The Su God of the Reopening of the Sports Arena

Chapter 2479 Help me get that medal that I should have won.

The Bird's Nest National Stadium.

"Alright, viewers, welcome back to China Sports Channel. The upcoming competition is the men's 110-meter hurdles final."

"I am Yang Jian."

"Next to me is the legendary hurdler Liu Xiang."

"Hello everyone, I am Liu Xiang."

"The men's 110-meter hurdles are about to begin, and we'd like to know what Liu Xiang, one of the greatest athletes in this event, has to say?"

After that, the camera turned to Liu Xiang.

"What else could I be thinking? What I really want to do is stand on the track and compete," Liu Xiang said half-jokingly. "Since I can't do that, what I want to see most right now is for our athletes to win a medal at the Bird's Nest."

"Of course we all hope that Liu Xiang can be on the field at the competition, but even without Liu Xiang, I believe that our younger generation of athletes can shine in the Bird's Nest with their own efforts."

Yang Jian was also very good at handling things, and quickly took over the topic, saying, "Xie Wenjun's competition is about to begin. He got his qualification spot with Xiao Q's score. I wonder what Liu Xiang's expectations are for his junior brother?"

"My expectation is, of course, to win a medal," Liu Xiang said. "That's what everyone wants to see. I don't want our country's short hurdles to decline significantly after me."

"On the contrary, I hope that someone else will step forward and take on this responsibility after me."

"At present, Xie Wenjun, who won a medal at the Moscow World Championships, is the best spokesperson."

"I believe he can unleash his true potential at the Bird's Nest and showcase himself in front of 100,000 spectators."

"Yes, although he defeated Xiao Q, his strength is definitely not limited to this. Let's look forward to the final and see how he performs."

They're talking in the stands.

Sun Haiping was looking at Xie Wenjun in the lounge at this moment. Although he was born in the 90s, by this year he had become a backbone of the workforce.

For athletes, youth passes by so quickly.

For athletes, their 20s are already their peak years.

However, for many ordinary people, this is still a young person who is inexperienced and knows nothing.

But since you are an athlete, and you are capable of bearing these glories, you must also shoulder these responsibilities.

"Ah Jun, I won't say anything more."

"Run well, don't put pressure on yourself."

"Everyone is already very happy that you made it this far, even if you don't win a medal."

"Yes, I know, Master."

Xie Wenjun was a little nervous, mainly because there were so many compatriots watching the game; otherwise, he wouldn't have felt this way.

Sometimes, home advantage isn't necessarily a motivator.

There's definitely still pressure.

"Okay, go on stage."

Sun Haiping didn't say anything, just patted him on the shoulder, and then watched Xie Wenjun walk towards the athletes' check-in line in the waiting area.

When he left.

I don't know why, maybe it's because we're about the same height.

Sun Haiping always felt that his back view looked a bit like Liu Xiang's.

Although saying this isn't entirely fair to Xie Wenjun, well...

Liu Xiang's influence is still too great.

It's not just about its influence nationwide.

For his coach, and for Sun Haiping, one of his closest relatives.

And its influence is certainly not small.
Xie Wenjun's use of "Master" was practically a carbon copy of Liu Xiang's every time he went on stage.

Looking out from here at the Bird's Nest's facilities and venue, Sun Haiping really hoped that Liu Xiang could also give a good performance here.

But I'm also afraid that the nightmare of 08 will repeat itself.

He'll probably never get over this.

Xie Wenjun followed the check-in team out of the waiting area, out of the athletes' tunnel, and onto the competition track.

"Alright, viewers, the athletes are now taking the stage."

"The first lane is occupied by the French athlete, Pascal Martino Lagarde. He is an athlete born in 1991 and is not yet 24 years old. Last year, he broke the 13-second barrier, and his best time is 12.95 seconds."

"The best time this year is 13.06 seconds, which means that so far today I haven't broken 13 seconds. I wonder if I'm deliberately saving my strength."

"This athlete was born in 91 and will only turn 24 next month. I think he still has a lot of potential to break the 13-second barrier. Today's young athletes are in better shape than we were back then, so we shouldn't underestimate him," Liu Xiang nodded in approval after reviewing his profile.

