The Su God of the Reopening of the Sports Arena

Chapter 2544 A Miraculous Victory! Behind It Was No Miraculous Effort

Jamaica finished first with a time of 41.07 seconds.

The US team finished second with a time of 41.68 seconds.

China's relay team finished third with a time of 41.80 seconds.

The Trinidad and Tobago relay team finished fourth with a time of 42.03 seconds.

The Eagles relay team finished fifth with a time of 42.10 seconds.

The German relay team finished sixth with a time of 42.64 seconds.

The Canadian relay team finished seventh with a time of 43.05 seconds.

The Dutch relay team ultimately finished with a disqualification (DQ) and did not achieve a result.

From this set, it is quite obvious that...

This shows that the core structure is changing.

The women's 4x100m relay at the 2015 BJ World Championships showcased three major qualitative changes:
Top-tier speeds have reached new heights, technology transfer drives overall acceleration, and barriers between strong and weak have been raised across the board.

Asian teams are caught in a collective predicament where "slow progress means regression."

The second group has undergone a qualitative change: among the 7 teams with valid results in the final, 5 ran under 42.50 seconds.

Jamaica, the United States, China, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United Kingdom.

Significantly denser than before; Trinidad and Tobago set a national record of 42.03 seconds, while the Little Eagle and others are all approaching the 42-second mark.

The top teams have broken through the speed ceiling again and solidified their advantage: Jamaica's 41.07 seconds was the top level of women's relay at the World Championships at that time. Compared with Jamaica's 41.56 seconds to win the 2011 Daegu World Championships and 41.29 seconds to win the 2013 Moscow World Championships, the top teams in 2015 have reduced the time by 0.3 seconds. Although the United States is second, its 41.68 seconds is also in the historical top range. The absolute speed advantage of the American and Jamaican teams has further widened the gap with the following teams, forming a pattern of "the first tier leading by a wide margin".

Mid-table teams have collectively accelerated, with 42.50 seconds becoming the threshold for top teams: In the past World Championships women's relays, only 2-3 teams could run under 42.50 seconds. In the 2015 list you provided, the top 5 teams—Jamaica, the United States, China, Trinidad and Tobago, and the Eagles—all ran under 42.10 seconds. Germany's 42.64 seconds barely missed the 42.50-second mark. This means that top teams worldwide have achieved a leap in speed, and the high-speed range is no longer monopolized by a few teams. The competition density in the mid-table has increased significantly, and the margin for error has dropped to an extremely low level.

The competitiveness of less popular teams has declined, with traditional powerhouses and newly emerging breakout teams dominating the landscape: Trinidad and Tobago and Great Britain maintain their traditional mid-table strength, China has jumped from being a top Asian team and outside the world's top eight to the top three, while Canada and Germany have fallen to the bottom, and the Netherlands was disqualified due to fouls.

This means that while the gap between teams is narrowing, the cost of fouls is higher, and even a slight mistake can lead to falling behind completely.

The stability of traditional powerhouses combined with the disruptive power of emerging teams has replaced the "dark horse" disruptions of some previously unpopular teams.

Of course, the most important change is in the relay technique.

In terms of individual ability, there wasn't actually a significant transformation into a top-tier combatant.

Even considering the more frequent use of medication in the 90s, and the fact that individual abilities might not even be as good as they were in the 90s.

It can only be said that the overall level is rising, but for top athletes, due to stricter drug control, their overall individual ability may not be as good as that of the 90s.

So, there must be another reason for such a significant improvement in grades.

This is similar to the significant improvement in men's relays.

However, the girls' performance improved significantly, but it came much later than the boys'.

The men's side has undergone tremendous changes since 08 at the Bird's Nest.

The women's event, on the other hand, took place at the World Championships, also held at the Bird's Nest stadium.

Only then did it complete its transformation.

This also aligns with the general impression in competitive sports that women's techniques evolve more slowly than men's.

Stability of the handover determines the ranking, error-free operation is the foundation, and efficient handover determines the upper limit.

Jamaica's 0.61-second lead over the US is largely due to their minimal battering loss during the handover of the four batters. They maintain high-speed synchronization during transitions from corners to straights and between straights, with minimal deceleration. In short, they outperformed the US team.

