Chapter 33

Two figures crossed the finish line simultaneously.

"Who crossed the line first?"

"It was too fast, we couldn't see clearly at all!"

The two could be said to have run neck and neck, and it was difficult for the naked eye to discern who crossed the line first in that instant. Even the spectators in the main stand frowned, and those in other positions found it even harder to see clearly.

The officials were reviewing the race footage. At the finish line, there was equipment that would capture the moment of crossing with millisecond precision, forming an image to determine who was faster.

"Who crossed the line first? Was it Asahara-kun?" Takano Shin anxiously looked at the officials at the finish line and said softly.

Kobayashi Kei and the coach could not confirm who crossed the line first. He glanced at Coach Yu nearby and noticed a faint smile on his face.

"He's smiling? Why is he smiling? Could he think that Zhang Guan crossed the line first? The two were clearly running neck and neck, and even their finishing actions were simultaneous. From our angle, it's impossible to see who crossed the line first." Kobayashi Kei was puzzled. Then he noticed that Coach Yu was looking at the athletes waiting for the results at the finish line. Following Coach Yu's gaze, Kobayashi Kei's face suddenly changed.

"Oh no, it's like this! We're probably going to lose!" Kobayashi Kei glanced at Coach Yu again. He finally understood why Coach Yu was smiling and had a premonition of something ominous.

At the finish line, Zhang Guan and Asahara Nobuharu were not far apart. From the angle of Coach Yu and Kobayashi Kei, the two were lined up side by side, and their height difference was clearly visible.

Asahara Nobuharu's official height is 1.79 meters, but this is his height with shoes on. His actual height is less than 1.79 meters. Zhang Guan's height is 1.89 meters, which is his actual height from a physical examination. With shoes on, his height is about 1.92 to 1.93 meters. The 14-centimeter height difference is very noticeable.

The body proportions of Asians are not significantly different. Under the same body proportions, a taller person naturally has longer limbs. This means that the 14-centimeter height difference would be distributed between the upper and lower limbs. Therefore, in the same forward-leaning finishing action, the head of the taller person would reach a farther distance, and the taller person would definitely touch the finish line first. This is like using the index finger and middle finger to press a key; the middle finger can definitely reach a farther key.

Coach Yu saw the height difference between the two and realized this. Therefore, he could almost certainly determine that Zhang Guan would touch the finish line first.

Immediately, the officials at the finish line made their decision: Zhang Guan crossed the line first.

"We won! We won! We won!" Chen Jian, Shen Bao, and Yang Yao rushed to Zhang Guan at the finish line.

38.79 seconds, although far from the Asian record, had already broken the national record of 38.81 seconds set in 1995.

Shen Bao looked at this number and could not hold back his tears.

But Shen Bao was crying happily, really happily!

"Zhang Guan! Thank you! Thank you!" Shen Bao was very excited and agitated.

Zhang Guan was somewhat surprised by Shen Bao's excitement. Zhang Guan did not know that representing the national team and standing at the highest point of the podium was Shen Bao's lifelong dream. From the first day Shen Bao started track and field training, he had dreamed of wearing the national team's uniform and standing on the international competition podium, watching the national flag rise to the top while the national anthem played.

For over a decade, Shen Bao had been training hard, but as time passed and he grew older, he gradually felt that his dream was becoming more and more distant. He felt the cruelty of reality and even despaired and wanted to give up countless times.

But today, his dream came true. He could finally stand on the podium he had longed for, and this sudden happiness made this tough athlete unable to suppress his emotions.

So, he cried, not just because of the excitement, but because of the hard work and continuous efforts over the past decade, the relentless training through the cold and heat, and the hardships he had endured, which finally bore fruit at this moment.

Shen Bao suddenly felt very lucky because he had the best teammates and because he met Zhang Guan. In China, there are many athletes who silently endure, silently work hard, and silently strive, but most of them will never see the day when their dreams come true.

A new national record, his name would be remembered, and their names would be remembered!

...

Kobayashi Kei stood there with a disappointed look. This time, the Japanese team used the World Championship lineup for the Asian Track and Field Championships. He thought the Japanese team would sweep the sprint events in Asia, but unexpectedly, they lost two of the most important gold medals.

"We lost, we lost this time!" At this moment, Coach Kobayashi Kei seemed to have aged ten years suddenly. He looked at Asahara Nobuharu, who was panting heavily at the finish line, knowing that this athlete of the golden generation of Japanese sprinting had given his all. The injured Miki Shinji could only hop forward on one leg. Kobayashi Kei knew that this failure could not be blamed on his team's lack of effort.

"It's him!" Kobayashi Kei glared at Zhang Guan, knowing that the failure of the Japanese sprinting this time was due to this suddenly emerging athlete.

