Chapter 41

On July 17th, at the Beijing Sports University Track and Field Stadium.

A national track and field grand prix event was being held here, the fourth leg of the series.

Due to the preparation for the Olympics, athletes with a chance to win medals, such as Liu Feiren and Xing Huina, did not participate. Zhang Guan, the top sprinter in Asia, was considered the star of this competition.

Without Liu Feiren, naturally, no one paid much attention to the 110-meter hurdles. As a result, all the attention was focused on the 100-meter sprint, as everyone wanted to see how Zhang Guan was performing.

It was already summer vacation in July, but many students still remained on campus, especially at the competitive sports college. Many of the students were professional athletes, with several international-level athletes, dozens of national-level athletes, and even more first-class national athletes.

As the host, Beijing Sports University naturally received some preferential treatment, so the track and field management center allocated some spots for the university in this leg of the competition. Therefore, some of the participants were students from Beijing Sports University, which also lowered the overall competitive level of the event.

For many students at Beijing Sports University, competing against the top sprinter in Asia was a great honor. Before the race, countless students sought Zhang Guan's autograph and took photos with him, which made Zhang Guan feel that the competitive atmosphere had diminished. Faced with such a scene, Zhang Guan couldn't feel nervous, let alone excited.

In the preliminary round, Zhang Guan ran a time of 10.24 seconds, and in the semi-final, he ran 10.26 seconds. He didn't put in much effort in either the preliminary or the semi-final, just running casually.

Initially, Zhang Guan was slightly more serious in the preliminary round, but when he realized his lead was too significant, he didn't take the semi-final seriously either.

Whether in the preliminary or the semi-final, Zhang Guan's performance was not good. The opponents were too weak, leaving him with no competitive spirit. A 100-meter sprinter who can run under ten seconds competing against a group of first-class national athletes was like a cheetah racing against rabbits. Even if he won, there was no sense of achievement.

At this point, Zhang Guan finally understood why high-level athletes were unwilling to participate in lower-level events. Although it might be satisfying to dominate, it could also make one complacent and lose their edge.

The next day, the level of the athletes in the final was much higher. Without the university athletes, all eight participants were professional athletes. Of course, university athletes had no chance of making it to the final.

Zhang Guan encountered Shen Bao again. Shen Bao looked very serious and seemed somewhat nervous.

Shen Bao was making a final push for a spot in the Olympics. The deadline for Olympic registration was approaching, and Shen Bao wouldn't give up this last chance. In fact, he hadn't given up any opportunity. He had participated in all the track and field events this year and achieved a personal best of 10.23 seconds, which was also the best 100-meter time in the country this year. Unfortunately, it was still 0.02 seconds short of the Olympic A standard.

In yesterday's competition, a 19-year-old young athlete, Wang Lina, successfully jumped over the Olympic A standard in the women's long jump, securing an Olympic spot. Just now, in the men's javelin throw, 32-year-old veteran Li Rongxiang also surpassed the Olympic A standard, securing his spot in the Athens Olympics. The emergence of these two new Olympic spots deeply stimulated Shen Bao, and he hoped to seize this last opportunity to qualify for Athens.

As for Zhang Guan, influenced by yesterday's events, his state today was still not good. He could clearly feel it. Even standing on the track, his body couldn't get excited, and his feet felt unusually heavy, as if he had just come out of a freezer.

However, Zhang Guan still planned to challenge the Asian record this year. He currently had four skill points, and he needed two more to complete the next task. A single national track and field grand prix championship was not enough to earn two skill points, so he had to break the Asian record.

...

With the sound of the starting gun, Zhang Guan sprinted out of the starting line with all his might.

"So fast! I've never seen anyone run this fast before."

"Truly the top sprinter in Asia!"

"Yesterday he was already very fast, but today he's even faster!"

The students from Beijing Sports University in the stands praised him.

But on the track, Zhang Guan clearly felt that his speed was average. Normally, he should have been much faster.

The timing numbers in the system were constantly updating, and Zhang Guan was somewhat anxious. At this speed, he probably wouldn't break the Asian record.

"I need to push harder!" Zhang Guan thought to himself. Despite his legs exerting full force, his speed didn't increase.

In the end, he didn't hold back, even making a serious effort to cross the finish line despite his large lead. However, his final time was 9.99 seconds.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause. Zhang Guan had once again tied the Asian record, which the audience considered a remarkable achievement. For the students of Beijing Sports University, witnessing this moment was a great honor.

Coach Yu, who was watching from the stands, let out a sigh of relief and said to the people around him, "I thought Chen Lao's illness would affect his performance, but it seems his state is still quite good. If he can maintain this, I'll be at ease for the Olympics."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Although they were all sports professionals, the best domestic athletes had long been outside the 10.2-second mark. In their view, tying the Asian record was a sign of excellent form.