The United States' slow transition between the middle and back legs, while without any mistakes, resulted in a loss of speed, which allowed Jamaica to pull ahead.

The key to our women's relay team's third-place finish this time was the qualitative improvement in our handover technique.

In the past, Asian teams often experienced false starts and delayed baton exchanges. This time, the time of 41.80 seconds must have been due to smooth baton exchanges across the four legs, with each connection reducing the loss of 0.1-0.2 seconds, which allowed them to surpass traditional mid-table powerhouses such as Trinidad and Tobago and the Eagles.

Judging from this World Championships, the 42.50-second threshold is essentially a threshold for meeting the standards of handover technique.

The top 5 teams were able to consistently finish within 42.10 seconds, and their core players almost all mastered mature high-speed handover techniques.

Downward-pressing baton relay + precise stepping points + seamless blind relay.

Unlike in the past, where a handover error could easily result in a loss of 0.3-0.5 seconds.

Germany's 42.64 seconds and Canada's 43.05 seconds are essentially due to weaknesses in the baton exchange. There is obvious loss of speed in each leg's connection, which accumulates and amplifies the gap. This also confirms the saying of this World Championships: "Strong teams can all break into the 42.50-second range."

Those who meet the technical standards will be selected for strong teams.

Those who fail to meet the standards will be relegated to the bottom tier.

Unfortunately, while the overall level of relay races worldwide is improving, the level of relay races in Asia has not seen much improvement.

Don't underestimate China's breakthrough as a milestone in the Asian relay:

In the past, Asian teams' women's relay times were mostly in the 43-44 second range, and their handover techniques were rough. They missed the top spots in every major competition due to handover errors.

In 2015, China finished third with a time of 41.80 seconds, marking the first time an Asian team had reached the top three in the women's relay at the World Championships.

The core breakthrough lies in the combination of technical improvements in handover and individual skill enhancement, which has broken the predicament of Asian teams struggling to overcome the "43-second barrier".

They became the only Asian team to break into the ranks of the world's top teams.

The root cause of the past predicament of Asian teams was broken by China in 2015.

Previously, Asian teams ran times of 43 seconds or even 44 seconds, and there were two main problems:

First, the individual's absolute speed was insufficient; second, the handover technique was poor, with frequent connection errors at high speeds, which further dragged down the performance.

In 2015, China resolved the handover issue and maximized the release of individual abilities, which led to a leap in performance. If other Asian teams remain at the level of handover in the past, they will inevitably fall further and further behind the world's top teams.

The so-called "predicament of old Asian teams" is essentially due to their technological iteration lagging behind the global pace.

It's just that our relay team has Su Shen overseeing things.

Synchronous iteration was achieved, and a breakthrough was completed.

Otherwise, the outcome won't be much better.

Just look at history.

Without Su Shen's intervention to restart the game, the results wouldn't have been very good.

Therefore, in the new era.

Individual skill and team technical expertise are both essential; neither can be lacking.

It's not enough to just have top-notch individuals.

It's not the 80s or 90s anymore.

Even for super relay teams like Jamaica and the United States, the relay team cannot achieve its goals solely through top individual athletes.

It also began to require top-tier individuals and perfect handover to monopolize the top two positions.

China achieved a breakthrough by relying on stable individuals and efficient handover, while Trinidad and Tobago and the Little Eagle maintained their midstream position by relying on traditional teamwork.

No team can gain a foothold by relying solely on an individual or solely on handover; a combination of both has become the norm.

In fact, it can be seen that the performance gap has become more refined, and the competition is more intense.

The top 5 were separated by only 1.03 seconds.

China is only 0.12 seconds behind the United States and only 0.23 seconds behind Trinidad and Tobago, which shows that the core difference between the teams lies in the efficiency of the handover. Subtle technical differences can determine the ranking.

In the past, situations where "absolute speed could create a gap" have decreased, and technology has become the key to victory.

Of course, we must also mention—

The ability to withstand pressure during competitions is an added bonus.

China's breakthrough was also due to its flawless handover during the competition, which enhanced its resilience under pressure.

The Dutch DQ is most likely a result of technical malfunctions under the pressure of a major competition.

This shows that in 2015, strong teams not only need to practice their skills.

They also need to practice technical stability under high pressure.

The overall level of competition is more comprehensive.

Previously, the Chinese team had long used the standing baton exchange method.