"He's only seventeen years old!" Coach Kobayashi Kei sighed deeply, with a look of despair: "The era of Japanese dominance in Asian sprinting is over."

Takano Shin, sensing Kobayashi Kei's negative emotions, immediately said, "Coach, please don't be discouraged! This was just an accident. The Chinese team only had one outstanding athlete, Zhang Guan. Their other athletes are still not as good as ours. We still have an overall advantage."

"You don't understand," Kobayashi Kei shook his head and continued, "China is different from us. Once the Chinese find that a certain field can easily bring benefits, they will rush into it, even using administrative means to support it, developing it to the extreme in the shortest time. Just like in sprinting, once they achieve a good result, they will immediately increase funding and policy support. Under this national system, a large number of 'Zhang Guans' will quickly emerge, and this is something that no country in the world can stop. Think about diving, shooting, weightlifting, and table tennis in China; they are all products of this national system. China is so vast that as long as there is investment, they can easily select a batch of the best athletes."

Takano Shin thought for a moment and then said disdainfully, "Coach, the national system is not necessarily successful. The Chinese have been playing football for so many years, and it's still the same. If the World Cup hadn't been held in Japan last year, the Chinese probably wouldn't have had the chance to participate. And since the World Cup, their investment has been increasing, but their performance has been getting worse."

"I just said, the Chinese only rush into a field when they find it easy to gain benefits. Football is not a field where results can be easily achieved; it requires long-term planning over ten or even twenty years. Cultivating a football player also requires a lot of time and money, and team sports are not just about cultivating a few excellent athletes. The larger the scale of the team sport, the more it needs a broad base and a social atmosphere. But sprinting is different. Running is a natural human skill. This sport does not require teamwork, coordination, or training equipment, and it does not need a broad base or a social atmosphere. One person can dominate the world." Kobayashi Kei paused, gazing into the distance, and continued, "The threshold for entering the sprinting field is too low. I believe there are many hidden talents in the general population..."

...

Breaking the national record, Zhang Guan received a skill point as a reward. After the award ceremony, the honor of being the Asian champion should also earn him two skill points, which made Zhang Guan very satisfied, even a bit smug. He spent one skill point on "Curve Sprint" and earned three skill points in return, making this deal very worthwhile and leaving Zhang Guan feeling very pleased.

"Come on, Zhang Guan, let's go around the track!" Chen Jian handed the national flag to Zhang Guan.

Suddenly, Zhang Guan felt a slight soreness in his calves. He involuntarily twisted his joints and found that he was not injured.

"Was the exercise just now too intense? The muscles and joints might have been overloaded." Zhang Guan subconsciously glanced at Miki Shinji, who was being supported by two people in the distance, and felt a bit nervous.

Zhang Guan, who had once been a sports talent student, had taken courses related to sports science in college. He knew that during high-intensity exercises, the muscles, joints, and various tissues in the body would be under great pressure, and prolonged stress would definitely lead to stress injuries. In sprinting, if the Achilles tendon and other important tissues are not strong enough, they could easily rupture during intense exercise.

"My body is not strong enough. I can't use this running style often, or I'll get injured. This body is not yet adapted to high-intensity, high-explosive exercises. I need to strengthen my physical training and build up my muscles. Right, that 'Physical Strengthening' skill seems to be able to strengthen the body; it should have some effect." Zhang Guan thought to himself.

...

Miki Shinji's injury was relatively serious, and the Japanese team did not trust the medical technology in the Philippines. Therefore, they bought a ticket for Miki Shinji to return to Japan on the afternoon of the same day for examination and treatment.

Miki Shinji's injury was originally a fatigue-induced injury. He had not had sufficient rest after participating in the World Track and Field Championships and the Asian Track and Field Championships. In the competition with Zhang Guan, he had pushed himself too hard, leading to the injury. Originally, Miki Shinji only needed rest to recover, but he participated in the 4x100 meters relay final while injured, competing with Shen Bao and exacerbating his injury.

Although Miki Shinji withdrew from the competition, the race still needed to continue. In the men's 200 meters final, with Miki Shinji's withdrawal, only seven people participated. The gold medal in the relay race boosted Yang Yao's morale, and he fully utilized his strength, successfully defeating Kōhei Shinji and winning another gold medal.

This time, the national team achieved a great victory in the Asian Track and Field Championships, making a historic breakthrough in the men's 100 meters, standing at the peak of Asia.

For Zhang Guan, this was just the beginning.

A perfect beginning...

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Thank you to the readers Xin Wei Xue, Feng Xue Piao Lin, and Xing Kong 1208 for your support. I appreciate your recommendations and collections. Thank you!

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