Chapter 27

Just 3 seconds into the race, Zhang Guan had already caught up with Miki Shingo.

In terms of reaction time at the start, the two only had a difference of 0.043 seconds, and this gap was caused during the start, not due to a difference in speed during the race. In a 100-meter sprint, a 0.01-second difference at the finish line is roughly the distance of half a head, while a 0.05-second difference is the distance of two to three heads, which is already considered a significant gap. At the start, a 0.05-second difference might just be the difference of taking half a step forward.

After the race began, Zhang Guan realized his start was slow again, so he did not hold back but accelerated with all his might. It took him only 3 seconds to catch up with Miki Shingo.

In fact, Miki Shingo's main event was not the 100-meter sprint but the 200-meter sprint. His 200-meter performance was far superior to his 100-meter performance. He had won the gold medal in the 200-meter at the Asian Games and held the Asian record. Because his main event was the 200-meter, in the 100-meter sprint, his explosive power in the first half of the race was not as strong, but his endurance was very good. This is a technical characteristic of 200-meter athletes in the 100-meter event, similar to how Bolt, in the future, was left behind in the first 30 meters of the 100-meter race but could easily win with his strong endurance.

Miki Shingo was accustomed to being caught up or even falling behind in the first half of the race. For him, the real display of strength came after 40 meters. So when Zhang Guan caught up, Miki Shingo did not panic but continued to accelerate and maintain his pace.

However, one second later, Zhang Guan had already overtaken Miki Shingo and taken the lead.

"Something's wrong! This speed is so fast, it's different from what Coach Xiao Lin predicted." As a renowned Asian sprinter, Miki Shingo had considerable race experience. Almost the moment Zhang Guan overtook him, Miki Shingo felt that Zhang Guan's speed had already exceeded his plan.

Coach Xiao Lin had devised multiple targeted plans for Miki Shingo before the race, including the scenario after a successful false start. In Coach Xiao Lin's prediction, Zhang Guan would close the gap with Miki Shingo in the first 50 meters, but Miki Shingo would rely on his strong endurance to win the championship. At the same time, Chao Yuanxuanzhi and Tsuchi Kanyu would pressure Zhang Guan from the side, disrupting his sprint rhythm. If the tactics were effective, the Japanese team could sweep the top three places. Even if the tactics were not effective, they could still secure the gold medal and strive for the silver.

But now, Zhang Guan not only closed the gap with Miki Shingo but also overtook him at the 50-meter mark. As for Chao Yuanxuanzhi and Tsuchi Kanyu, they were far behind Zhang Guan and could not interfere at all.

"How is this possible? I am the bronze medalist at the World Athletics Championships, the fastest man in Asia, how can I lose!" Miki Shingo roared in his heart, turning his anger into motivation, and began to sprint with all his might.

But the gap did not narrow.

Zhang Guan, in the lead, sensed Miki Shingo's abnormality and unconsciously turned his head to look back, which further enraged Miki Shingo.

"You're running so hard, yet you still have the leisure to look back at me!" Miki Shingo felt humiliated and redoubled his efforts.

Miki Shingo did not know that Zhang Guan was running very easily. Zhang Guan was confident that even without quick reaction, the effect of the master-level sprint skill alone was enough to run under 10 seconds. The initial ordinary sprint effect was like a free cheat, while the master-level sprint was like a paid VIP cheat, with a significant difference in effect.

After 70 meters, the gap between Miki Shingo and Zhang Guan still had not narrowed, and the championship was within reach.

"Go! Go!" The Chinese team athletes watching from a distance began to cheer wildly.

"Go! Go!" In the press area, Yang Zhongyi, regardless of his image, was waving his hands and his phone wildly.

"Go! Go!" In a corner of the stands, a few Filipino overseas Chinese raised the red flag high.

"Go! Go!" A Malaysian coach watching the race shouted in broken Teochew, with a look of schadenfreude in his eyes.

This schadenfreude was directed at the Japanese. The Japanese team had long dominated the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints in Asia. In any track and field competition in Asia where the Japanese team participated, other countries could not hope to win the gold medal in the 100-meter or 200-meter sprints. Therefore, other Asian countries were hoping for someone to bring down the Japanese team and break their monopoly in the sprints.

Miki Shingo did not give up; he continued to struggle. He was like a donkey that had been kicked after being in heat, stubbornly sprinting forward. But it was in vain. Zhang Guan was still looking back at him, seemingly not using his full strength, while he could not close the gap.