"However, its weakness is its lack of stability."

"Insufficient stability in major competitions is a fatal flaw."

Liu Xiang not only praises the athlete, but also points out problems incisively.

This is the source of their confidence as a player with a historical legacy in the project.

Liu Xiang is one of the most consistent short hurdlers in history, so he is certainly qualified to say that the French athlete's performance is not particularly consistent.

Because for him.

That's it.

"But I think he also has a chance to win a medal, after all, there aren't many athletes who can break 13 seconds these days."

"His hurdling style is very aggressive!"

"Actually, it's not too bad, not too aggressive."

Yang Jian: ...

You're the boss of this project; you call the shots.

After that, it was time for the second course.

"Alright, I think that's enough."

"The applause from the audience has proven everything. The next athlete to appear is China's men's 110-meter hurdles hurdler, the bronze medalist in the men's 110-meter hurdles at the Moscow World Championships, and Liu Xiang's junior teammate..."

"Xie Wenjun————!!!"

"Xie Wenjun—"

"Xie Wenjun—"

"Xie Wenjun—"

The crowd immediately joined in the shouting, since there was only one athlete representing our country on the field.

Then he is the final card.

It's perfectly normal for the whole of Asia to cheer him on.

"Xie Wenjun has been achieving his best results this year. We hope that he can show his best self to the people of the whole country and to himself at the Bird's Nest."

"Let's cheer Xie Wenjun on, let's share some of our good luck with him, so he can do well at the Bird's Nest..."

"It can fly!"

When Liu Xiang said this, he was somewhat emotionally invested.

But that's exactly how it is.

It makes people feel a sense of resonance.

Xie Wenjun waved to everyone.

The entire audience cheered.

It made him feel...

My blood was boiling.

If you don't have the skills, of course you'll feel nervous.

However, if you have the strength and ability to take a chance.

Cheers will only invigorate you.

master.

Brother Xiang.

My big supporters.

This shot.

We will do our utmost.

"When we see young athletes spreading their arms, does Liu Xiang see a reflection of his past self next to them?"

"I hope Xie Wenjun can be like Liu Xiang back then."

"Spread your wings and fly in the Bird's Nest."

Chinese people have a strong affection for the 110-meter hurdles.

Especially now that Liu Xiang has just retired.

The hype is still going strong.

In addition, Xie Wenjun also won a medal in Moscow.

This will ensure that his fame won't be too low.

At least in the country.

A significant boost has been achieved.

"The third Russian competitor, Sergei Shubenkov, has a very solid, stable, and experienced style."

"His career has never been open for 13 seconds,"

"His career Pb is 13.09. He achieved this several times in 2022. He also achieved this result in this year's semi-final. Moreover, we can see that he clearly still had energy left after firing this shot in the semi-final."

“Yes, we can see from this shot that he clearly didn’t go all out in that run. I think there’s at least 0.05 margin for error.” Liu Xiang thought for a moment and then added, “It might even be more than that.”

Liu Xiang's judgment was indeed very accurate.

Shubenkov's current Pb is still 13.09 seconds.

However, anyone who has run this event a lot, anyone who is a professional, can see that his limit is no longer 13.09 seconds.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to run so easily in the semi-finals.

There wasn't a breath of wind during the semi-finals.

This is enough to demonstrate how powerful that shot was.

Even Liu Xiang stated that, in his opinion, he had a higher chance of winning a medal than the young Frenchman in the first lane.

Don't be fooled by the French youngster's more attractive post-best performance; his current form is questionable.

In Liu Xiang's eyes, he was truly inferior to him.

Because at this moment, in Liu Xiang's eyes...

Shubenkov.

There's even a possibility of winning gold.

It's because Merritt's condition hasn't been very good, or to put it bluntly, his kidneys aren't doing well.

Kidneys are not good.

Oliver is getting older and older.

After winning the Moscow championship, his morale plummeted.

Robles also died young.

So, looking at it this way...

Shubenkov.

There is a possibility of winning the championship.

