Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 10/11/2023
Chapter 245: China's Progress in the 400 Meters
For track and field athletes, or perhaps for all athletes, this year's winter training time passed by too quickly.
Almost in the blink of an eye, the three-month-long winter training came to an end. With the arrival of spring, indoor athletics competitions both domestically and internationally were once again in full swing.
In previous years, Chinese track and field athletes had to travel to Europe to participate in top indoor circuit events. However, this year was different. In March, the World Indoor Athletics Championships were held in the city of N in China. This three-day indoor championship event attracted the attention of track and field enthusiasts worldwide, despite the lingering chill of early March.
In the schedule of this World Indoor Athletics Championships, the qualified athletes for the 400 meters sprint event remained the same: Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, and Li Junhao, along with Chen Yadan for the women's team.
As the first time China hosted a world-class indoor athletics competition, the media and audience in China had a high level of anticipation for this event. However, compared to outdoor events, the rules for the 400 meters in indoor competitions were somewhat different. Even though this was the biennial World Indoor Athletics Championships, most athletes still regarded it as a "warm-up" competition after winter training, and the overall competitive atmosphere was not particularly intense.
But for ordinary spectators, this World Indoor Athletics Championships was a rare opportunity to witness top-level events in China, whether indoor or outdoor. Being able to see elite athletes in action was what mattered!
The World Indoor Athletics Championships held in the city of N saw a frenzy of ticket sales from the start. Over the course of the three-day competition, all tickets were quickly sold out. The indoor sports arena specially built for this event in N was filled to capacity, with every seat occupied. Inside the arena, except for a small number of foreign spectators, the crowd was predominantly a sea of red.
For domestic track and field athletes, very few have experienced the exhilarating feeling of an entire arena cheering for them. Especially for the athletes in the 400-meter sprint, considering their ages, they were just ordinary sports school students 12 years ago during the Beijing Olympics in city B. Athletes like Qiu Wen and Li Junhao, who are even younger, didn't even have the concept of being professional athletes back then.
Five years ago, during the World Athletics Championships held in city B, neither Zhang Ziyi nor Chen Yadan had the qualifications to compete in the 400 meters sprint event.
Even though Zhang Ziyi had personally witnessed the excitement of the World Athletics Championships in city B and felt the enthusiasm of the Chinese audience, the experience of being a spectator couldn't compare to the passionate atmosphere of being present at the event.
Under the overwhelming cheers from the spectators in the arena, many athletes couldn't hold back and delivered remarkable performances.
In this indoor championship, Li Junhao, Qiu Wen, and Zhang Ziyi, who participated in the competition, each took turns breaking the national records in the 400 meters, revising the indoor national record from 45.87 seconds to 45.82 seconds, and ultimately, Zhang Ziyi set a new record at 45.76 seconds, surpassing his previous record of 45.89 seconds from 2019.
On the women's team, although Chen Yadan didn't break the national record, she achieved her personal best in nearly 20 years, which was quite exhilarating for all the spectators at the event.
The short three-day indoor championship swiftly concluded. While the schedule was brief, many spectators witnessed the progress made by these national team members during their winter training.
The most obvious improvements were seen in Qiu Wen and Li Junhao. Although some had predicted that the two would perform well, no one expected that Qiu Wen, Li Junhao, and Zhang Ziyi would take turns breaking the national indoor 400 meters sprint record that was set just last year.
Although Qiu Wen and Li Junhao didn't make it to the finals in this indoor championship, their outstanding performances in the semifinals were enough to satisfy the spectators and track and field enthusiasts.
In the men's 4x400 meters relay competition at this indoor championship, it was the first time for Zhang Jiale to participate as an alternate athlete for the 4x400 meters men's relay team. Although in the final competition, Su Bai still chose Guo Dun as the main athlete, Zhang Jiale had the opportunity to experience the expectations and support of the audience for their country's athletes on the field.
