Chapter 98

Young Usain Bolt finished his day's training and dragged his tired body back to the dormitory.

Jamaica is a poor country, and in a poor country, most people are also poor. Bolt's father was one of the poor, not only without money but also heavily in debt, making him one of the poorest of the poor. For Bolt, sprinting was his only chance to escape poverty, so he trained very hard.

Not long ago, Bolt stood out among the talented Jamaican team and successfully secured a spot in the Olympics. He participated in the men's 200 meters, but unfortunately, he got injured in the first round and only managed to run a time of 21.05 seconds, failing to advance to the next round.

Bolt returned to his simple dormitory. As soon as he entered, he saw a poster he had cut out from a newspaper on his wall. It was of an Asian athlete, specifically a Chinese athlete, who was looking back at the finish line, with several black athletes desperately chasing him from behind.

The poster featured Zhang Guan, Bolt's idol and the target he was striving to catch up with.

At that moment, Bolt's teammate Michael Frater happened to pass by his door. Seeing Bolt inside, he said, "Usain, your Chinese idol has broken the world record again!"

As he spoke, Frater threw the newspaper in his hand to Bolt. Bolt turned around and caught it, and the headline on the front page read, "China's Zhang Breaks World Record Twice in One Month!"

"Zhang has broken the world record again? It's only been a month!" Bolt's face was full of shock. He carefully read the entire article, and his expression turned somewhat dejected.

"We are both eighteen, but the gap between us is growing wider. I can't let this continue; I have to work harder, or I'll never catch up to you..."

Meanwhile, in the United States, Stephen Curry pointed to the headline on his computer screen and proudly said to his brother, "See that? That's my idol, Zhang. In just one month, he broke the world record again!"

...

The men's 100 meters is undoubtedly the most watched event in track and field. The world record in this event signifies the fastest person on the planet. Every time the men's 100 meters world record is broken, the person responsible is guaranteed to make the front page of the news, especially when Zhang Guan broke it twice in one month. As a result, Zhang Guan's name appeared again on the front pages of major media outlets worldwide the next day.

Of course, there was an exception, and that was Japan. At this time, Japan's petty national mentality fully erupted. The Japanese media focused on reporting the re-awarding of the gold medal to Shizuka Nishikubo, while Zhang Guan's breaking of the world record was only briefly mentioned. The media in Japan did not even report on Liu Fei's victory over Alan Johnson.

When Zhang Guan returned to China, he was once again surrounded by journalists at the airport. However, only a few major media outlets had the privilege of interviewing him. Zhang Guan did not linger for long; after leaving the international arrivals terminal, he headed straight to the domestic departures terminal to prepare for the annual final of the National Track and Field Grand Prix in Luzhou.

The Chinese Athletics Association also planned a press conference in Luzhou to introduce Zhang Guan's latest world record. Despite being very tired after arriving in Luzhou, Zhang Guan still attended the press conference and the pre-race media event. Afterward, he met up with old acquaintances like Chen Jian and Shen Bao at the accommodation provided by the event.

Although Luzhou is the capital of a province, it is not a coastal city, and its development is far behind that of the major first-tier cities. The old Guangming Stadium, which hosted this event, could only accommodate 10,000 people. The stadium had not hosted a track and field event for 15 years, and both the facilities and the venue were quite outdated.

However, the citizens of Luzhou were very enthusiastic. The 10,000-person stadium was packed with over 12,000 people. The stands were full, and even the aisles were crowded with people sitting, squatting, and standing. Most of them might not have understood much about track and field, but they all knew Zhang Guan, and the majority were there to see the world's fastest man.

Many journalists also attended. Even those who had not initially planned to send reporters changed their minds after Zhang Guan broke the world record again.

The moment Zhang Guan walked out of the athletes' tunnel, the crowd erupted. Zhang Guan had to keep waving to the audience, and the various cameras and flashbulbs almost blinded his "alloy dog eyes"!

Finally, Zhang Guan stood on the track, and the referee signaled the athletes to get ready. The athletes all assumed their starting positions.

The race was about to begin, but no one in the stands held their breath. They were about to witness the world's fastest man sprint on the track, and they could not contain their excitement.

"Zhang Guan! Go for it!"

"Zhang Guan! Break another world record!"

Various cheers, encouragement, and shouts mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish one from another. In this atmosphere, even the most calm people were infected and became excited.

Finally, the starting gun went off.

However, Zhang Guan did not move.

The cheers were too loud, and Zhang Guan could not determine if he had really heard the gun, so he did not start immediately. But when the other athletes began to run, Zhang Guan realized the race had started.

