Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 10/16/2023
Chapter 269 Zhang Ziyi's Result & Public Discussion
Almost neck and neck.
Just the word "almost" ultimately said it all.
From the live broadcast on the sports channel, it was clear that the distance between Zhang Ziyi and McNair was very close, but when McNair crossed the finish line, he was still half a body length ahead of Zhang Ziyi.
That final half-body length marked the distinction between fourth and fifth place, the position that brought an end to any hopes.
As Zhang Ziyi crossed the finish line, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen fell silent for a few seconds, seemingly caught in a momentary speechlessness by the regrettable scene before them.
On the track, Zhang Ziyi and McNair, positioned in adjacent lanes eight and nine, respectively, were able to discern each other's positions as they crossed the line.
While McNair was only in fourth place, the strength of the results among the athletes in the three groups of the semi-finals today was well known to everyone.
As long as they could secure a top-four position in the first group of the semi-finals, they were likely to qualify for the finals!
At this moment, the half-body length between McNair and Zhang Ziyi represented a stark distance between hope and hopelessness.
After crossing the finish line, Zhang Ziyi was already aware of this fact. He realized it clearly and could only cover his face with both hands. After a long silence, he sighed lightly, released his hands, and turned to embrace McNair with a smile.
McNair was undoubtedly surprised. In fact, his performance had been fluctuating over the past two or three years, and his results had not been very stable. Especially when facing the Chinese team's Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen, his performance and ranking often fell short of expectations.
In tonight's race, the only thing he was grateful for was that he didn't have to compete with that terrifying guy, Qiu Wen.
Just like in sports like tennis, where certain players always seem to counter each other, McNair felt that Qiu Wen from the Chinese team was the one who completely restrained him on the field.
Whenever he competed with Qiu Wen, his state, mentality, and even rhythm control would often become involuntary.
For some reason, McNair was absolutely certain in his heart—if the person he had just competed with in the semi-finals was Qiu Wen, then the one to advance to the top four would definitely not be him.
In any case, this semi-final was over.
In the audience stands, Su Bai was also standing in front of his seat, frowning and staring at Zhang Ziyi in the field. In the end, he could only sigh with a bitter smile.
Pei Jin'an was also standing beside Su Bai. He patted Su Bai's shoulder and said, "It's okay. Although there is regret, Ziyi's performance has been impressive enough."
Listening to Pei Jin'an's words, Su Bai finally shook his head.
As a coach who was too young, no matter how calm and composed he appeared, he couldn't help but feel regret for the athletes he coached. Over the past two years, he had devoted countless efforts to the athletes in the 400-meter sprint project of the national team, especially Zhang Ziyi. Starting from the moment when Zhang Ziyi showed his determination that might lead to overstrain, he had firmly supported him in his pursuit of the Olympics. His attention to Zhang Ziyi had indeed climbed to the forefront among many athletes.
Over these two years, he was the one who knew best how much sweat and cost Zhang Ziyi had paid for the Olympic arena and the honor of the country.
Unfortunately, at this moment today, luck was still lacking.
Or perhaps, in just two years, he still couldn't catch up with the talents, efforts, and strengths of the top athletes.
After a brief silence, Su Bai gathered his emotions again.
As a coach, he had to show certainty, confidence, and firmness. A coach must be the final support that athletes can trust, especially considering his excessive youth. He had to double his efforts to make athletes and everyone around him have more confidence in him.
After the brief silence and regret passed, Su Bai once again became the genius coach that everyone could wholeheartedly trust.
He looked at Zhang Ziyi in the direction of the track and said, "Yes, although there is regret, Ziyi's performance and results today have been impressive enough."
Pausing for a moment, Su Bai added with a smile, "Although he didn't make it to the finals, our national record should be broken again."
However...
Su Bai was not sure whether the significant improvement in Zhang Ziyi's performance in this game, coupled with his failure to advance to the Olympic finals, was a good thing.
?
?!
After hearing Su Bai's words, Pei Jin'an and Jiang Wentao were both stunned. They did not notice Su Bai's emotions when he finished speaking. They both had a slight look of joy on their faces.
If it could really be as Su Bai said, as long as there was this new national record, then even if he failed to make it to the finals, Zhang Ziyi's performance and results would no longer be criticized by anyone!
After all, with the qualifications and age of Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an, they both knew very well that there were always some people in this world who were all talk and no action. These people only knew how to use their mouths to criticize, even in a positive public opinion environment. Although the existence of these people could not affect the overall situation, it was still unpleasant to have such people popping up and being disgusting.