After the conclusion of the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March, domestic audiences were still relishing the memories of the competition. However, the athletes in the national team's 400-meter event were already scattered by Su Bai, sent to various indoor circuit competitions at home and abroad to find the feeling of competition.
Athletes like Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, and Li Junhao had been participating in various international competitions abroad since last year, while Guo Dun, at the beginning of last year, was still left in China without international schedules.
This year was different. In this year's schedule, both Guo Dun and the newly added Zhang Jiale in the national team were assigned international competitions. However, unlike Zhang Ziyi and others who competed in Europe, Guo Dun and Zhang Jiale's international competitions for 2020 were mainly in Asia, with a small portion in Europe. The selected events were mainly at the Grand Prix level, primarily aimed at gaining international competition experience for Guo Dun and Zhang Jiale.
The most special member in the national team was Zhang Ziyi.
In last year's competitions, Zhang Ziyi's time of 44.81 seconds successfully pushed his world ranking into the top 20 for the year. During the winter training period, Zhang Ziyi received an invitation to the 2020 Diamond League from the World Athletics Federation.
When the national team announced the invited list for the Diamond League this year, Zhang Ziyi's name excited track and field enthusiasts. This was the first Diamond League invitation for the men's 400 meters sprint event sent by the World Athletics Federation to the Chinese national team. In the Asian region, Zhang Ziyi's invitation was highly regarded.
Although mentioning the achievements of the men's 400 meters sprint in China from two or three years ago might seem repetitive, track and field enthusiasts who have been following the journey of the men's 400 meters sprint to its current state over the past few years couldn't help but reminisce about the difficulties at moments like these.
Huang Yilun and his brothers were just like that.
Upon learning that Zhang Ziyi had actually received an invitation to the Diamond League, Huang Yilun's small group quickly became active again.
Horses don't eat grass: 【Brothers, it's a Diamond League invitation! Our 400 meters sprint event has finally reached this day!】
Lao Yong doesn't want to run: 【Oh my, who would've thought? When I saw the invited list today, I thought I was mistaken, but thinking again, it's perfectly reasonable for Zhang Shuai to receive an invitation. After all, he had a time of 44.81 seconds last year. In fact, we should have expected that he would qualify for the Diamond League this year. It's just that we never thought about it before, so we were surprised today.】
Serious Huang: 【Who would've thought? If we go back two or three years, who would have dared to think about the Diamond League? Zhang Shuai would be fortunate if he could participate in a few World Athletics Challenge meets. Watching one and resting for two months, we'd be exhausted by the end.】
What Huang Yilun was talking about was the mood of track and field enthusiasts in China when they watched Chinese athletes participate in the 400 meters sprint event at international competitions back then.
At that time, the only Chinese athlete who could compete was Zhang Ziyi. Although Guo Dun could be considered second-best in China, he hadn't even broken 46 seconds in his personal best (PB). Participating in Asian-level events was already challenging enough.
Not to mention Guo Dun, but at that time, Zhang Ziyi's participation in international competitions rarely resulted in times under 46 seconds.
Although this performance wasn't at the bottom of the rankings in the challenge meets, there weren't many opportunities for track and field enthusiasts to enjoy the competition. Moreover, watching international athletics meets, unlike today, wasn't as convenient. TV stations and websites were reluctant to purchase broadcasting rights for online streaming, fearing low viewership. Track and field enthusiasts often had to wait for the results to come out and then search for videos of the competitions on foreign websites. Most of the time, people could only look at the competition results, or rely on a few photos and reports from overseas journalists to satisfy their cravings.
