of athletics in the country.
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