As long as Zhang Ziyi indeed accomplished what Su Bai said, even if he only improved the national record from 44.76 seconds to 44.75 seconds, it would be enough to shut these people up!
Just as Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an were getting excited, the final results of the men's 400m semifinal in the first group were finally displayed on the large screens on both sides of the track.
The final results of the Tokyo Olympics Men's 400m semifinal in the first group were as follows:
1st place: Morris (Grenada), 44.02 seconds, q (directly qualified);
2nd place: Fernandez (USA), 44.19 seconds, q;
3rd place: Le Clos (South Africa), 44.46 seconds;
4th place: McNair (Bahrain), 44.56 seconds;
5th place: Zhang Ziyi (China), 44.59 seconds (nr national record);
6th place:...
...
In the audience stands, Jiang Wentao, Pei Jin'an, and many other staff members and athletes from the Chinese team were all somewhat stunned when they saw Zhang Ziyi's result for the first time. Many of them rubbed their eyes one after another, thinking they were seeing things.
At the focal point of the arena, Zhang Ziyi was in a similar state. He had already adjusted his mood, waiting to see the results before leaving the field.
Zhang Ziyi knew that his performance today was exceptional. He had anticipated that he would once again break his personal best (pb), but he didn't expect that his pb would leap from 44.76 seconds to 44.59 seconds in this competition.
In the sports channel's broadcast room, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen were equally unprepared for this result. They had mentioned during their earlier commentary that Zhang Ziyi's form was exceptional tonight, but they didn't anticipate that his performance would be this outstanding.
"44.59 seconds!!! In tonight's men's 400m semifinal, Zhang Ziyi has achieved an outstanding time of 44.59 seconds!!! Not only has he broken the 44.70 barrier, but he has also broken into the 44.60 range!!!" Shao Minyi's voice was hoarse with excitement at this moment. "Zhang Ziyi has never let us down. He remains the pride of Chinese athletics, carrying the flag of the Chinese men's 400m sprint!"
"Over these three years, with his own efforts, Zhang Ziyi has gradually pushed the Chinese national record in the 400m sprint from the era of 45.25 seconds to within 45 seconds. Now, the Chinese national record in the 400m sprint has even entered the 44.60 range!"
"We can proudly say that this is an achievement that is absolutely at the international first-class level. With just Zhang Ziyi alone, the Chinese team has already established a foothold in the world-class level in the men's 400m sprint!"
"By achieving this result tonight, Zhang Ziyi has also raised the record for the Asian race in the men's 400m sprint to a height that was unimaginable in the past!"
"Higher, faster, stronger. Even though Zhang Ziyi did not make it to the final in tonight's semifinal, the result he has achieved is enough to make every one of us feel proud and honored!"
In the sports channel's live chat room, where the mood had been somewhat low, the atmosphere exploded in an instant as soon as the result was revealed.
All the sports enthusiasts in the live chat rooms went crazy celebrating Zhang Ziyi's achievement.
【Ah ah ah, Zhang Shuai, you're so awesome!!!】
【I can't believe my eyes, 44.59?! A new national record!!!】
【Oh my god, three years ago, wasn't Zhang Shuai's pb 45.57? In three years, his pb has increased by almost 1 second!!!】
【I can't believe it, Zhang Shuai's transformation in these 3 years is really incredible...】
Everyone was cheering for Zhang Ziyi's achievement and his newfound glory. However, on the field, Zhang Ziyi himself was momentarily bewildered upon seeing this result.
He had initially thought that even if his performance improved, the increase wouldn't be particularly significant. After all, at this stage, his performance improvement was nearing its limit.
He hadn't expected that his performance would suddenly jump from 44.76 to 44.59.
This was certainly an exciting development, but amidst the excitement, he couldn't help but feel a sense of bewilderment. Even though he had improved his performance to an unimaginable 44.59 seconds, he still hadn't made it into the Olympic final.
The excitement from such a significant improvement in performance collided with the disappointment of not making it through, creating a complex and indescribable emotion even for someone as seasoned and composed as Zhang Ziyi.
After staring at the result for several tens of seconds, Zhang Ziyi let out a long sigh.
Victory was victory, and defeat was defeat.
Even though he had broken the 44-second barrier today, as long as there were other winners ahead of him, the result couldn't be changed.
