Chapter 96

Zhang Guan, Gatlin, Greene, and Obikewuru, these four athletes all have normal times under 9.90 seconds. Jin-Kollins, although slightly weaker, can still run within 10 seconds. As for the Japanese athletes, apart from Asahara Noboru, who might have a chance to run within 10.20 seconds, the times of Takahashi Shinji and Tsukahara Naotaka are around 10.30 seconds, leaving them at least 0.4 seconds behind the leading group.

A 0.4-second gap, when translated into speed, is as obvious as the difference between a car and an electric tricycle.

In the first thirty meters, the three Japanese athletes can barely keep up, but after thirty meters, they fall behind.

The three Japanese athletes gradually fell behind amidst the enthusiastic cheers of the Japanese spectators, eventually becoming the last three. If the race were longer than 100 meters, they might have been out of the camera's view.

Among those leading, the competition between Gatlin, Greene, and Obikewuru was very intense. Although European champion Obikewuru is less famous than Gatlin and Greene, his strength is no less than theirs.

As for Zhang Guan, he was already leading! After just fifty meters, he had taken the lead, placing himself first. It seemed like a replay of the Olympic final.

Gatlin, who was in the lane to Zhang Guan's left, felt somewhat depressed. He had come to Japan from the United States with confidence, hoping to defeat Zhang Guan, but the current race process was familiar to him.

"It was the same during the Olympics. He led from the front and won the championship without any suspense. We, the world champions, were left to fight for second place! Second place? When did I, Gatlin, fall to fighting for second place? Why is it like this again! Even if he is faster than me, he can't always be faster than me!" Gatlin knew this was definitely not the answer he had hoped for after traveling so far from the United States.

After seventy meters, Zhang Guan was still leading, while the top European and American athletes were chasing behind, perhaps competing for second place.

Maurice Greene, who was next to Gatlin, was even more sensitive to Zhang Guan's speed. Greene had more competition experience than Gatlin and was stronger during his peak, so he could sense that Zhang Guan's current speed was similar to that during the Olympic final.

"His speed is the same as during the Olympic final! It's been almost a month, and there haven't been any major competitions. An athlete's performance should decline, so why is he still in such perfect form? At this speed, he's aiming for a new world record!" Greene had a bold guess, which seemed almost absurd, but a few seconds later, the electronic screen confirmed Zhang Guan's performance.

...

"Really fast! Faster than the black athletes!" Kondo Kizou, in the spectator area, was shocked. He hadn't watched the Olympic races, so this was the first time he saw an Asian athlete leading black athletes after fifty meters and then sprinting to the finish line like a crane among chickens.

But then, a smug smile appeared on Kondo Kizou's face.

"Chinese athletes can't run this fast. Zhang Guan's lead over the black athletes proves he must have used performance-enhancing drugs. I will personally expose this major scandal, and from then on, Kondo Kizou will be famous worldwide! Zhang Guan, in a few hours, your reputation will be ruined!"

...

"Zhang Guan will definitely win, and it's much easier for him than for me," Liu Fei said.

In the 110-meter hurdles race not long ago, Liu Fei had a tough battle with Alan Johnson, winning by a narrow margin. Now, in the 100-meter race, although it wasn't over yet, Zhang Guan had already secured a significant lead, with the only suspense being his final time.

Thinking about Zhang Guan's final time, Liu Fei's brows suddenly furrowed. Although he wasn't a 100-meter sprinter, the hurdles require a sense of rhythm, making Liu Fei even more sensitive to time.

"Too fast! At this speed, he might break the world record today!" Liu Fei thought to himself.

...

"Zhang Guan is leading, and his lead is increasing. It's like a replay of the Olympics! Zhang Guan, go, go, go! He's crossing the finish line! He's crossed the finish line! Congratulations to Zhang Guan for winning the championship. His time is... Oh, my God! World record! World record! Another world record! Zhang Guan has broken the world record again..." The commentator in the TV drama started to ramble.

...

The finish line was right in front of him.

Zhang Guan didn't slow down or make a deliberate finishing move; he simply crossed the finish line.

In the system, his time was 9.76 seconds, 0.01 seconds faster than his Olympic-winning time, setting a new world record.

Then, he turned to look at the timing clock at the finish line, which also showed 9.76 seconds.

"Great, I've made the headlines!" Zhang Guan smiled happily.