Serious Huang: 【Although it's an old saying, in the past two or three years, domestic track and field competitions have truly changed every year. Whether it's the quality of the competitions or the level of attention they receive, it's no longer comparable to the past.】
Horses don't eat gras: 【Absolutely! I mentioned it a few days ago, didn't I? I attended an indoor domestic meet recently, and the athletes in the 400 meters sprint event were completely different from before, not just in terms of their spirit and energy but also in their performance on the track. The most straightforward evidence is their speed and results, which the audience can directly witness. In that particular competition, the progress made by the athletes was quite significant compared to previous competitions.】
Lao Yong doesn't want to run: 【I heard about this too. I inquired with someone, and during the winter training sessions last year and this year, Su Dao la gave two lectures. Coaches from various provincial teams and sports schools, especially those coaching the 400 meters, fought tooth and nail for a spot in these lectures. They all said they gained valuable insights and went back to adjust their training programs for their respective teams.】
In summary, the changes in the overall environment for the 400 meters sprint event have been significant. The presence of former athletes from the s province track and field team, coupled with age-appropriate athletes from the trial camp, and the improved scientific understanding of coaching methods by coaches who were trained by Su Bai, have revitalized the 400 meters sprint event. This transformation is so pronounced that even the athletes who used to coast through are finding it tough.
In the past, these athletes could afford to coast since everyone's competitive form wasn't particularly impressive, and no one stood out as exceptionally bad. But now, with many newcomers in the 400 meters sprint event hoping to catch the eye of Su Bai, they give it their all in every competition. They think, "Maybe one day Su Bai will notice me and bring me into the national team?" There are plenty of people with such aspirations, so in every race, they showcase their abilities to the fullest. At the very least, even if they aren't selected by Su Bai, achieving good results is beneficial for their future prospects.
In such an environment, anyone who just goes through the motions in competitions stands out as particularly conspicuous. While various competitions are in full swing in China, the calendar quietly turns to April. On April 15th, Zhang Ziyi, along with Cui Luoheng and Wang Shen, once again arrived in Doha, Qatar. The first Diamond League Doha Meeting of 2020 is set to officially take place on April 17th!
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Chapter 246: Diamond League Qatar & Cui Luoheng's Transformation
The Diamond League is a top-tier athletics series introduced by World Athletics (formerly known as the International Association of Athletics Federations, IAAF). The Diamond League encompasses events from various athletic disciplines, and according to World Athletics requirements, only the top twenty athletes in each event for the year are eligible to participate in the Diamond League.
Each station of the Diamond League is similar to the World Athletics Grand Prix, with different events scheduled for each station. For example, in the Qatar station of the Diamond League, there are no 100 meters, 200 meters, or 1500 meters races. Additionally, the 3000 meters race is only for women, and the high jump event features only male participants.
The Chinese national athletics team is eligible to participate in the Diamond League, and the planned athletes for this event are Zhang Ziyi, Cui Luoheng, and Wang Shen. So, they packed their bags and headed straight to Qatar.
Every year, the Diamond League Qatar Meeting is the first station of the Diamond League. Since it takes place at the beginning of the season when many athletes have not yet regained their competitive form, there haven't been any particularly outstanding performances in the Qatar station. While this may be disappointing for the organizers, Qatar's summer climate is extremely hot, and the period from March to April is the most suitable season for outdoor athletics events in Qatar.
Unlike previous events where athletes stayed at the athletes' village, this time, upon their arrival in Qatar, Zhang Ziyi and his group were directly taken to the hotel where participating athletes stay. The hotel appeared very luxurious from the outside, showcasing the high standard of hospitality associated with the Diamond League.
Zhang Ziyi, Cui Luoheng, and Wang Shen were participating in the Diamond League for the first time, an event known as the top athletics series. However, in the past two years, both Zhang Ziyi and Cui Luoheng had undergone rigorous training and preparation, and while they were ready to take this top-tier event seriously, they were not intimidated by the level of competition.
In particular, Cui Luoheng, who had won a silver medal at last year's World Championships, had undergone training adjustments during the winter training cycle. Given his strength, he didn't fear other competitors in the 110 meters hurdles event. Instead, it was the other athletes who needed to worry about whether they could outpace Cui Luoheng on the 110 meters hurdles track.
Wang Shen's participation in this event was also driven by the desire to find his competitive rhythm after a winter training cycle. However, for the people of Qatar, there was already a sense of rivalry between Wang Shen and Qatar's high jump star, Abdallah.