Glancing at the scoreboard one last time and then at the roaring and excited audience in the stands, Zhang Ziyi wiped his face and left the Olympic track, which was destined to be the last event of his individual 400-meter sprint career.
On Weibo, the Athletics Center and the National Athletics Team were the first to announce Zhang Ziyi's new national record. The two trending topics were #Zhang Ziyi's Defeat in the 400m Semifinals# and #Zhang Ziyi Greatly Refreshes the National Record in the 400m Sprint#.
The proximity of these two topics led many uninformed users to be utterly perplexed.
How could these two conflicting topics—defeat and record-breaking—be associated with the same person?
Many bystanders, intrigued by this contrast, clicked on the related topics. After perusing the content, they finally understood that the defeat was indeed real, and the substantial refresh of the national record was also true.
All along, people have known that China's sprinting strength is not yet enough, but what exactly is the gap between its performance and that of the world's best? The majority of people would not have known the specifics until tonight, when Zhang Ziyi's performance shed light on the matter.
Among these two topics, an athletics enthusiast provided some informative context.
【#Zhang Ziyi's Defeat in the 400m Sprint#, #Zhang Ziyi Greatly Refreshes the National Record in the 400m Sprint#—Zhang Ziyi set a new national record in the race at 44.59 seconds, previously held by himself at 44.76 seconds. Qiu Wen, the second-ranking 400m sprinter in the country, has a personal best of 44.90 seconds.
To qualify for the Tokyo Olympics in the men's 400m sprint, the benchmark performance is 44.90 seconds. Only two athletes in China, Zhang Ziyi and Qiu Wen, have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the 400m sprint. Li Junhao, currently the third-ranking athlete in this event in China, has a personal best of 45.07 seconds and has not yet broken the 45-second barrier.
Meanwhile, in this competition, several countries such as the United States, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Kenya have sent their full quota of athletes. Note that sending the full quota does not mean that they only have three athletes who meet the benchmark performance; it means that the number of their qualified athletes has reached the upper limit, and the athletes currently participating are the cream of the crop.
Going back in time, two years ago, it was Zhang Ziyi who broke the 15-year-old men's 400m sprint record in China for the first time, from 45.25 seconds to 45.24 seconds.
In three years, he has improved his personal best in the 400m sprint by nearly a full second, which is remarkable for an already relatively mature athlete.
This nearly 1-second improvement has not only propelled China's 400m sprint from obscurity in Asia but also established Zhang Ziyi as the record holder for East Asian athletes.
During these three years, Zhang Ziyi, or rather China's 400m sprint, has progressed rapidly enough. Tonight, Zhang Ziyi's performance has seen a significant and astonishing improvement.
If you have looked at these past records, then I believe you will agree with my argument—Chinese athletics is making significant progress, and Zhang Ziyi's performance tonight is already enough to make people feel proud!】
This lengthy explanation in the form of a Weibo post, with more and more people clicking into the topic, has eventually become a popular post with tens of thousands of shares, appearing on countless people's Weibo homepages.
It can be said that the original poster's effort in providing detailed information did not go to waste. Many passersby, after reading the post, finally understood the significance of each of these achievements, as well as the meaning behind Zhang Ziyi's performance tonight.
【I get it now. Zhang Ziyi is truly amazing.】
【=口= The national athletics team has been quite popular in recent years, and I've always known that Zhang Ziyi is the captain of the men's 400m team. But it wasn't until today that I understood the true significance of Zhang Ziyi's abilities and achievements.】
【Zhang Shuai is indeed Zhang Shuai. I was curious and browsed athletics forums and groups before, and many people there highly admire Zhang Ziyi. At that time, I didn't really understand what made him so great. Thanks to the original poster for the informative post.】
While people online were discussing the significance of Zhang Ziyi's performance, the second group of male 400-meter sprint semifinalists officially appeared on the scene and began their race.
Among the competitors in the second semifinal group, the strongest were the young talent Marshall from Trinidad and Tobago, the renowned American 400-meter sprinter Barnes, and the Jamaican 400-meter sprint star Fraser.
These three athletes were undoubtedly the most favorable contenders for the semifinal group's qualifying spots.
In this race, all three athletes performed exceptionally well, running times of 44.34 seconds, 44.57 seconds, and 44.60 seconds, respectively.
However, all Chinese track and field enthusiasts fell into silence after seeing these results.
