Chapter 32

Coach Yu maintained a calm expression, but his heart was pounding with tension.

With an athlete of Zhang Guan's caliber on the team, winning a medal in the 4x100 meters relay was almost guaranteed. However, Coach Yu was not content with just a medal; the injury of Shingo Suetsugu had given him hope for a gold medal.

But even with Suetsugu injured, the Japanese team remained formidable. At the peak of his career, Chen Jian barely managed to run even with the aging Tsuchie Masahiro, and Shen Bao still couldn't outpace the injured Suetsugu. Although Yang Yao had regained some face against Takahashi Shunsuke, the baton exchanges for the third and fourth legs still worried Coach Yu.

"Zhang Guan can't run the curve, the gap will widen again!" Coach Yu thought helplessly.

This thought also crossed the minds of Habib and Asahara.

For high-level sprinters, energy distribution is a crucial skill. As the fourth leg, the athlete will certainly use all their energy and strength on the final straight. The standard straightaway is 80 meters, and this 80 meters is where the fourth leg athlete truly exerts themselves.

But in the current situation, neither Asahara nor Habib could match Zhang Guan in the final straight. If they reserved their energy for the last 80 meters, it would be like using their weakness to challenge Zhang Guan's strength, which would be a poor strategy. Therefore, both had planned to allocate more energy to the curve, gaining more speed in the curve.

Everyone believed that Zhang Guan couldn't run the curve, so his speed would be much slower. Therefore, if they allocated some energy and strength to the curve, they could gain a significant advantage. Even if they only gained 0.1 seconds, it would be worth it.

So when Asahara took the baton, he began to accelerate with all his might, trying to accumulate as much of an advantage as possible. The advantage gained in the curve would have to be repaid in the straightaway. Whether Japan could win the gold medal depended on whether the accumulated advantages were enough to "pay off" in the final 80 meters.

Coach Yu, watching from a distance, furrowed his brow. He clearly felt the difference in Asahara's running rhythm and instantly understood the Japanese team's strategy. He guessed that the Saudi Arabian team, also aiming for the gold, would adopt the same strategy.

Sure enough, Habib of the Saudi Arabian team was doing the same thing, accelerating as hard as he could in the curve.

"In the preliminary round, the Saudi Arabian team didn't know that Zhang Guan couldn't run the curve, so on the straightaway, Zhang Guan overtook Habib, though it was a close win. Now that Zhang Guan's weakness is known to the Saudis, Habib's speed in the curve is faster. Can we only get a bronze medal?" Coach Yu clenched his fists in worry.

The next moment, he noticed that Zhang Guan's speed in the curve wasn't as slow as he had imagined.

"Huh? To be able to maintain this speed in the curve, he must be at least as good as a top domestic athlete!" Coach Yu widened his eyes, looking at Zhang Guan with a mix of joy and disbelief.

At this moment, Zhang Guan's curve technique was still quite poor, slower than Asahara and the previous leg's Yang Yao, but it was still at a top domestic level.

The key to running the curve is overcoming centrifugal force. The faster the speed in the curve, the greater the centrifugal force, requiring more technique and a stronger body to maintain balance. Techniques like running on the left side, leaning left, increasing the arm swing on the outside, and pointing the feet inward are all basic technical actions. Athletes gradually master and adapt to these techniques through extensive training, making adjustments based on their physical condition and technical characteristics. All of this requires a lot of training and continuous accumulation.

Coach Yu carefully observed Zhang Guan, who clearly had not mastered these curve techniques. His movements were no different from those of a beginner, yet these unprofessional movements allowed him to maintain balance and move at a relatively fast speed in the curve.

"How is he doing this? Is he just relying on his physical strength to resist the centrifugal force? No, even with good physical condition, he can't use it like this; what if he gets injured?" Coach Yu's eyes showed a hint of worry, but fortunately, the short curve was about to end, and Zhang Guan was entering the final straightaway.

...

Zhang Guan indeed did not master the curve technique, but the "curve sprint" skill compensated for some of the technical deficiencies. Although it was just a basic skill, it allowed Zhang Guan to significantly increase his speed in the curve. Of course, this "significant" increase was measured in tenths of a second. However, without the curve technique, he could only maintain this for a short distance; a long curve would be impossible.

