The Su God of the Reopening of the Sports Arena

Chapter 2569 The Sudden Declaration of Retirement
The night in Mexico City was shrouded in the chill of the plateau.

It spilled over the glass of the event's press center.

The entire press conference venue was bathed in a somber, warm light.

The press conference, originally scheduled for two hours after the match, was delayed by nearly an hour, but this did not diminish the excitement at all. Reporters from hundreds of media outlets crowded into the small venue, their cameras and microphones all aimed at the empty seats in front of the stage.

A murmur of discussion mingled among them.

Like a surging tide.

Everyone thought that the core of this press conference would be the world-shaking 9.37 and 9.39 seconds achieved on the high plateau of Mexico City, the ultimate showdown between Suarez and Bolt on the high-altitude track, and the endless questions from reporters.

They pressed Bolt on how he felt about the 0.02-second difference.

They pressed for details about their promised showdown at the Rio Olympics.

The question remains: where is the next limit for human sprinting?

The air in the venue was filled with anticipation for the continued writing of the speed legend.

No one could have imagined that tonight, Mexico City would receive news that would shake the world of sprinting.

Finally, the door to the venue was pushed open, and Bolt's figure appeared in the lights.

He was still wearing his signature yellow-green Jamaican tracksuit, but the sweat on his body had been wiped away, and his face no longer showed the fatigue from the game, but also... the usual flamboyant smile.

His expression was unusually calm.

He walked alone, without a coaching team or staff behind him; his tall figure cast a long shadow in the warm light.

His steps were steady, yet carried an indescribable sense of desolation.

Mills had wanted to come, but he stopped him.

He laughed and said to Mills, "You've always preferred watching my games from afar, not being there in person."

That's how you watch a game.

So this time...

That's probably true.

coach.

The sound of camera shutters suddenly became extremely dense, the flashes were so bright they made it hard to open one's eyes, and the reporters' discussions instantly rose in volume, but Bolt seemed oblivious to it all.

He walked to the chair in front of the stage, sat down slowly, and placed his hands naturally on the edge of the table, his fingertips gently overlapping.

He glanced up at the crowd below the stage, his gaze sweeping over the familiar reporters and the expectant cameras, finally settling on the microphone in front of him.

There was a few seconds of silence.

The silence that lasted a few seconds was like a stone thrown into a surging tide, instantly silencing the noisy venue, leaving only the faint sound of the air conditioning vents and the occasional click of a camera shutter that hadn't been pressed in time.

Everyone realized something was wrong.

They're all shrewd people in this line of work; how could they not pick up on the atmosphere?

Bolt's calmness was too abnormal; it wasn't the expression one would expect from an athlete who lost by a mere 0.02 seconds.

It's not like the Jamaican sprinter who always has a confident smile.

The reporters below the stage looked at each other, their eyes filled with doubt, but they gripped their pens and recorders even tighter.

I was afraid of missing any detail.

The press conference host broke the silence first, following protocol, by briefly reviewing the sprint events held in the Mexican highlands today, praising the two sprinters for breaking the 9.40-second barrier, before handing the floor to Bolt:
"Usain, your performance in Mexico City today was once again amazing. Your high-altitude time of 9.39 seconds has once again broken your personal high-altitude record. What would you like to say to everyone about today's race?"

"Now you can begin."

After he finished speaking, he nodded to Bolt, a gesture of respect and reverence for one of the greatest athletes in human history.

A soft buzzing sound came from the microphone, and Bolt's voice, slightly hoarse, rang out through the speakers in the quiet hall:

"I gave it my all in today's race. Su is a very strong opponent. He deserved this victory. His time of 9.37 seconds is the honor he deserves."

"To be able to break the 9.40-second barrier with him on the plateau of Mexico City was a perfect duel for me."

"I'm very happy to have participated in this competition."

"However, I also believe it's time for everything to come to an end."

His words were calm, and every sentence expressed his approval of Su Shen and his satisfaction with the match.

The reporters in the audience began to take notes, and some were already prepared with the next question, wanting to ask him about the challenges of the Rio Olympics. But Bolt did not stop. He leaned forward slightly, closer to the microphone, and his eyes swept across the audience again.

This time, there was a hint of relief in his eyes.

There was also a greater sense of attachment.

"This race is not just a simple competition for me, but also the last official sprint event of my career."

"After this match, I will no longer participate in any official matches."

"Simply put, I want to leave this stage at the peak of my speed."

"That's the news I have to share today."

These words were like a small pebble, first creating ripples in the meeting room.

A few seconds later, everyone realized what the sentence meant.

A low murmur rippled through the audience.

Someone subconsciously looked up.

They even doubted whether they had heard correctly.

The whispers resumed, but this time they were more chaotic and incredulous than before.

Bolt remained calm. He raised his hand and pressed it down, and the venue fell silent again. But this time, the silence was tinged with endless astonishment.

He looked at the crowd below the stage and, word by word, clearly uttered the words that shook the world:
"Today, I am officially announcing my retirement from professional sprinting."