Marshall, who finished third in this semifinal, with a time of 44.60 seconds, would have only ranked sixth in the first group of the semifinals.
The final results of the athletes in the second semifinal group vividly illustrated how outstanding Zhang Ziyi's performance was today.
In the sports channel's live broadcast room, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen sighed once again.
"Zi Yi's performance today is truly a pity," Shao Minyi said, glancing at the results of the second group. "If Zhang Ziyi had been placed in the second group for the semifinals, he might have had a chance to compete for a direct qualification spot. It can only be said that he was a little unlucky in this competition."
After sighing, Li Sen expressed a similar sentiment. Zhang Ziyi's performance and final results in the first group were unforgettable, leaving a lasting impression on them.
Finally, amidst everyone's sighs, the athletes from the second group of the men's 400-meter sprint semifinals also left the field, making way for the athletes from the third group, where Qiu Wen was competing.
Shao Minyi and Li Sen adjusted their mindsets, rallying their spirits and shifting the conversation to Qiu Wen.
"Ladies and gentlemen! About to enter the field is the last group of the men's 400-meter sprint semifinals. Our Chinese athlete, Qiu Wen, is also in this group. He will sprint for the final 400-meter race qualifying spot in this group. Regardless of the outcome, we hope he can perform at his best in this competition and leave no regrets!"
As Shao Minyi and Li Sen finished their words, the eight athletes in the last group of the men's 400-meter sprint semifinals began to step onto the field from the athlete tunnel.
Compared to Zhang Ziyi's group earlier and even the second group of the semifinals, the presence of those intimidating competitors in Qiu Wen's group seemed somewhat diminished.
However, this did not mean that the opponents in this group would be any less challenging.
Athletes like Tekawu from Trinidad and Tobago, Jipu Ruto from Kenya, Ruka from the Czech Republic, and Maverson from Jamaica all had personal bests of around 44.50 seconds or even close to 44 seconds.
In particular, Maverson and Tekawu had impressive personal bests of 43.94 seconds and 44.01 seconds, respectively.
Among all these competitors, Qiu Wen's personal best of just 44.90 seconds clearly put him at a disadvantage.
This wasn't particularly good news.
In front of their television screens, when the audience heard Shao Minyi and Li Sen mentioning that most of the athletes in Qiu Wen's group were newcomers, some viewers were initially hopeful, wondering if Qiu Wen might have a chance to qualify in this competition.
However, as they learned about the caliber of these newcomers, the hope that had sparked in their hearts was immediately extinguished.
Tekawu with 44.01 seconds, Maverson with 43.94 seconds, and Jipu Ruto with 44.23 seconds...
Compared to these athletes' personal bests, not even Qiu Wen, let alone Zhang Ziyi's 44.59 seconds, seemed competitive.
In the live chat of the sports channel's online streaming platform, some track and field enthusiasts were consoling the ordinary viewers who felt they had lost hope.
【Exactly, personal bests are one thing, but in the end, it's the final results that matter!】
【True, during Zhang Ziyi's previous race, there were athletes with better personal bests than his, but he still outperformed them in the final result!】
【Yeah, it ultimately depends on the individual performance on the field!】
【Speaking of individual performance on the field... I feel like Qiu Wen has a lot of competitors he can't match up to, at least in terms of their current form!】
At the venue, the eight athletes in the final group of the semifinals had all reached their respective starting blocks, adjusting their starting block settings.
However, Qiu Wen, who had never experienced an imbalance in his pre-match state, seemed less lively than usual now.
In the audience seats, Su Bai couldn't help but show a hint of concern as he looked at the system prompt displaying Qiu Wen's current state.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 270 400m Semifinals - Qiu Wen
From the system's real-time data monitoring, it could be observed that Qiu Wen's psychological state was showing intense fluctuations. Prior to the start of the race, Qiu Wen's mindset was still fluctuating, which was not a good sign.
Su Bai's earlier concerns about Zhang Ziyi's performance possibly experiencing significant improvement were related to this.
One was that Zhang Ziyi might feel a sense of loss and psychological imbalance due to his outstanding performance yet still failing to qualify. The other was about Qiu Wen. Although Qiu Wen appeared silly and unresponsive, as a professional athlete in competitive sports, he had a stubborn pursuit of strength and victory deep down.
A powerful winner should be respected to the fullest.
In his mind, there was a creed similar to this.
In fact, this was also a kind of reverence in the sports world for the "greatest of all time" (GOAT).