Especially in last year's World Championships final, the last battle between Abdallah and Wang Shen resulted in both athletes achieving the best performance in the world for the 2019 season. Abdallah secured the victory by the narrowest of margins. This rivalry between Abdallah and Wang Shen had already developed into something akin to an "arch-nemesis" situation.
While some people always say that regardless of the process, winning the championship is the best proof of performance, most viewers understand that Abdallah's victory in the World Championships had an element of luck.
So, this time, Wang Shen's participation became an important point of promotion for the organizers of the Diamond League Qatar Meeting. Qatar's star, Abdallah, would face off against his arch-nemesis, China's Wang Shen. In this Diamond League event, who would come out on top? Who is the true high jump champion?
Interestingly, the local audience in Qatar was quite receptive to this promotional angle. In a local survey, 80% of Diamond League ticket buyers were looking forward to this high jump competition, hoping to witness the outstanding performances of these two athletes once again at the Khalifa International Stadium.
However, Wang Shen himself, upon learning about this promotional strategy in Qatar, didn't pay too much attention to it.
Today's Diamond League Qatar Meeting was not the first encounter between him and Abdallah in this season. They had already met earlier in March at the indoor championships held in City N. Perhaps it was the intense atmosphere created by the Chinese audience that Abdallah was not accustomed to, as he did not perform exceptionally well. In the end, Wang Shen won the championship with a jump of 2.33 meters.
This Qatar Diamond League station could be seen as a rematch of sorts.
However, the reason Wang Shen wasn't concerned was that he knew very well that in the 2020 season, he and Abdallah would have plenty of opportunities to meet. Just like in the Diamond League, both of them were undoubtedly aiming for the year-end finals. Apart from the Diamond League, the Tokyo Olympics this year was another battleground for the two.
"Battle of arch-nemeses?"
If they label every encounter as a battle of arch-nemeses, there will probably be countless such encounters this year.
Zhang Ziyi was initially somewhat concerned about how Wang Shen would handle the enthusiastic Qatari audience. However, after seeing Wang Shen's relaxed attitude, he waved goodbye with a smile and returned to his own room. The organizers of this Diamond League were quite generous, providing each participating athlete with a separate room for the best possible rest.
When Zhang Ziyi sent photos of his hotel room back to their 400-meter sprint team chat group:
Qiu Wen:【qaq...! Geez, Zhang, you're living the high life. We've been to Qatar so many times before, and we always stayed in the athlete village dorms! This is the treatment for Diamond League athletes, huh?】
Wu Tian: 【=0= Wow, Zhang Team's room looks so impressive, and the view from the window is great too. Is Qatar's scenery really this good? I want to go and visit...】
Guo Dun:【^^ Nice room, Zhang, get some rest and good luck in the race!】
Zhang Ziyi's arrival in Qatar wasn't too late, and back in China, it was just after the national team had finished training and had dinner. Everyone was playing on their phones, and upon seeing Zhang Ziyi's message, they all chimed in with their responses.
Not long after Qiu Wen's lament, he, being a skilled surfer, quickly dug up photos of the athlete dorms where he had stayed during his previous trips to Doha and posted them on Weibo with a melancholic expression.
Athletics National Team - Qiu Wen: 【qaq... Damn it, Zhang just arrived in Doha, posted photos of the hotel to brag. We've been to Doha several times with the national team, and we always stayed in the athlete village. But this time, Zhang is staying in a high-end luxury hotel with a single room... Is this the treatment for Diamond League athletes? Envy, jealousy, hatred.gif]
As the number one fan of the national team, Qiu Wen attracted a crowd of people to his Weibo post. After the early responders claimed the front seats, someone immediately burst into laughter.