At the finish line, Zhang Guan frowned. He knew his state was extremely poor and he hadn't performed at his usual training level.

It had been ten months since the Asian Track and Field Championships. In those ten months, Zhang Guan's technique had improved significantly, and under the influence of the "Strengthen Body" and "Enhance Body" skills, his physical strength and endurance had greatly improved. The soreness in his calves after intense exercise had disappeared, and his overall strength was much greater than last year. Zhang Guan had secretly tested himself and found that his 100-meter speed in a full sprint was definitely much faster than last year's Asian Track and Field Championships, capable of running under 9.9 seconds.

But today, despite his best effort, he only ran 9.99 seconds, indicating that his state was very poor.

Zhang Guan then looked at the overall results. Shen Bao still hadn't met the Olympic A standard. This Athens Olympics was destined to be out of reach for him, and given his age and competitive state, he wouldn't be able to participate in the next Olympics either.

Shen Bao looked at the results with a disappointed expression, his eyes filled with pain and unwillingness. For an athlete, participating in the Olympics was not only an honor but also a lifelong dream. Now that the dream was shattered, he would never have the chance to fulfill it.

"Brother Shen..." Zhang Guan approached, wanting to comfort Shen Bao.

Shen Bao looked up and smiled at Zhang Guan, saying, "Zhang Guan, do your best at the Olympics. Run for both of us and try to make it to the final!"

After saying this, Shen Bao turned and left. Zhang Guan could vaguely see a hint of moisture in Shen Bao's eyes.

Zhang Guan didn't say anything more. He watched Shen Bao leave and then thought of the lonely figure of Chen Lao when he left.

"I will definitely win the Olympic gold medal!" Zhang Guan suddenly said.

Shen Bao's body stiffened, but he didn't turn around. He raised his right hand and gave a thumbs up.

Zhang Guan couldn't see Shen Bao's expression, but he knew that at that moment, Shen Bao was silently blessing him and the entire national team!

...

Not breaking the Asian record, but winning the national track and field grand prix championship, Zhang Guan earned five skill points, still one short of completing the task. This one skill point would have to wait until the fifth leg of the national track and field grand prix at the end of the month.

On the bus back, Zhang Guan frowned, thinking about how to improve his competitive state.

Coach Yu was also on the same bus. Seeing Zhang Guan's gloomy expression, he switched seats with the person next to Zhang Guan and came closer.

"Even tying the Asian record, why are you still gloomy?" Coach Yu asked.

"Coach, I feel my recent competitive state is not good. I've been struggling in the last two races," Zhang Guan said.

"State not good?" Coach Yu was taken aback. In his view, tying the Asian record couldn't be considered a poor state, but from Zhang Guan's serious expression, he didn't seem to be joking.

"How is your state not good? Tell me more," Coach Yu said.

"It's hard to describe..." Zhang Guan said.

"Is it that you feel you're struggling, your steps are heavy, you can't find your rhythm, and it feels awkward? You feel like you're exerting effort, but your speed just won't increase?" Coach Yu suddenly became serious.

"Yes, exactly that feeling!" Zhang Guan said.

Coach Yu took a deep breath. Having been an athlete for over a decade and a coach for several decades, he knew exactly what it felt like when an athlete's state was poor, so he described it accurately.

"An athlete can experience state fluctuations due to a long absence from competition, physical injury, significant changes in training, or external factors. I'll create a new training plan for you when we get back. I'll personally oversee your daily training," Coach Yu said.

In Coach Yu's view, Zhang Guan's decline in state was likely due to the departure of Chen Lao. Changing coaches can have a significant impact on an athlete, and the new coach clearly wasn't as skilled as Chen Lao, leading to a decline in Zhang Guan's competitive state. With proper training, his state could be restored in a short time.

"Come to think of it, this kid can run 9.99 seconds even in a poor state. If he's in good form, he could be aiming for a world championship," Coach Yu thought to himself.

---

This is the first chapter for today. First, I want to thank the new patron, Xin Weixue, who has been supporting me since the beginning of the book. Thank you very much! Regarding the plot, I don't like writing in a formulaic way. I find it boring to write the same way others do. So, from the beginning of this book, I've been trying to bring in new ideas and innovations. The reason some common plot elements feel uninteresting is that everyone writes them the same way without integrating them into their own story, leading to reader fatigue. I'm always trying to find a balance between making the story enjoyable and interesting. It's challenging, but I'll keep working on it. Finally, I'd appreciate your votes! Thank you.

---

Page break for ads starts

Page break for ads ends