In Qiu Wen's simple thought process, the strong should bear glory, but even though he had prepared himself mentally before the race and knew that the thought of "if only I could switch groups with Old Zhang" was inappropriate, his mind still experienced intense fluctuations after the results of the semifinals in Zhang Ziyi's group were announced.
The same thoughts from before resurfaced. Qiu Wen knew he shouldn't have such thoughts. These thoughts were disrespectful to Old Zhang, disrespectful to himself, and disrespectful to his opponents.
But after seeing Zhang Ziyi's time of 44.59 seconds, Qiu Wen's mind was thrown into a whirlwind of confusion, making it difficult for him to accept.
On the field, Qiu Wen reluctantly composed himself and readjusted his starting block. While readjusting the starting block, he tried to calm his mind.
However, the number 44.59 kept echoing in his mind.
"It's so hard," Qiu Wen thought.
After finishing the adjustments and double-checking his starting block, to prevent his restless emotions from affecting him, Qiu Wen decided not to look at the starting block and stood up, ruffling his hair.
The usually carefree Qiu Wen now had a slightly disheveled look, and from the expression on his face, it was apparent that his state of mind was not at its best.
In the sports channel's online live room, Shao Min and Li Sen immediately noticed Qiu Wen's condition.
The live feed happened to capture Qiu Wen's face, which was completely different from his usual expression. Any viewers who had watched a few of his matches could detect the difference.
Li Sen's heart immediately tightened. "...Just now, the camera swept over in Qiu Wen's direction, and our athlete Qiu Wen has already adjusted his starting block and is quietly waiting for the start of the race, but from the recent shot, it seems like Qiu Wen is under some pressure?"
The director in the sports channel's live room also paid attention to Shao Minyi and Li Sen's conversation and immediately switched to a close-up shot of Qiu Wen from multiple camera sources.
Under the magnified close-up shot, Qiu Wen's state seemed even more apparent. After all, he was not an actor and wouldn't hide his emotions.
Through the lens, the tension on Qiu Wen's face seemed palpable.
Shao Minyi and Li Sen exchanged a glance, both filled with worry for Qiu Wen. However, they were only commentators and were located in the live room in their home country, unable to handle this particular situation.
In reality, even Qiu Wen's coach, Su Bai, was on-site, but at this point in time, on the actual race track, Qiu Wen had no one to rely on. The only thing he could rely on was controlling the negative mindset that had emerged on the spot.
Shao Minyi and Li Sen could also tell at a glance why Qiu Wen was feeling anxious, but after exchanging a glance, Shao Minyi cautiously said, "As we all know, the athletes in the 400-meter project of the track and field team have a very good relationship. Zhang Ziyi, as the captain of the men's team, has always taken good care of the team members. In the just concluded semifinals in the first group, Zhang Ziyi achieved an excellent result, but he still couldn't secure a spot in the Olympic finals. This result may have had a certain impact on Qiu Wen, who is also a member of the track and field team..."
Shao Minyi and Li Sen did not delve deeper into Qiu Wen's mindset, simply touching on it briefly. However, the viewers in front of their televisions and computers could also see the real-time footage of Qiu Wen's expression and state. They could clearly understand it.
In the sports channel's online live room, many track and field fans also started feeling anxious because of Qiu Wen's condition.
【Oh no, I've never seen Qiu Wen so anxious before a race...】
【Is this the first time that Qiu Wen has had an unstable mentality? Help, why did it have to happen during the Olympic semifinals?!】
【...Many athletes have had imbalanced mindsets in important events like the Olympics. Sigh, I'm worried. It's about to start. Can Qiu Wen adjust in time?】
【Oh my, what's wrong with Qiu Wen? He suddenly looks like this...!】
【I think I can guess. Just think about it. Your friend, whose performance is usually better than yours, got placed in a group with an extremely challenging level. Their results have already broken records significantly, but due to the rules of the competition, they can't advance to the finals. Meanwhile, your group isn't as difficult. If your friend were in your group, they could probably advance, but for you in this group, it's unlikely you'll have a chance to advance... In this situation, it's certain that your mentality would be unbalanced.】
【...True, I don't think we should talk about the idea of just working hard. This is the Olympic arena. When you stand in this position, you carry the expectations of the entire nation. In this situation, having an imbalanced mindset is just too normal.】
The track and field fans watched Qiu Wen, who was closing his eyes and bowing his head, and cautiously cheered for him in the live chat, wishing they could rush to his side at that moment and tell him, "It's okay, just focus on the race, Qiu Wen!"