1: 【First to comment!】
6:【Little Qiu, are you bored again today? Did you finish your training properly today? Be careful; your coach might break your legs! =w=】
33: 【Haha, I took a look at the picture before replying. There are so many replies already? But Little Qiu's melancholy is understandable. Even though the rooms in the athlete village are decent, Zhang's hotel suite is really luxurious... The view outside the window is great too!】
41: 【 _(:3)∠ _Although... it's reasonable to assume that Zhang wasn't trying to show off, right? Little Qiu, don't slander Zhang =w=... Since you're envious and jealous, work hard this year. If you make it into the top 20 for the year and qualify for the Diamond League, you'll also have this accommodation treatment next year!】
66: 【Tsk, just chiming in here, but I've seen photos of this hotel's room types and interior. It not only looks gorgeous, but the room rates are also quite fancy...】
......
The cheerful netizens responding didn't offer any serious consolation to Qiu Wen. Everyone was either laughing or cheering for Zhang Ziyi in the Diamond League. Some advised Qiu Wen not to envy, but rather to strive for success—there were even questions about whether Qiu Wen had donated to Zhang Ziyi today.
In any case, the reactions of the onlookers were quite amusing and made Qiu Wen feel melancholic, so he turned off his Weibo.
On the other hand, Qiu Wen's Weibo post not only attracted a large number of laughter-loving netizens and ordinary onlookers but also garnered attention from quite a few sports media outlets, who shared the post more seriously.
—【Zhang Ziyi, Wang Shen, and Cui Luoheng have successfully arrived in Doha, Qatar, and checked into their hotel. The three athletes will participate in this year's first Diamond League event in two days, on April 17th. We hope that they can perform exceptionally well in this competition, achieve their desired results, and make a splendid start to this year's outdoor season!】
After all, Zhang Ziyi, Wang Shen, and Cui Luoheng represent the current peak performers in men's 400 meters, 110-meter hurdles, and men's high jump in China. In this Olympic year, everyone naturally expects them to maintain their outstanding performances from last year.
As many people anticipated, the Diamond League on April 17th arrived as scheduled, with the competitions starting at 7:00 PM on that day.
Among the three athletes, the earliest event was the 110-meter hurdles final for Cui Luoheng.
Among the 9 participants, one was a wildcard entry selected by the Doha hosts, and the other 7 opponents were all strong contenders in the world of 110-meter hurdles. Among them were two athletes who had competed against Cui Luoheng in the World Championships final — they were Leipwost from France and Costaman from Bahrain.
However, even though the opponents before him were all formidable in strength, Cui Luoheng didn't show a trace of worry on his face. He remained calm and composed, from his entrance onto the field to adjusting the starting blocks and preparing for the race. His collected demeanor didn't reveal any signs of nervousness.
In the national sports channel studio, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen observed Cui Luoheng. They felt that compared to the Cui Luoheng of the previous year, he seemed to have undergone some new changes.
"Compared to last year's Cui Luoheng, today he seems even more determined to win the competition," Shao Minyi remarked as she watched Cui Luoheng crouched on the starting blocks, her face filled with emotion. "Remember, Li, there was a time when Cui Luoheng struggled with his mental resilience due to psychological issues."
In contrast to the young man crouched on the starting blocks, who exuded a calm and confident demeanor, Cui Luoheng had grown significantly in everyone's eyes, imperceptibly yet steadily.
Li Sen nodded in agreement with Shao Minyi's words. "You're right. The current Cui Luoheng... I'd like to say that just by crouching on the starting blocks, he exudes a strong sense of confidence—confidence that he can win this race."
This competition seemed to be validating Shao Minyi and Li Sen's remarks. From the beginning of the race, Cui Luoheng led the way, and it even gave the impression that his momentum was enough to keep the other competitors around him from overtaking him!
When Cui Luoheng crossed the finish line with an overwhelming advantage, he raised his right hand high and raised an index finger—the gesture of a victor. It was a brief moment of celebration.
After the final results of the 110-meter hurdles race were revealed, Cui Luoheng's time was at the top of the leaderboard.
13.13 seconds, that was Cui Luoheng's final time in this race—a new world-leading time for the 110-meter hurdles at the beginning of the 2020 season!
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