When holding the baton, the baton should be held upright. When passing the baton, the baton should be passed upright by hand, and the receiver should raise their hand to receive the baton.

While this method is simple to learn and easy for beginners to master, it is completely unsuitable for the high-speed demands of high-level relays.

When passing the baton, the baton is upright and easily wobbles. The receiver needs to raise their arm and turn their wrist to adjust their posture, causing the torso to lose balance for a moment and the high-speed running rhythm to be forcibly interrupted. Each baton exchange loses at least 0.2-0.3 seconds.

Furthermore, when passing the baton on a curve, the baton is very easy to slip out of the hand when the body is tilted. This is the core technical weakness that has kept the Chinese team's performance in the 43-second range, caused them to drop the baton frequently in major competitions, and prevented them from ever entering the ranks of the world's top teams.

The same was true for the men's team back then.

The men's team also made rapid progress after undergoing improvements.

They became contenders for the title of King of the World.

After many years, as the personnel were gradually assembled, the women's team also began to make overall technical improvements.

It wasn't that we didn't want to make changes before, but the main problem was that we didn't have enough personnel and combat capabilities, so any improvements wouldn't have been very effective.

Technological improvements must be based on the premise that athletes can perform normally.

Otherwise, if you can't even perform at your normal level, what's the point of talking about improvement?

Following the Moscow World Championships, coach Yuan Guoqiang and his team initiated a comprehensive transformation of the women's relay team, focusing on Su Shen's proposal to "eliminate handover losses and adapt to high-speed transitions."

The entire process revolves around "adapting to the physical characteristics of Asian athletes," and is by no means a direct copy of the European and American model.

First, break down the barriers of habit.

The team members have long relied on the upright, stand-up style of power generation; switching to the downward pressing style requires adjusting the trajectory of their hand movements.

The upright delivery bar is changed to a downward and forward pressing motion.

The baton receiving posture is with arms extended forward and palms facing down to receive the baton.

In the early stages, there were frequent instances of inaccurate baton passing and dropping the baton. The coaching team then focused on strengthening the players' arm explosiveness and hand touch training to help them develop muscle memory.

The second is binding the sticks and adapting the technology.

The baton position is determined based on the team members' cornering ability, running posture, and hand size. For example, cornering baton runners focus on matching the body tilt during the handover, while straight-line baton runners focus on the synchronous handover at high speed, so as to avoid wear and tear caused by mismatch between body posture and technique.

Third, refinement of step points and blind pass: mark precise step points in the pass area to enable the passer and receiver to make "synchronous prediction of step frequency", and realize the "blind pass" of the downward core.

In other words, it means keeping your eyes on the track and not looking at the bat.

Solve the problem of rhythm interruption in the standing baton style where the baton must be visually received.

The last point is also very important.

High-pressure scene solidification.

Strictly speaking, this is no longer just about transferring technology.

This requires a more comprehensive approach.

Without comprehensive knowledge, nothing you do will be of any use.

However, Ersha Island absolutely possesses this quality.

Moreover, male athletes have also figured out a practical and feasible method.

With slight modifications, it can be equipped for female athletes.

By replicating scenarios such as multiple lane interferences, physical fatigue, and headwinds in major competitions, the stability of the downward baton exchange was enhanced. By the time of the 2015 BJ World Championships, zero errors had been achieved in four baton exchanges, and the loss in each baton exchange was reduced to within 0.05 seconds, completely breaking free from the technical constraints of the upright baton exchange.

Su Shen's latest technical changes have greatly improved the women's team.

The most significant change in the shift from the upright to the downward-pressing type is the elimination of ineffective speed loss during the handover process.

In the past, the standing baton exchange method resulted in a cumulative loss of more than 1 second. However, after adopting the down-bending method at the 2015 World Championships, the loss during the four-swim exchange was extremely low, directly improving the time from 43+ seconds to 41.80 seconds. Although the improvement in the number of runners and their own abilities, as well as the increase in pure running speed, are also factors, the improvement in the exchange technique is undeniable. The combination of these two factors is what led to the current result.

Instead of simply walking on one foot.

This is the key to surpassing traditional mid-table powerhouses like Trinidad and Tobago and Great Britain.