However, these thoughts could only remain as wishful thinking.
Japan, Tokyo Olympic Stadium, spectator stands
Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an had also noticed Qiu Wen's unusual state from the live screen in the venue. They stood somewhat awkwardly in their original positions, wanting to say something comforting but were still powerless to do so.
They both cautiously glanced at Su Bai, who was standing in his position, frowning and looking towards the track. They didn't say anything more to Su Bai and instead took a deep breath, crossing their arms and looking in the direction of the field with a serious expression.
In the athlete's rest area behind the stadium, Zhang Ziyi had already returned to the lounge, changed his clothes, and was now looking at the live screen in the room with a serious expression, stopping his actions for a moment.
Qiu Wen...
Zhang Ziyi frowned as he watched Qiu Wen on the live screen, quietly waiting for the start of the race.
Come on, you silly kid.
Zhang Ziyi silently cheered for Qiu Wen in his heart.
Of course, he understood why Qiu Wen had fallen into such a state and mood at this moment. However, to overcome this state, at this moment, the only person Qiu Wen could rely on was himself.
In Zhang Ziyi's heart, or perhaps in the hearts of many in the national team, it was already clear that after his retirement, Qiu Wen would inevitably become the new standard-bearer of the Chinese athletics team's 400-meter event.
By then, the pressure on Qiu Wen would be even greater than it is now. If he wanted to grow, the current obstacle was one that he must overcome.
"Come on..."
Zhang Ziyi looked at Qiu Wen in the live broadcast with a sharp gaze, silently waiting for the start of Qiu Wen's semifinal race.
In the same lounge, the massage therapist and assistant of the Chinese team had finished tidying up some items and gathered in front of the live television, preparing to watch Qiu Wen's race. Originally, they also wanted to greet Zhang Ziyi and congratulate him on his achievement, but when their gaze fell on Zhang Ziyi, they couldn't help but feel a chill all over—Zhang Ziyi, who was usually very easy to talk to, seemed to have a state that made them hesitant to approach.
Obviously, although Zhang Ziyi didn't say a word, his concern for Qiu Wen's race inadvertently emitted a kind of pressure that was usually well contained by top athletes... a pressure field that came naturally.
Whether on the field or in front of the television, everyone's expectations, worries, and nervousness converged, all collectively concerned about Qiu Wen's semifinal race in the men's 400-meter sprint.
Amidst this intense anticipation, the semifinal on the field was about to begin.
All eight athletes had completed their pre-race preparations. They were still standing in front of their starting blocks, either patting their quadriceps to relax their muscles slightly or taking deep breaths to adjust their state of mind, contemplating the desired running state and overall structure for the upcoming race.
Among all the athletes, Qiu Wen still seemed to be in a somewhat uneasy state. He kept his head down, eyes closed, showing no sign of raising his head or opening his eyes, as if wanting to maintain this state until the moment the race began.
In the spectator stands, Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an looked somewhat anxious. But as the official race approached bit by bit, when the announcer's "on your marks" was heard over the broadcast, Su Bai's eyes brightened, and the lips that had been pursed suddenly relaxed, revealing a hint of a smile.
This guy Qiu Wen...
Su Bai looked in the direction of the track, his eyes shining with a hint of anticipation!
On the track, with the command "on your marks," the eight athletes had already crouched down at their starting blocks. Qiu Wen was in the seventh lane in this race, a relatively good position on the favored inside lanes. Behind him on the sixth lane was the young Kenyan talent Jipu Ruto, and on the eighth lane was the Jamaican star Maverson.
The Trinidad and Tobago ace Tekawu was in the fifth lane, and in the ninth lane was the athlete Roger from Qatar.
After the command, everyone had quickly crouched down and adjusted their positions. Then, the new command rang out, "Set."
And then, in just a brief moment.
"Bang!"
The crisp sound of the starting gun rang out right on time!
The men's 400-meter sprint semifinal for the third group had officially begun!
"The race has started!!! Let's hope that Qiu Wen can maintain his composure and perform steadily!!"
With the sound of the starting gun, Shao Minyi's voice also emerged. He and Li Sen nervously watched Qiu Wen's performance on the track, afraid that any failure to adjust his mental state could lead to a serious mistake during the initial reaction phase of the race – a mistake that might directly result in his failure!