"Hey..." The Chinese coaches in the spectator area immediately cheered. 9.76 seconds, a new world record, even if it was only 0.01 seconds faster, it was still a new world record.

Gatlin looked at the results board in disbelief: "Another world record? I've worked so hard for so many years and haven't even touched a world record, and he breaks one in a month! How can there be such a powerful person! How does he do it!"

Maurice Greene sighed softly. At this moment, he felt no sense of defeat, but a deep sense of loss. Breaking the world record twice in a month was a testament to absolute strength. Greene knew he could never achieve this. At thirty, his body was starting to decline, while Zhang Guan was only eighteen, like a rising sun. Today, Zhang Guan's new world record also told Greene that he would never surpass Zhang Guan in his lifetime!

Obikewuru, Jin-Kollins, and others also came forward to congratulate him. When Tsukahara Naotaka from the Japanese team shook hands with Zhang Guan, he bowed nearly ninety degrees, his humble expression making Zhang Guan feel uncomfortable.

The audience gave Zhang Guan the loudest cheers, as enthusiastic as when they cheered for the re-awarded gold medal to Shirobata Koji. The Japanese have always admired strength, and Zhang Guan's overwhelming advantage was enough to make the audience convinced.

In the distance, Kondo Kizou's smile grew wider. He clapped along with the crowd, but his eyes were filled with malice.

"Let you enjoy this for a while longer. I'll soon send you from heaven to hell!"

...

Yang Zhongyi did not join in the celebration. Instead, he asked a colleague beside him, "When did Zhang Guan break the world record last time?"

"Let me think. It was around August 23rd. I remember the news reported it on August 23rd. If we consider Athens time, it was August 22nd, but in Beijing time, it was definitely August 23rd," a colleague replied.

"Today is September 23rd, exactly one month later. So, Zhang Guan has broken the world record twice in one month!" Yang Zhongyi became more and more excited. A month ago, he didn't have the chance to witness Zhang Guan breaking the world record, but a month later, he saw it happen with his own eyes.

Breaking the men's 100-meter world record twice in one month, who else in the world could do that besides Zhang Guan? Realizing this, Yang Zhongyi shouted wildly.

...

In the office of the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Deputy Director-General stood by the window, looking into the distance with a smug smile.

"Hmph! Your Chinese Liu Fei defeated Alan Johnson, so what? Who will know? What's the point of a world champion no one knows about! We've spent so much effort on media relations. Tomorrow, people will only care about the Hungarian athlete who lost the hammer throw gold medal due to doping, and the true gold medalist will be our Japanese Shirobata Koji! We Japanese are the strongest!" The Deputy Director-General suddenly burst into laughter, very satisfied with his arrangements.

The doping scandal of the Olympic champion overshadowed all the glory of the IAAF All-Star Games. Compared to the results of an All-Star Game, a doping scandal is more appealing to the media. The Deputy Director-General could already imagine that the doping scandal would be the top headline in the sports sections of major media outlets tomorrow, and the world would know that the true Olympic champion is Japan's Shirobata Koji.

At this moment, the phone in the Deputy Director-General's office rang. He picked it up, suppressed his emotions, and said, "It's me. What's the matter?"

The voice on the other end of the phone spoke rapidly, and the Deputy Director-General's expression suddenly changed.

"What? Zhang Guan! Broke the world record! How long has it been since the Olympics? He broke the world record again! How is this possible! How can this be!" At this moment, the usually composed Deputy Director-General lost his composure and shouted.

The Deputy Director-General knew the news value of the men's 100-meter world record far outweighed the re-awarded Olympic gold medal. Even if Japan gave some small gifts to journalists, what did that matter compared to the news value and media sales?

After a moment, the Deputy Director-General put down the phone and began to take deep breaths, trying to calm himself down.

"I didn't expect the Chinese to break the world record again. But that's fine. Tomorrow's headlines won't just be about him breaking the world record; they will also include the doping scandal." The Deputy Director-General continued to mutter to himself, "Kondo, don't let me down!"

—

Chapter 1 delivered. The book should go on sale on the 1st of next month. After the release, I will push it strongly. Compared to others, I have about half the number of favorites. Sports novels are already hard to manage, and with half the favorites, I will likely fall behind in monthly votes and subscriptions. This time, I'm already behind before the race even starts. So, I really need your support after the release. Every monthly vote and every subscription means double the effect and a hundred times the support to me! Thank you sincerely!

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