The opponent relied on a stable downward baton exchange, while the Chinese team, which had previously lagged behind in the standing baton exchange, only achieved competition at the same pace after technical iterations.

Moreover, as individual skills gradually improve, it becomes clear that there is no generational gap in technology, and individual strength gradually becomes a strength.

This is basically how it compares to these strong European teams.

In other words, individual skill is crucial when it comes to pure running.

On the contrary, they have the advantage.

This is something that has never happened before.

It is gradually becoming possible.

As long as you don't compete with the US team or Jamaica, it's fine.

It's at least third in the world.

It's not that we can't give it a shot.

Before, saying that might have been wishful thinking, and breaking a record would have been good enough, but now that I've actually done it.

That's not wishful thinking.

These are real achievements.

The high error rate of the previous baton exchange not only lowered the score, but also put the team members under the psychological burden of "fear of dropping the baton" in the competition, and the deformed movements further aggravated the errors.

The stability of the downward baton exchange allows team members to completely shed their psychological burdens, focusing on their own rhythm rather than baton exchange safety while running the baton, achieving a positive cycle of "technical stability + psychological relaxation," which is something that Asian teams have lacked in the past.

A lack of solid technical skills led to a psychological breakdown.

The Chinese team broke this vicious cycle through technological iteration.

They can focus more on the competition itself, rather than on their own mistakes.

The core advantage of Asian athletes lies in their fast stride frequency and stable rhythm, rather than the absolute power and stride length of European and American athletes.

The upright stance adjustment disrupts the stride frequency rhythm and wastes one's own advantages. During the downward handover, the athlete's torso posture is stable, which can maintain a high stride frequency throughout the entire process without interruption, perfectly matching the technical characteristics of Chinese athletes.

This allows an individual's speed and potential to be fully unleashed, which is what provides the basis for a time of 41.80 seconds.

Previously, the international track and field community generally believed that Asian teams, due to insufficient physical talent, would find it difficult to master high-level downswing baton exchanges and would only remain at the inefficient stage of standing baton exchanges.

Of course, this kind of statement would have been used similarly for men's teams as well.

Now that the men's team has broken free of its constraints.

So naturally, this constraint was then imposed on the women's team.

If you can't break this curse, it will stay with you forever. Fortunately...

The women's relay team did a great job.

The Chinese team succeeded in 2015 by using a standing bat to switch to a downward press.

Their third-place finish in the world proves that Asian teams don't need to rely on the purely West African talent of teams like the US and Jamaica; they can reach world-class status through technological iteration.

This will completely shatter the prejudice that "Asian relay races rely on talent and struggle to overcome bottlenecks."

It has provided a model for technological upgrades for other teams in Asia.

Moreover, the technological breakthrough in 2015 was not accidental, but rather the establishment of a complete training, refinement, and solidification system for the Chinese team's downward-pressing handoffs. Subsequent team members directly adopted this technical paradigm, without having to go through the detour of the upright-stick method.

The experiences gained by the men can be directly applied to the women's team.

And it has become more mature.

In a roundabout way, this is probably the most lasting value brought by winning the bronze medal in 41.80 seconds.

Moreover, this breakthrough will significantly increase the attention and importance that the higher authorities place on the women's relay team.

Although we have been advocating that we should abandon the gold medal and medal-obsessed mentality.

But to be honest, for most people, it's just talk.

Many more people are still trapped in this vicious cycle.

Then you need to show your results.

Only then can it gain more attention.

Previously, the women's relay received far less attention than individual sprint events. Winning bronze with a time of 41.80 seconds, the first medal for an Asian team in the women's relay at the World Championships, instantly ignited a wave of attention.

And this wave.

Conversely, it can promote the selection of reserve forces for domestic relay projects, investment in specialized training, and especially specialized research on handover techniques, which can also enable Chinese women's relay to form a positive cycle of "technological iteration - performance improvement - increased attention - resource allocation - further technological upgrade".

This will completely break free from the predicament of Asian teams in the past, characterized by "low investment, low level, and difficulty in making breakthroughs."

Moreover, the coaching staff made even more detailed adjustments to the women's team this time.

Based on the experience and theories that Su Shen left for the men's team, Su Shen didn't have to worry too much about the women's team. He only controlled the general direction, and the coaching team handled most of the details themselves.

For example, the handover between the first and second batons.

