Chapter 183: Outdo Himself
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Sijie Yang stood on the starting line. Looking at the white lines on the red track, he began to feel nervous. After all, this was the first time Sijie Yang had attended such a large-scale competition. Now that he had made it to the final match, it was very normal for him to be nervous. If he had not been nervous, it would have meant he was inattentive.
Sijie Yang bent over and put his feet on the starting block, supporting his body with his arms. He found that his arms were trembling. He still could not find his inner peace.
My coach used to tell me to think about something happy when I am nervous. Something happy…do I have anything happy to think about? Sijie Yang's mind had gone blank. He could not remember anything happy that had happened to him.
The first official competition I participated in should have been the city-level middle school track and field race. Sijie Yang's thoughts traveled back to five years ago.
At that time, I really knew nothing, and was forced to participate in the race by my PE teacher; then I won the championship inexplicably. As he thought about this, Sijie Yang suddenly smiled.
I was so embarrassed that I didn't know what to do on the podium. What a ghastly memory it is! Sijie Yang took a deep breath. He missed that feeling of innocence.
Recently, I have often recalled raced from the old days. In those competitions, my opponents were quite weak. But now, in retrospect, I really miss those days. Sijie Yang suddenly found that he was beginning to get emotional
"On your mark! Get set!" The starter shouted loudly as they raised the starting pistol.
The race is about to begin! Sijie Yang prepared himself for the race, but the memories were still lingering in his mind.
"Come on! Come on!" Sijie Yang heard Dai Li's cheering. He got an inexplicable feeling of excitement, and was eager to take off from the starting line. Also at this moment, Sijie Yang suddenly understood something.
The reason I miss the old days is because I miss the feeling of victory!
Sijie Yang finally realized why he had chosen to continue his athletic career three months ago. It was not simply because he could not give up emotionally, but also because he was craving victory deep in his heart.
For victory! With an empty mind, Sijie Yang's eyes only focused on the finish line.
Blam!
The starting pistol went off. All the athletes took off from the starting line simultaneously. At the same time, the cheering squads in the stands began cheering.
...
Yue Zhao happened to be in the lane adjacent Guohong Niu. After the two took off, Yue Zhao kept an eye on Guohong Niu.
I have already defeated you in the semi-final; in the final, you will still be one of my defeated opponents! Full of confidence, Yue Zhao began to speed up.
With his teeth clenched, Guohong Niu tried to surpass Yue Zhao in the first half of the race and get a leg up on him as soon as possible. However, Yue Zhao didn't give Guohong Niu any opportunity, for he ran no slower than Guohong Niu in the first half of the race.
After thirty meters, discernible gaps began to appear amongst the sprinters. Stronger athletes began to stand out from the rest, while mediocre runners began having difficulty keeping up with the faster ones.
After forty meters, the gaps between the players became more apparent. If players were lagging behind at this point, they would have no chance of winning a medal.
The competition between Yue Zhao and Guohong Niu was quite fierce. After fifty meters, even Xiaotian Xin had begun to run low on stamina. He could barely keep up with Yue Zhao's pace.
After sixty meters, the "wall" for Asian athletes started to appear. Most Asian sprinters lost momentum in the second half of the race, which showed up after sixty meters of running.
...
Out of the corner of his eye, Guohong Niu found that Yue Zhao was indeed a little bit faster than him. However, this small advantage could transform into a victory for Yue Zhao in the last thirty meters.
It is same as the semi-final! I'm going to lose!
Guohong Niu's objective was the gold medal; he did not want to miss out on winning the championship.
I can't accept failure! Guohong Niu said to himself. He tried his best to keep up with Yue Zhao using all of his strength. However, the gap between them was huge, insurmountable for Guohong Niu.
Yue Zhao's lead grew with each step, even though it was not blatantly obvious. Guohong Niu, however, could sense it.
The 100m sprint was an event filled with fierce competition even in small advantages like this. All sprinters would make every effort to obtain a trace of it.
...
Today Yue Zhao looks really good! Dai Li sighed slightly. Although the athletes had only covered 2/3 of the full distance, Dai Li could already tell Guohong Niu had lost again.
Guohong Niu's ability was the same level as Yue Zhao's, but Yue Zhao had several years of experience on the national team. Although he had not been with the national team for years, his mental state and technique were still better than Guohong Niu's. It was similar to the NBA; a retired NBA player could easily defeat a CBA player who was still playing.
The situation looks a lot like the semi-final. Right now Guohong Niu is barely keeping up with Yue Zhao, but he will definitely begin to lag behind in the last twenty meters. Both of them have reached their top speed, so neither of them can run any faster.
Just then, a figure was closing in on Yue Zhao and Guohong Niu. In the blink of an eye, the figure was running alongside Yue Zhao and Guohong Niu.
It's Sijie Yang! He's keeping up with them! Dai Li was wide-eyed with delight.
...
Sijie Yang's mind had gone blank. He could feel each cell in his body rejoicing. He felt empowered; it was a marvelous feeling!
He caught up with Yue Zhao and Guohong Niu, and was now keeping up with them. He even felt confident enough that he felt he could surpass them.
All Sijie Yang could think about was winning. He sped forward, continuing to push himself.
...
I'm going to win! Yue Zhao saw Guohong Niu out of the corner of his eye and found that Guohong Niu was lagging behind again.
Guohong Niu can't keep up with me in the last twenty meters. I'm going to win! Yue Zhao felt a sense of delight.
As he was thinking this, however, a figure appeared on the other side of Yue Zhao, and had almost completely caught up to Yue Zhao.
Someone is catching up! Who is it? Yue Zhao was completely surprised. He had never expected someone to catch up to him and keep up with his pace in the last twenty meters.
This guy is from Tsinghua University! Yue Zhao could tell from the color of the athlete's clothing.
The other athlete from Tsinghua University, Xiaotian Xin, is much weaker than me. It can't be him who has caught up to me.
Yue Zhao turned his head slightly and saw a young, new face.
He is the third athlete from Tsinghua University! Although he had read through the name list of the runners who had qualified for the final, Yue Zhao did not remember Sijie Yang's name. But now, this player whose name Yue Zhao had forgotten had caught up from behind, and was now neck-and-neck with Yue Zhao.
Only 10 meters left, I can't lose! Like an irritated animal, Yue Zhao dashed after his target fiercely.