But before Shao Minyi could start worrying, the scene on the track in front of him left him stunned on the spot.
At this moment, the race had begun, and the athletes had already reacted to the sound of the gun. All the competitors exploded with their strongest burst of power during the starting phase, pushing off the starting blocks with their legs, propelling themselves forward as quickly as possible.
It could be said that not a single athlete on the track took the starting burst phase lightly.
Some of the athletes with powerful explosive force during the start could potentially pose a strong challenge to other competitors – although this usually occurred only with athletes like Barnes from the United States, who had world-class explosive starting power.
You see, in a 400-meter circular track, due to the differing starting positions on the inner and outer lanes, the starting distances between the athletes are approximately fourteen to fifteen meters. In cases where the athletes' strengths are relatively close, it is incredibly difficult to close the gap between oneself and an athlete in the outer lane solely based on explosive power.
But...
Shao Minyi and Li Sen stared stiffly at the track.
Could it be that they were mistaken? How did it seem like Qiu Wen had rapidly closed the gap between himself and Maverson with just three explosive steps at the start?
Was it really Maverson they were talking about?
The Maverson from Jamaica!!!
The one with a personal best of 43.96 seconds!!!
In that instant, Shao Minyi and Li Sen felt as though their breath had stopped for a few seconds. Then, they quickly shifted their gaze to the screen, which displayed the reaction times of the various athletes at the start.
In a situation where the reaction times of the 8 athletes were relatively similar, Qiu Wen's reaction time of 0.126 seconds was simply outstanding compared to all the other results!
This guy Qiu Wen had compressed his starting reaction time in the 400-meter sprint bend to a level that was almost on par with the top data from the straight sprint!
Moreover, not only the starting reaction but also the explosive force at the start was a powerful display that had never been shown before.
Insane!
Not just Shao Minyi and Li Sen, but also Jiang Wentao and Pei Jin'an in the audience, had only the word "insane" flashing in their minds after seeing Qiu Wen's explosive performance.
On the track, Maverson never imagined that the young Chinese athlete behind him could rapidly close the gap between them with just the explosive force at the start.
Maverson was well aware of Qiu Wen's magical ability to disrupt the rhythm of those around him, but this time, Maverson was confident that his own rhythm would not be disrupted by Qiu Wen. After all, as long as a runner has absolute control over their own rhythm, there should be no problem with this rhythm-disrupting ability.
Moreover, his lane was in the eighth lane, while Qiu Wen's lane was in the seventh. Maverson had even considered that he could stay ahead of Qiu Wen throughout the race without being affected by this Chinese "king of rhythm disruption."
But Qiu Wen's explosive performance at the start even made Maverson, who was running in front, feel the pressure from behind, causing his nerves to involuntarily tense up.
How is this possible?
How is this possible?!
This was just the first turn at the beginning of the race!!!
If Maverson, who was running ahead, was already feeling the pressure from Qiu Wen behind him, then Jipu Ruto, who was originally behind Qiu Wen, was even more on the verge of collapse!
Jipu Ruto knew Qiu Wen was strong, but he had always been confident that he was definitely stronger than this Chinese athlete. Not to mention anything else, at least Qiu Wen's personal best was 44.90 seconds, a result that Jipu Ruto considered to be completely unimpressive.
But just a moment ago, in that split second at the start, Qiu Wen's posture of explosive power and the momentum and speed of his forward charge left a terrifying shadow in Jipu Ruto's heart.
How could this be possible?!
Jipu Ruto's mind was also shouting like this. He couldn't believe that a Chinese 400-meter sprinter had run with the speed and momentum of a 100-meter sprint in the starting phase - yes, Jipu Ruto was completely confident in judging that this Chinese athlete's speed at the start was not what should be expected in the curved start of a 400-meter race.
Was he going crazy?!
Using such a terrifying momentum and speed in the curved starting part of the 400 meters, if he lost control of his body and ran out of his lane, he would immediately violate the rules and lose his result!
Just like...
Just like Maverson?!
"The Jamaican athlete Maverson has violated the rules!!"
In the sports channel's online live broadcast room, Shao Minyi's gaze was astonished. He had just clearly seen that Maverson may have tried to accelerate further to maintain some advantage over Qiu Wen in the second curve, in an attempt to widen the gap between them.
But Maverson's approach did not succeed. Instead, during his curved run, his body began to lose control, and his feet clearly stepped onto Qiu Wen's lane.