When passing the baton, the hand holding the baton should hold the end of the baton with the base of the thumb and forefinger, and the baton should be held horizontally with the palm against the hand. When running 3 meters before the relay zone on the curve, the arm should be naturally extended forward to the side of the body, with the palm facing down and the base of the thumb and forefinger facing forward. The force should be applied forward and downward along the direction of the body's movement.

Do not raise your arms or rotate your wrists. Keep your torso in a curved, tilted position without adjusting to avoid slowing down in the standing stick pose due to loss of balance from raising your arms.

The baton was passed precisely at the start of the run, with the baton tip accurately placed into the receiver's palm.

Keep your eyes fixed on the track ahead the whole time and pass the baton using muscle memory.

The receiving team starts in the pre-running area at a fixed step point, with their stride frequency completely synchronized with the baton bearer. Their arms are extended forward to the front of their body, palms down, fingers slightly spread, in a "baton-receiving and lifting" posture.

This is a complete overhaul of the upright baton-style raised arm to receive the baton.

Without turning your head to look at the stick or actively reaching for it, rely on your footwork to predict the direction of the step and let the stick naturally enter your palm.

The moment the stick touches the ground, the palm presses down to lock the stick, the arm quickly retracts and rests against the side of the body, the torso remains upright and accelerating without any pause, connecting to the acceleration rhythm on the straightaway.

This method minimizes baton handover losses, resolving the issues of easy slippage and rhythm disruption during baton handovers on curves.

The core combination of the first and second batons is—

Once inside the relay zone, the baton exchange is completed. After passing the baton, the runner should not slow down or look back, but run out of the relay zone.

The person receiving the baton immediately increases their stride frequency and accelerates the moment they lock the baton, ensuring a seamless transition in speed from curve to straightaway.

This level of smoothness is something that traditional upright baton handover methods could not achieve.

If the smoothness is high, then it will naturally be fast.

When passing the baton, accelerate on the straightaway to the middle of the relay zone, keep the baton hand close to your waist and lock the baton, extend your arm forward parallel to the ground with your palm facing down, and push with only your forearm when exerting force, without swinging your upper arm.

Avoid disrupting the rhythm by raising the upper arm in a vertical motion.

The pressing motion is short and powerful, and the rod remains horizontal and does not wobble.

The baton should be passed at the moment when the receiver reaches maximum speed and most stable stride frequency after the pre-run, ensuring that the speed difference between the two is close to 0 when the baton is passed.

The key is that there is not much relative speed loss.

The receiving party, which is the third runner at this point.

This requires precise stride length during the pre-run, quickly increasing stride frequency in the first 3 steps to catch up with the baton passer's speed, with the arm extended forward at a position slightly lower than the height of the second baton passer, and the palm facing down to form a "low baton receiving point".

It is designed to suit the arm power generation characteristics of Asian athletes.

After touching the bar, grip it tightly instantly, quickly retract your arm to the back of your body, sprint while holding the bar, keep your torso straight and maintain your stride frequency throughout the entire movement.

After receiving the baton, the body tilt adjustment is made directly on the curve, without any unnecessary movements.

The two baton exchanged were kept within 1 meter of each other, with no lateral shift. The baton passing and receiving actions were completed synchronously, with a high stride frequency throughout the entire process.

Compared to the upright baton handover, this method saves at least 0.2 seconds, laying the foundation for subsequent curve transitions.

It was time for the handover between the third and fourth runners.

When passing the baton, run to the back of the relay zone on the curve, keep your body in a tilted position, move the baton hand from the back to the front of your body, palm down, with the baton parallel to the tangent of the curve, and take into account the centrifugal force of the curve when pushing and sending the baton.

Without deliberately exerting force to send the bat forward, simply rely on the body's forward momentum to push it forward and downward.

The baton is passed precisely when the receiver steps into the relay zone, and the baton head lands accurately in the receiver's palm.

This solves the problem of slipping out of the hand caused by the upright bar and centrifugal force on the curve when the bar is handed over in the past.

On the receiving side, the fourth runner starts with a slightly slower stride frequency to allow for acceleration from the curve to the straightaway. The arms are extended forward to the front of the body, palms down and fingers together, forming a "precise baton receiving channel." The runner receives the baton without looking at it or adjusting their posture, relying on step memory and muscle feel.