Even the spectators realized that in this competition for the top Asian athlete, Miki Shingo had lost completely and would never win again. After all, Miki Shingo, at 23, had already reached the peak of his career, while 17-year-old Zhang Guan was like a rising sun.

If there were no surprises, the 100-meter gold medal was already in Zhang Guan's hands.

But at that moment, a surprise did occur, but it was not Zhang Guan who was affected, but Miki Shingo.

With one step on the ground, a needle-like pain shot through Miki Shingo's left leg. He did not pay attention, but when he landed his left foot and exerted force again, the intense pain distorted his face, and he almost fell. He managed to maintain his balance, but his speed involuntarily slowed down.

This slight slowdown allowed Chao Yuanxuanzhi and Chen Jian to successively overtake Miki Shingo.

"What's wrong with Miki Shingo?" Coach Xiao Lin's heart tightened. He realized that the worst thing he feared had happened—Miki Shingo seemed to be injured.

At that moment, Miki Shingo, limping like a cripple, staggered toward the finish line. He raised his head in frustration and saw Zhang Guan crossing the finish line. He clenched his fists in anger and despair.

"Zhang Guan has crossed the line, he won! We won!" The national team erupted in cheers, the athletes hugging each other. Even the usually stern Director Ma shouted without regard for his image.

A gold medal in the men's 100-meter sprint was already an overachievement for the national track and field team on this trip to the Philippines. This breakthrough was a significant achievement for Director Ma, and even if the 4x100 relay did not win a medal, this gold medal in the 100-meter sprint could make up for everything!

Zhang Guan won the championship with a clear advantage and gradually slowed down after crossing the line.

Chao Yuanxuanzhi was the second to cross the finish line. He did not look happy but turned to look at Miki Shingo, who was still struggling forward, with a look of concern, clearly worried about Miki Shingo's injury.

Chen Jian was the third to cross the finish line. He did not slow down at all but rushed toward Zhang Guan and tightly embraced him. At 1.7 meters tall, Chen Jian was much shorter than Zhang Guan, so he jumped and almost ended up on Zhang Guan's back.

Next, Shen Bao also rushed over and joined the embrace with Zhang Guan and Chen Jian. Although he did not win a medal, his joy was genuine.

Mubarak and Habib also came forward to offer congratulations, and the surrounding applause showed respect for the victors.

Coach Xiao Lin stood there with a grim face. He had foreseen that Miki Shingo would lose, so he had specially arranged a false start tactic to disrupt Zhang Guan's rhythm and even resorted to the underhanded tactic of reporting the use of banned substances, but he could not stop Zhang Guan from winning the championship.

Not only that, the Japanese team had also lost Miki Shingo, who was injured in the race! From Miki Shingo's current condition, it seemed he might have injured his Achilles tendon or ankle. The specific injury would have to be assessed by a doctor, but this was undoubtedly a significant blow to the entire Japanese team.

...

In Japan, the father and son Jiang Likou sat in front of the TV, silent for a long time.

Although Jiang Likou Koushi was only a junior athlete, he could still tell who was faster and who was slower. Zhang Guan's speed was clearly faster than Miki Shingo's, and even if Miki Shingo had not been injured, he would not have been a match for Zhang Guan.

For a long time, Japan had been promoting itself as a sports powerhouse, a track and field powerhouse, and a sprinting powerhouse, and the public had accepted this. Japan's continuous breakthroughs in sprinting had greatly boosted national self-confidence. For a small island nation like Japan, which is prone to earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and tsunamis, the government used every means to boost national self-confidence.

Miki Shingo had just won the bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships, and the Japanese authorities believed that he would definitely win the championship at the Asian Athletics Championships. Therefore, they had made a big fuss about promoting Miki Shingo and live broadcasting the final of the Asian Athletics Championships. But just now, in this race, the national hero Miki Shingo, whom Japan had painstakingly cultivated, was defeated by Zhang Guan, directly undermining the self-confidence of the Japanese people and stirring up the inferiority complex of many Japanese about their small and resource-poor country.

Staring at the TV, Jiang Likou Koushi clenched his fists tightly and thought to himself, "Zhang Guan, I will surpass you in the future!"

"Ah... Japan is still a small country!" Jiang Likou sighed, picked up the remote control to change the channel, but just then, he saw the times displayed on the TV.

"What is this?" Jiang Likou regretted not changing the channel earlier. Why did he have to see that number? Was this amplifying his inferiority complex?

Beside him, Jiang Likou Koushi unclenched his fists and began to doubt himself.

"Can I really surpass him with this performance?"

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