"The fourth lane..." Liu Xiang announced loudly, "World record holder, London Olympics silver medalist, Aris Merritt!!!"

"Liu Xiang is certainly familiar with this player. You had a fierce battle at the London Stadium in 2012. I think everyone still remembers that match vividly, including Liu Xiang himself."

“Yes, that game feels like it happened yesterday.” Liu Xiang nodded and said, “If Merritt hadn’t had kidney problems, I think he would have dominated this era. But injuries are part of the game. Since he chose to play with an injury, we should respect his choice.”

"Liu Xiang makes a lot of sense here. Athletes are never completely healthy; being completely healthy is a rare occurrence. Although Merritt's performance has declined significantly due to kidney problems, he is still a strong contender for the gold medal."

"If he doesn't win this gold medal, his major competition will likely end without a gold medal, because we all know that he can't last much longer, given his physical condition."

"If he can't achieve results in these two years, he may very well become the only world record holder in history without a gold medal in a major competition."

"Injuries and illnesses...it's all so unpredictable and cruel." Liu Xiang sighed upon hearing Yang Jian's words.

However, he has already fulfilled his wish of winning the championship in London.

Therefore, he didn't have much regret in this timeline.

The prestige and reputation he received.

It is also much higher than the original timeline of 2015.

In this timeline, he ended his life as a hero.

Naturally, they would receive more flowers and applause.

If Merritt fails to win a major gold medal this year and next, then he may as well relinquish his record as the world's leading scorer.

He's practically the Powell of the hurdles world.

It holds world records but not real ones.

But he has never touched a gold medal in a major competition.

I don't know whether to say it's a pity or a lament.

Even he himself probably finds it... ridiculous.

"Five laners: Dimitri Basco, France."

"His best career result is only 13.16 seconds, which he just broke in the semi-finals. If he can't improve on that, he might just be a runner-up in the finals."

"Although he was also first in his group, the significance of his first place in the group was not very high; it can only be said that he was lucky in the group draw."

"I'm not particularly optimistic about him winning a medal either."

Liu Xiang expressed his opinion.

The camera moved to lane six.

"This should also be an old friend of Liu Xiang, known as Popeye, David Oliver, the bull."

“Oliver won the World Championship title in the previous tournament, so he is the defending champion in this tournament.”

"However, Oliver is no longer at his peak. He already felt the decline in 2013, and I don't know how much of his strength he can still have this year."

"The bull who could break the 13-second barrier in a row back then is gone. Now all we have is veteran Oliver."

"I wonder if he'll have any spinach to eat today, and whether he'll be able to transform into a real Popeye. Let's wait and see."

The seventh path.

Jamaican athlete.

Hansl Pachment.

Last year, he also broke the 13-second barrier, achieving a super result of 12.94 seconds.

But unfortunately...

This year doesn't seem to be going particularly well.

So far, it has never opened for 13 seconds.

Judging from his performance in the semifinals, unless he suppresses his strength, the gap between him and Shubenkov is still quite large.

Even Xie Wenjun considered trying to stop him.

It's easy to imagine that their situation this year isn't particularly good.

The last contestant was also from Jamaica, Omar McLeod.

He is a young player born in 94.

He's only 21 years old this year.

He ran a time of 13.14 seconds in the previous round.

"Although this athlete is young, he has already broken the 13-second barrier. At the end of June this year in Kingston, he broke the 13-second barrier with a time of 12.97 seconds."

"This athlete is characterized by his extremely fast flat running speed; it's even said that he can break the 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash." "Therefore, he has a strong advantage in both the start and the final 10-meter sprint."

"If this athlete has such strong flat running ability..." Liu Xiang said, "he should be able to perform even better in the future and has greater potential, but as he gets older or suffers injuries, once his explosive power is gradually lost, he may not be able to regain his form."

Indeed, that's exactly what happened. After his injury in 2018, he never scored 13 seconds again.

All I can say is that Liu Xiang truly is Liu Xiang.

The two words are—

profession.

Then comes the athletes' final warm-up.