Immediately after locking the bar, straighten your body and quickly increase your stride frequency to enter the sprint rhythm. After retracting your arms, place your hands on your waist while holding the bar to minimize wind resistance and build up power for the final sprint.

In the lower section of Ersha Island, the handover between the third and fourth batons is the most challenging in terms of technical stability.

It's not just that Asian teams have often made mistakes in this area in the past.

Also because this is the final competition and the last chance.

In the past handover process.

They all suffered great losses here.

This time, however, things have changed. After two years of systematic training, the Chinese team has solidified their technique of switching the baton from a standing position to a downward position. During the exchange, the two batters tilt and move forward in sync without any posture adjustment. After the exchange, the three batters can easily leave the area.

The four batters seamlessly joined the sprint.

The loss is controlled within 0.02 seconds.

To catch up with the American team.

This laid a crucial foundation for leaving Trinidad and Tobago behind.

The girls' training was also meticulous.

This is also something to be admired.

After all, they were trained on Ersha Island, so there's absolutely no problem with that.

Moreover, the men's team has already achieved results.

They are one of the world's top teams right now.

They even interrupted the US team's relay race.

It was forcibly changed to the China-Dutch Relay Championship.

They've even won the world championship.

How could you not refer to this experience?

This is the most successful and best experience right now.

Moreover, the secrets of it all lie on Ersha Island.

It's impossible not to learn.

There was no doubt about learning it.

Regardless of the standard for locking bars.

After all handovers are completed, the "palm pressing down to lock the bar + arm close to the waist" posture is adopted, which is different from the unstable grip of the upright bar. The bar does not shake or fall off throughout the entire process, which is suitable for the needs of high-speed running.

Blind contact was still used throughout the entire process.

All four baton exchanges are conducted without looking at the baton, relying on pre-running point markings to form muscle memory, thus solving the rhythm interruption caused by visual baton exchanges when standing upright.

The torso posture remains stable.

Without any arm raising, wrist rotation, or body posture adjustment movements, the core running posture is maintained throughout the entire run, maximizing the advantage of Asian athletes' fast stride frequency.

The total handover loss of the four rods is less than 0.1 seconds, which is far lower than the loss of about 1 second in the previous upright rod system.

These are all significant technological advancements.

And almost every girl was learning diligently.

The third and fourth runners, Chen Juan and Wei Yongli, have excellent teamwork, so there's no need to worry.

在这样1+1+1+1大于4。

That's the key to winning this time.

The energy that erupted was something that even the girls themselves, and even the coaching staff, hadn't anticipated.

This is the effect of modern technology combined with upgraded personnel.

Su Shen believes that this upgrade will definitely break the original Asian women's relay record.

The rest is up to us to see what else we can do.

Let's see if we can do better.

That depends more on luck.

That was originally what Su Shen thought.

Who would have thought it would end up like this?

Who would have thought it would eventually turn into a decisive victory?

It can only be said that even he underestimated these young girls.

A bronze medal is a fitting reward for this competition, for all the hard work and effort over the years.

No wonder they were on the podium, even though they only had a bronze medal.

But almost all of them cried their eyes out.

Especially for players like Yuan Qiqi and Liang Xiaojing, who lacked experience, receiving this medal brought tears to their eyes.

Of course, the young people were laughing through their tears.

Wei Yongli couldn't help but shed tears.

Because this was also her first medal in a major competition.

Many people have forgotten that this was also her first time winning a medal in a major competition.

Therefore, during the interview, when he saw the national flag being raised because of him...

The four girls couldn't help but burst into tears.

Even Chen Juan.

Isn't it pretty much the same now?

It makes me happy just looking at it.

The team's honor became tangible at that moment.

It's no longer just one person's effort.

Although she has already won a medal on her own.

But this was also the first time she had ever received such honor from the team. At that moment, she felt as if the entire team had improved because of her.

Although it was only a bronze medal.

For her, it was no less significant than winning her first personal medal.

No wonder, at the very end, she said something to everyone—

Thank you.

Everyone on Ersha Island.

The coaching team and leaders.

I especially want to thank you.

Little Tian is about to appear.

I hope so.

In the next match.

They won the gold medal.

Simple and powerful, the camera immediately switched to the side scene.