Maverson's violation directly caused him to lose his final qualifying position and result in this race.
As an experienced veteran, Maverson should not have made such a mistake. However, he was well aware of the immense pressure coming from the Chinese athlete behind him. It wasn't just the initial three steps of the rapid closing of the distance during the start, but after those three steps, that terrifying man from China ran without any regard for rhythm, as if he didn't care about his physical exertion at all. On the first straight hundred meters, he ran at a speed even more terrifying than in the starting curve.
Maverson could clearly feel the constant threat from the athlete behind him. Even though he was closing in on the Qatar athlete Roger in front of him, the threat from behind made Maverson feel as if a beast was chasing him in a frenzy, causing his scalp to tingle.
He had to create enough distance between himself and the Chinese athlete behind him!
This thought that erupted in Maverson's mind made him disregard the fact that his physical energy had already significantly declined by the third hundred meters. In the second curve, he further increased his speed, beyond his body's limits and natural rhythm. This led to his technique going out of control, ultimately stepping into the seventh lane and being disqualified.
It wasn't until this moment that Maverson suddenly understood why Qiu Wen was known as the "rhythm disruptor." Even though he had prepared himself mentally beforehand, he was still rendered powerless by Qiu Wen's rhythm, ultimately losing the qualification to leave a mark in this arena.
Maverson's violation made all the athletes who were initially behind Qiu Wen's heart skip a beat, afraid that they might also run out of the track due to trying to catch up with Qiu Wen. This fear caused them to slow down, but Qiu Wen didn't pay any attention to these opponents behind him. By the end of the second curve, the athlete in the ninth lane, Roger from Qatar, had gradually fallen behind Qiu Wen.
Among the eight lanes, at this moment, only the athlete Tekawu from Trinidad and Tobago on the fifth lane was barely keeping up with Qiu Wen. Despite being on the fifth lane, he still couldn't completely make up for the distance difference that Qiu Wen had initially in the outer lane of the second curve.
The domestic audience was completely stunned.
What's going on?!
Wasn't Qiu Wen unstable in his mentality before the race? Wasn't he about to explode from the pressure, with everyone worried about his poor state?!
But...
Seeing the scene before them, all the audience members were excited to the point that their scalp was tingling!
Oh my goodness, the final straight section is coming up!
And on the track...
Qiu Wen is still in the first position?!
"In first place?!!! Qiu Wen is still in first place! Hold on! The final sprint phase is coming up!"
In the sports channel's live broadcast room, both Shao Minyi and Li Sen were also feeling their scalps tingling. Like all the viewers, they had thought that Qiu Wen might run a somewhat poor race in this competition.
But look now...
Poor?!
Forget about poor!
The current performance is just amazing!
This is the Olympic semi-final track! The Chinese men's 400-meter sprinter has actually managed to take the first position in the Olympic semi-finals!
Even if someone had told them the same thing three days ago, they wouldn't have believed it!
But at this moment, the reality was right in front of their eyes!
"Go for it!!! Oh my god, Er Ha, go!!!"
In front of the TV, the audience, who had been somewhat subdued before the race began, were now shouting at the top of their lungs in their homes, regardless of the fact that it was already late at night in China.
【Ah, ah, ah, ah, Er Ha!!!】
The barrage of screams on the public screen of the sports channel's online broadcast room was full of excitement, and this screaming continued even after Qiu Wen maintained his first-place position and crossed the finish line.
In the stands, Pei Jin'an and Jiang Wentao, along with many other members of the Chinese team, were stunned in their places. Only Su Bai had a smile of joy and surprise on his face as he watched Qiu Wen on the track. Before the race, Qiu Wen's sudden stability and the paranoia of being in a high position made Su Bai understand that Qiu Wen had adjusted his mentality in the best possible direction.
"Since he felt unwilling about Zhang Ziyi's results and failure to advance, he decided to try and run a result without regrets!"
In the backstage locker room, the masseur and assistant coach were also astonished. Only Zhang Ziyi, looking at Qiu Wen, who had successfully crossed the finish line and then knelt down on the ground, roaring to the sky, had a smile on his face.
"Although everyone likes to call Qiu Wen 'Er Ha', perhaps some people have forgotten that the possible ancestors of Huskies were the wolves of the Siberian plains."
Obviously, this burst of ferocity had exceeded everyone's expectations.
—---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------