Athletes on the outer lanes appeared relatively ahead, while those on the inner lanes appeared relatively behind. But once they entered the final straightaway, it was clear who was ahead.

"Entering the straightaway! Leading is Japan's Asahara!"

The stands erupted in cheers, and some Japanese spectators began waving the Rising Sun flag.

Next, Zhang Guan and Habib almost simultaneously entered the straightaway, with Habib slightly ahead, just like in the preliminary round.

"How can this be? Just like the preliminary round, how can I only be slightly ahead?" Habib felt a wave of panic.

Habib had clearly increased his speed in the curve, so he thought he should have a greater lead. But from the current situation, his lead was the same as in the preliminary round, meaning he would definitely lose in the straightaway.

"Without a significant lead, this is over! I'm losing!" This thought flashed through Habib's mind as Zhang Guan overtook him.

Asahara also noticed this, but the more experienced Asahara was not as panicked as Habib.

"The gap doesn't seem to be that big. It looks like the strategy failed. Since that's the case, let's just go head-to-head!" Asahara decided to give it his all.

Asahara had been relatively low-key over the past year, but this didn't mean he lacked strength. Last year, he ran a 100-meter personal best of 10.02 seconds. Although he was a year older this year, his performance hadn't declined, and running under the Olympic A standard was like a routine for him.

Asahara realized he might not be as fast as Zhang Guan, but competitive sports are not absolute. World record holders have also lost races, and he still had some advantages, giving him the capital to take risks.

He was the golden generation of Japanese sprinting and was not afraid of challenges, no matter how formidable they were!

Asahara was very fast!

To win, Zhang Guan had to be even faster!

Zhang Guan needed a higher stride frequency, more powerful leg drive, and a more rhythmic arm swing...

And he did everything he needed to, becoming even faster.

At this moment, Zhang Guan was running with all his might, even more so than in the recent men's 100-meter final.

Time was passing quickly, but to Asahara, it felt like an eternity. He could already feel that the small advantage he held was rapidly disappearing, faster than the passage of time!

"His speed is really fast. This small advantage probably won't last until the finish line! The finish line is so close, I have to hold on!" Asahara looked at the approaching finish line, a glimmer of hope rising in his heart.

Ten meters from the finish line, Asahara was still ahead.

At this moment, Coach Yu and Coach Kobayashi, watching from the sidelines, clenched their fists and held their breath, their eyes fixed on the track, afraid to miss the moment of the finish.

The 4x100 meters relay had special significance for them, as they were the coaches of their respective national teams. For them, it wasn't just about training an excellent athlete but also about training an excellent team. Team victory was the most important reflection of their work.

On the track, Chen Jian, in the second leg exchange zone, looked at the other end, his body trembling with tension. Beside him, the Japanese first leg runner, Tsuchie Masahiro, clenched his jaw, as if his heart would leap out at any moment.

In the third leg exchange zone, Shen Bao roared, but he didn't know what he was shouting. It was an instinctive release of tension. He was so nervous that perhaps only shouting could release that feeling. As for the Japanese second leg runner, Suetsugu, he remained silent, watching Asahara being caught by Zhang Guan, feeling a sense of sorrow. He had a hint of regret, sensing that the Japanese team might lose. If the Japanese team lost, the effort he had put in, even at the cost of an injured leg, would be meaningless.

In the fourth leg exchange zone, Yang Yao tried to suppress his excitement. He still had the 200-meter final to run and the task of winning a medal, so he had to control himself. The Japanese fourth leg runner, Takahashi, was shouting, "Senior, go for it!"

But Asahara on the track couldn't hear Takahashi's shouts. In such a tense moment, how could Asahara possibly distinguish what others were shouting? Even if the cheers around him were deafening, Asahara paid no attention. His eyes were fixed on the finish line, which was right in front of him.

"Finally, the finish line!" Asahara felt a surge of excitement, but then he realized that Zhang Guan was right beside him.

"He caught up!" Asahara's eyes flashed with determination, and he leaned forward with all his might.

...

"I finally caught up! This Asahara is really impressive, still running so fast at 31!" Zhang Guan, seeing that they were side by side and the finish line was right in front of them, also leaned forward with all his might.

...

The two were side by side, making the same move to cross the finish line.

Cross the finish line!

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Chapter 1 delivered, please recommend, I beg for recommendations, thank you.

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