Pascal Martino Lagarde of France, in lane one, was making his final adjustments with an almost elegant air. Dressed in a white, form-fitting tracksuit, he was tall and slender, exuding French composure and refinement in every gesture.

Instead of a vigorous sprint to warm up, Lagarde stood with her feet shoulder-width apart and her arms hanging naturally. She began with a set of slow twisting exercises—rotating her waist five times clockwise and five times counterclockwise. The movements were fluid and graceful, as if she were moving the "gears" of each joint.

Then, he slightly bent his knees, placed his hands on his knees, and began to do small jumps. Each landing was light and steady, as if he were walking on clouds. This activated his leg muscles without consuming too much energy.

Then, he walked to the hurdle, but instead of jumping over it, he gently touched the top of the hurdle with his hand.

The fingertips slowly glide from left to right, as if having a "silent conversation" with the railing.

Finally, he returned to the starting blocks, knelt on one knee, placed his hands on the ground, took three deep breaths, and slowly scanned the ten hurdles in front of him, as if he had already rehearsed the perfect hurdle rhythm in his mind.

Xie Wenjun, the Chinese athlete in lane two, was dressed in a red tracksuit, like a flame on the track.

Yet it exudes a calmness completely different from the flames.

As the leading figure in the Chinese men's 110-meter hurdles after Liu Xiang, he is now completing his final warm-up in the most rigorous manner.

He first jogged 10 meters on the track, then suddenly accelerated and sprinted a short distance to feel the explosive power in his legs.

Then, he stopped, put his hands on his hips, adjusted his breathing, and stared intently at his starting blocks, as if checking every detail.

Bang bang bang bang bang.

Begin with high knee raises, alternating between raising your legs and bringing your knees as close to your chest as possible. The movements should be standard and powerful, with each leg raise accompanied by muscle tension, showcasing strong core strength.

He also paid special attention to refining his hurdle technique – when he reached the first hurdle, he took two steps to run up, gracefully cleared the hurdle, and immediately adjusted his posture after landing, preparing for the next hurdle.

The starting point is precise.

Lean forward when clearing the hurdle

Arm swings are coordinated.

Every movement was practiced repeatedly in pursuit of perfection.

Finally, he returned to the starting blocks, placed his feet on them, leaned forward, and put his hands behind the starting line.

His eyes were fixed firmly on the horizon.

He felt his heart beating at a moderate pace.

I won't be too relaxed.

It won't make you too nervous.

This is a mindset that is very suitable for major competitions.

If things are too relaxed, it's easy for the body to become relaxed and the nerves to become lax.

It is not conducive to competitive performance.

If you're too nervous.

There will also be many problems.

Excessive physical stress can lead to insufficient blood supply.

This directly leads to oxygen deficiency in the muscles.

That would cause your competitive form to drop even faster.

That's why it's said that you shouldn't be too relaxed or too tense; that's actually the most reasonable and positive state to be in.

Rather than the relaxation that many people fantasize about.

Too relaxed.

It is detrimental to athletic competition.

On Sergei Shubenkov's side, dressed in a blue tracksuit, with a stern face and sharp eyes, his tall and handsome figure revealed the strength of the Slavic people. Like a precision machine on the field, every movement was full of mechanical precision.

He is ambitious this year.

They didn't win a medal in Moscow that year because they lost to Xie Wenjun.

Therefore, he must at least defeat Xie Wenjun on home soil this year.

As for the gold medal, he hasn't really thought about it much yet, mainly because there are still many top players, and you don't know if your opponent is hiding their strength.

However, he believes that he already has the ability to break 13.

That's enough.

If there really is someone stronger than him, then he can only accept it.

But no matter what, securing a medal is definitely not a problem.

Without any unnecessary movements, Shubenkov immediately began his specific warm-up.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms hanging naturally at your sides. Then begin to do a lunge, with your left leg forward and your right leg back, keeping your knees close to the ground. Slowly lean your body forward and feel the stretch in the back of your thighs.

Then switch legs, the same movement, the same rhythm, without the slightest deviation.

He jumps vertically in place, trying his best to jump upwards with each leap, landing with his feet together, the movements crisp and clean, as if testing the elasticity of his legs.