Fortunately, in Yokohama not long ago, Zhang Guan had increased his state to over 90. Although it had declined somewhat, he was still at 84, which was still a level where he could perform exceptionally.

Thus, Zhang Guan started from the last position and began to catch up.

From the last place to the first, Zhang Guan took nearly 10 seconds to overtake seven other athletes and reach the lead. The process of overtaking in a sprint is the most thrilling part, and the audience was treated to a spectacular show. As Zhang Guan continued to overtake, the audience did not hold back their cheers, and many of them hoarsened their voices during those 10 seconds, but they all felt it was worth it.

10.13 seconds. Even though he did not hear the starting gun, Zhang Guan still won the championship easily. This time would not be competitive on the international stage, but domestically and even in Asia, it was a championship-level performance.

After the race, the journalists, like dogs that had caught a scent, swarmed around Zhang Guan again. Although winning the championship was expected and not particularly newsworthy, as a focal point, even a minor action by Zhang Guan could be turned into a story.

Zhang Guan kindly pulled a few familiar faces, like Chen Jian and Shen Bao, to the front and took photos with them in front of the cameras. Track and field athletes do not often get media exposure, and Zhang Guan's actions helped increase their visibility, which could help them secure more advertisements and appearances in the future.

Athletes are in the business of youth, and unlike Zhang Guan, most do not have endless endorsements. So Zhang Guan felt that helping others gain more opportunities was a good thing.

With Zhang Guan's appearance, the atmosphere of the competition reached its peak.

The audience was very happy, having witnessed a fantastic performance by the world's fastest man.

The sponsors were also very pleased. The high level of attention, the numerous journalists, and the large number of spectators were exactly what the sponsors needed. Some sponsors were already considering whether to continue sponsoring the event next year.

The Chinese Athletics Association was also very happy, as the sponsors were happy. The association is not afraid of organizing events and even believes the more, the better. However, organizing events requires money, and among the five major sectors—science, education, culture, health, and sports—sports have always been the least funded. So with the sponsors happy, there would be no lack of funds for next year's events.

As for Zhang Guan, he was also very happy. Although the consecutive competitions had left him very tired, the newly won national championship had given him another skill point. Adding the four skill points from his Olympic gold medal and the eight skill points from breaking the world record twice, Zhang Guan now had a substantial number of skill points.

"I need to learn some new skills," Zhang Guan thought, no longer satisfied with just being a 100-meter champion.

...

"Knock, knock, knock..." The sound of knocking on the door made Coach Yu instinctively look at his watch. It was already nine o'clock, and although it was not too late, he could not think of who would be knocking on his door at this time.

Coach Yu opened the door and saw Zhang Guan standing there. He was surprised and said, "Zhang Guan, it's you? Is there something you need?"

Seeing Coach Yu's expression, Zhang Guan thought to himself, "The old man must think it's a big sword knocking on the door," and then he said, "I have something I want to discuss with you."

"Come in and sit down!" Coach Yu let Zhang Guan into the room and then asked, "What is it?"

"I want to train for the 200 meters," Zhang Guan said directly.

Coach Yu drew in a sharp breath. He had not expected Zhang Guan to have this idea. He hesitated for a moment and then said, "It's good that young people have enthusiasm and are willing to take on new challenges, and I commend you for that. But you need to think carefully. The 200 meters is quite different from the 100 meters. Although it's just an additional curve, it requires many more technical skills. Normally, it takes several months to fully master the technical points, and to meet the competition requirements, it might take a year."

"I know, and I want to try," Zhang Guan paused and continued, "I'm not afraid of the difficulty. I see that sprinters from other countries can participate in multiple events, and I also want to win a few more gold medals."

"I understand your desire," Coach Yu frowned and said, "Many 100-meter sprinters also compete in the 200 meters, but most of them have the 200 meters as their main event or started with the 200 meters. Generally, those who can win the world championship in the 200 meters can also win in the 100 meters, but 100-meter specialists often do not perform well in the 200 meters."

Coach Yu paused and continued, "So I have to say this upfront: if you run the 200 meters, you might not be as outstanding as in the 100 meters. You might not win the world championship in the 200 meters, let alone break the world record."

"I believe I can run the 200 meters well. I will win the world championship in the 200 meters, and I will break the world record in the 200 meters," Zhang Guan clenched his fists tightly and said firmly, "I want to become the king of track and field in the world!"

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Chapter 1 is here. The book will be released tomorrow, and I'm asking for your support in terms of monthly votes and subscriptions, especially the first month's subscriptions, which are crucial for a newly released book. The number "7" has always been considered a lucky number, so starting tomorrow, I will update 7 times a day, hoping this number will bring you all luck.

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