"This is a decision I made a long time ago because I have already given it my all, and I can't possibly achieve a better result."

"In that case, it's time for me to say goodbye."

In fact, Bolt had already thought about these words. If he won the race, he would of course continue; if he lost, it would be time to say goodbye.

He can certainly keep running, and he can achieve outstanding results, but...

He knew he could no longer surpass this achievement.

And I am older than Su Shen.

Even if they participate in such a competition again later.

That would only make him the strongest supporting character.

His pride made it difficult for him to accept this situation.

He could no longer see any possibility of breaking through again.

This time, with all the right timing, location, and people, he did indeed break the 9.40-second barrier, but... he still lost.

He really had no excuse.

To lose to a stronger opponent.

It's the athlete's destiny.

Rather than merely prolonging one's existence.

It's better to leave peacefully.

At least it can bring out some style.

The word "retirement" was heard through the speakers.

It smashed into every corner of the venue.

Like a thunderclap, it cleaved through the night in Mo City, shattering the expectations in everyone's hearts.

The venue fell into a deathly silence, so quiet that even the sound of camera shutters stopped. All the reporters stared blankly at Bolt on the stage.

His face was filled with disbelief, his pen was frozen in mid-air, and the recorder was still running, but it only recorded the silence of the scene.

There was also the soft rustling of the highland night wind passing through the window.

Someone opened their mouth as if to say something, but no sound came out.

Some reporters subconsciously rubbed their ears, looking at Bolt with their confusion gradually turning into shock.

This man, who dominated the world sprint scene for more than a decade, this Jamaican sprinter who set countless world records, this legend known as the "ceiling of human speed."

Surprisingly, on the plateau of Mexico City, after a perfect duel where everyone gave their all.

He announced his retirement.

No one expected that this narrow 9.39-second defeat would be the end of his career.

No one expected that his whisper, drowned out by the noise of the race, would be his farewell to the sprint track.

In this way...

That promise to face off at the Rio Olympics.

Ultimately, it became an unfulfilled regret.

Looking at the reactions of the crowd below the stage, Bolt finally showed a faint smile. In that smile, there was reluctance, nostalgia, but more than anything, relief.

There is also the satisfaction of a successful career spanning more than ten years.

“I started my professional career at the age of seventeen. Today, I have run all the world’s top tracks, won all the honors I could, and broken all the records I could. I have dedicated everything to sprinting.”

His voice softened, and his gaze turned to the night view of Mo City outside the window, as if he could see his career through the darkness.

From the streets of Jamaica to his initial emergence at the Athens Olympics, and finally to his legendary status at the Beijing Olympics.

To thoroughly solidify his divine position in Berlin.

Then there's Daegu's God's Dice.

The narrow defeat at the London Olympics.

A rainy night in Moscow.

Then there was the recently concluded battle at the Bird's Nest.

And that continues to this day.

The final run in Mexico City.

Those moments of lightning speed, those moments of glory on the podium, those epic battles with rivals, those days and nights spent giving it your all for speed...

Even the resentment and unwillingness of those who lost to Su Shen.

Repeated efforts and self-discipline.

They all flashed through his mind.

"I know I can still run, but stopping here might be a good option."

"I am very fortunate that my last match was on the plateau of Mexico City, against such a strong opponent as Su. It was a match where I gave it my all and have no regrets."

"9.37 seconds and 9.39 seconds will be the most beautiful ending to my career."

Bolt's words were soft, yet each one carried immense weight, striking the hearts of everyone present.

In the hall, someone finally came to their senses, and the sound of camera shutters rang out again, but it was no longer the previous enthusiasm; instead, it carried a sense of cherishing.

It's as if they wanted to freeze this moment, this Jamaican sprinter who announced his retirement, in the camera forever.

Throughout his more than ten-year professional career, Bolt defined an era with speed. He made sprinting one of the most exciting sports in the world, and he showed humanity the infinite possibilities of speed. His name... has long been integrated with sprinting.

It has become synonymous with human speed.

Now, this era is finally coming to an end.

After Bolt finished speaking, he slowly stood up, bowed deeply to the crowd below the stage, and then bowed again towards the direction of the track.

It was a thank you to the media, a thank you to the audience, and a farewell to his more than ten-year sprinting career.

"Thank you everyone, thank you sprinters, my story ends here."

"From today onwards, the black lightning has come to an end."

"Only one lightning bolt can exist on the field."

"Fortunately, I don't have to experience the slow aging process of a hero."

"This process will present countless challenges for future generations."

"Let Su, this red lightning bolt, bear the brunt."

After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the exit of the venue.

The tall figure gradually disappeared at the entrance of the passage in the warm light.

This incident caught Su Shen off guard, who was still giving an interview.

They were all startled.

While he was trying to figure out how to appease the reporters.

Suddenly, I saw my team members rushing over.

I couldn't hear any of the other sounds clearly.

I only heard those few keywords.

"President Su."

"Usain Bolt".

"He...announced his retirement."