He remained expressionless and did not communicate with anyone during his warm-up; he simply focused on his own body.

After doing all this, he walked to the starting blocks, positioned his feet, lay down on the starting line, supported himself with his arms and spread his fingers, like a "support" for the machine.

His gaze was fixed on the railing ahead, his eyes devoid of any emotion, only an absolute desire for victory.

This "space machine".

We are preparing to use the most precise method.

Adjusting its own "parts".

Waiting for the start command.

Aris Merritt, dressed in a black tracksuit with his bib number prominently displayed, was the silver medalist at the 2012 London Olympics. At that moment, he should have been displaying his regal bearing with unwavering confidence.

After all, he came after Liu Xiang.

Almost everyone believed that he should be the new king of this era.

As we all know, that's how it turned out.

No new king has arrived.

However, his kidneys developed problems.

He was doing several pre-competition dynamic stretching exercises that he had never done before, raising his hands above his head and bending his body to the left and right, which proved that he had extremely strong flexibility.

They also did a shoulder rotation exercise, rotating their shoulders forward and backward to relax their shoulder muscles and prepare for arm swings.

During his hurdle practice, he didn't repeatedly practice each hurdle like the others. Instead, he took a few steps with his run-up, gently stepped over two hurdles, stopped, and nodded at the hurdles, as if saying to himself...

"no problem".

This actually feels a bit like self-hypnosis.

But now that he clearly knows he has a problem, he still insists on going on stage. Isn't that also a kind of disguised hypnosis?
He didn't actually want to stop like this.

At that moment, he actually believed that a new era was about to begin.

all.

It's all because my damn kidneys couldn't hold up.

That's how things have turned out.

Finally, he returned to the starting blocks, placed his feet on them, stood upright, put his hands on his hips, and scanned the audience.

He also had a serious expression.

Like a warrior fighting to the death.

The bugle call to go to battle is about to be heard.

Dumitri Basco, the French athlete in lane five, dressed in a yellow tracksuit, was like a bolt of lightning on the track, full of passion and energy. His warm-up movements were large and fast-paced, each movement exuding an indomitable spirit.

First, I did a set of fast high knee runs on the track, alternating my legs very quickly, raising my knees high while swinging my arms rapidly, as if I were already in competition mode. Next, I started sprinting, starting from the starting line, accelerating towards the first hurdle, suddenly slowing down in front of the hurdle, turning around, and sprinting again, repeating this several times to get a feel for the rhythm of starting and accelerating.

Honestly, it looks very passionate.

But all that's left is passion and an indomitable spirit.

He wants to achieve results in this competition.

It's practically impossible.

David Oliver, the American athlete in lane six, is tall and strong. Dressed in a jet-black tracksuit, he resembles a "beast" on the field, with every move exuding power and a sense of oppression.

He is known as the strongest hurdler.

His warm-up focused on strength activation—starting with clenching his fists, bending his arms, and performing a series of rapid bicep curls to work his biceps.

Next, with your feet apart and knees bent, do a set of squats, trying to go as far down as possible with each squat and feeling the muscles in your thighs engage.

With wide range of motion and great power, the muscles are visibly tense with every exertion, demonstrating impressive physical fitness.

During hurdle practice, I chose to jump over high hurdles—after a few steps of running up, I suddenly leaped over the hurdle, my body stretched out in the air, my legs crossed over the hurdle, and when I landed, my feet slammed heavily onto the track, making a "thump-thump" sound.

His hurdling style was simple and brutal, yet full of power, as if he was about to smash the hurdles away.

In fact.

He also knocks many people away during the game.

Finally, back at the starting blocks, he placed his feet on them, lay prone on the starting line, supported himself with his arms, gripped the ground tightly with his fingers, and stared fiercely ahead, like a "beast" ready to pounce.

Or perhaps he believes he is still that beast.

Or perhaps they want to rediscover the feeling of being a wild beast.

Anything is possible.

Hansel Pachment, the Jamaican athlete in lane 7, wore a green tracksuit and moved with agility and lightness, like an "elf" on the track.

His warm-up was full of agility—he started by doing a set of short jogs on the track, alternating his feet quickly and swaying his body slightly, as if he were dancing a light dance.

Next, I started doing side-sliding steps, sliding a few steps to the left and right, the movements were agile and flexible, improving my body's coordination. Then I did a set of leg kicks, kicking my legs forward and backward, trying to kick my buttocks as high as possible, the movements were light and fluid.

During his hurdle practice, his hurdle-clearing technique was exceptionally agile—he leaned slightly forward during his run-up, adjusted his take-off point flexibly, bent his legs as he cleared the hurdle, and his body glided lightly through the air. After landing, he immediately took small steps to adjust and prepare for the next take-off.

His movements were completely fluid, as if he were one with the hurdles.

Finally, back at the starting blocks, with both feet on the blocks, body leaning forward, hands on the ground, and eyes scanning the hurdles ahead with a lively gaze, he looked like a "sprite" ready to take flight.

Looking forward to showcasing my agility and speed on the track.

They're still young and don't have many ideas.

However, his stage is not this year.

Although they performed well today.

Omar McLeod, the Jamaican runner in lane eight, is young and energetic, dressed in a green tracksuit.

The warm-up movements were bold and confident.

Every movement exudes the fearlessness of a newborn calf.

First, he did a series of large arm swings on the track, swinging his arms back and forth with a great range of motion, as if he wanted to concentrate all the strength of his body on his arms.

Next, start doing high jumps in place, trying to jump as high as possible with each jump while stretching your arms upward, making the movements flamboyant and powerful.

Finally, he waved to the audience with a bright smile, as if enjoying the cheers.

His movements during hurdle practice were full of creativity—

After a few steps of running up, he didn't go straight over the hurdle. Instead, he made a feint in front of the hurdle, then suddenly took off and cleared it. After clearing the hurdle, he didn't forget to look back at the hurdle, as if showing off his skills.

He always wore a proud smile, his eyes filled with anticipation for the game, as if he wanted to quickly prove himself with these superstars.

Back at the starting blocks, Omar stood upright with his feet on the blocks, hands on his hips, made a face at the camera, and then quickly lay down on the starting line.

It seems that this "rising star" is announcing his arrival in the most flamboyant way.

They are preparing to make a name for themselves on the final stage.

Of course, as a proper athlete, I'm expected to break the 10-second barrier in official sprint competitions next year.

He has this proud talent.

This is different from those legends and those who run it in training.

He earned his place through genuine competition.

That's the talent.

It's normal to be a little proud.

This game doesn't look like any superstars are online.

Some people who originally had high hopes for them.

Or perhaps they are in poor physical condition.

Or they're too old.

Or they get injured or sick.

But looking at the overall lineup, it's actually quite strong, with many players capable of breaking the 13-second barrier.

At least many of them take 13 seconds to open on Pb.

Even this Jamaican newcomer born in 94, he opened the door in 13 seconds.

It looks like this contest is going to be very intense.

However, Liu Xiang knew better than anyone else.

In a competition like this, you can't look at the current Pb value.

How can I bring out my full potential in a competition?

That's the most crucial thing.

Otherwise, no matter how high your PB is, it's useless if you can't perform well in the competition.

Ah Jun.

You must stay calm and composed.

Don't be anxious just because you think these people are stronger than you.

Their rhythm.

It can be disrupted just like that.

As long as their rhythm is disrupted a bit.

You'll have a chance to rush up.

As long as your own rhythm isn't disrupted.

You will then have a chance to get a card.

Liu Xiang has a very clear understanding of the importance of competing against Europeans and Americans.

However, he was unable to directly convey this feeling to Xie Wenjun, who was preparing to start on the track.

So you can only recite it silently in your heart.

I hope Xie Wenjun can hear my voice.

At the Bird's Nest.

To accomplish what one should have accomplished.

However, the performance was never completed.

Ah Jun.

Please go to the Bird's Nest.

Let's bring everyone a medal.

Help me with that piece.

Let's take them down together.

Keep it up!