They promised to win the swimming championship, but what's with this "Grand Slam" thi

Chapter 36 In the world of martial arts, speed is the only way to break through! [4000 words again]

"Zhejiang team, you will win! You will win! You will win!!!"

After Wu Jin and the other two clapped their hands and shouted a slogan, they entered the contestant passage one by one.

Ten minutes later, the highly anticipated 50-meter sprint battle of the second-to-last day of the 3rd China Swimming Championships will see its final showdown.

Will Chen Zuo, the three-time gold medalist from the capital, have the last laugh and dominate this championship with four gold medals? Or will Wu Jin, who emerged as a dark horse at the age of 12, continue her dark horse run? Or will Zhou Jiawei, the butterfly king, cross over to become the king, and Cai Li make a comeback from the brink of defeat?

Everyone was really looking forward to it.

"Bogo!"

Chen Zuo, who had the appearance of an older brother, greeted the three from Zhejiang Province as they entered the passage.

His gaze, however, was fixed on Wu Jin.

Among the eight athletes who made it to the 50m freestyle final, Chen Zuo is probably the oldest.

21 years old!
Wang Haibo is a year younger than him.

Strictly speaking, he was already considered a veteran in the swimming team, because in 1996, Chen Zuo, who was only 14 years old, was recruited by the national team because he dominated the short, middle and long freestyle.

He joined the provincial team at the age of 12 and the national team at the age of 14. He initially trained in middle and long distances and won national championships in both the 1500-meter long course and short course.

But as he grew older, his coach, Mo Zhengjie, discovered that after the kid developed, his short-distance bursts seemed even more powerful.

Previously, because he hadn't developed yet, he had plenty of stamina and a high leg frequency and stroke speed, so we trained him in long distances; unexpectedly, after developing, he didn't have much stamina in his good middle and long distances, but showed extraordinary talent in short distances.

After switching training, he achieved legendary status at last year's Asian Games, winning a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle.

Furthermore, he went on to win two consecutive Asian Games gold medals, three National Swimming Championships, and five World Championships in this event. For the next eight years, not only in China, but also in the entire Asia, no 100-meter freestyle swimmer could challenge his position as the number one 100-meter freestyle swimmer in Asia.

They dominated for a full eight years.

Therefore, Chen Zuo's strongest event right now is the 100-meter dash, and he has already broken his own national record in this championship.

In this championship, he has already won three gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 200m relay, and a silver medal in the 100m relay. If he wins the 50m freestyle, he will be a true four-gold medalist and the MVP of this swimming championship!

It's important to know that whether it's the World Championships, the Olympics, or the National Swimming Championships, after each swimming competition, a best swimmer of the event will be selected.

They will receive additional prize money from the event organizers.

This tradition is also used to motivate the sport of swimming.

Chen Zuo was determined to win.

The future captain of the swimming team looked at Wu Jin with confidence, and Wu Jin smiled back at him: "Hello!"

"Zhejiang Province is indeed strong!"

"Other provinces barely managed to get one person into the finals, but you got three!"

Chen Zuo and the other two laughed, while Wang Haibo said from the side, "That's still no match for Brother Zuo. The Three Gold King, tsk tsk, he's getting stronger and stronger!"

The two are former teammates on the national team and are obviously very familiar with each other in private.

"Haha, luck!"

"Taking advantage of the location, I've been practicing in this pool for the past two months and I'm practically sick of it!"

It was clear that Chen Zuo wasn't being modest; there was an element of boasting in it. Wang Haibo obviously wouldn't hold back: "You beast! No wonder you've won so many gold medals!"

"If you're going to throw the game in the semifinals, you might as well throw the game in the finals too, and let the three of us stand on the podium!"

Wang Haibo was joking.

Chen Zuo was also very direct: "Sure, then we're best friends!"

"Gold, silver, and bronze are all yours!"

"..."

The two of them were bickering back and forth; they were both seasoned veterans.

If anyone believes this, you'll have it for life.

Many athletes don't tell the truth during competitions.

Who doesn't want to win the championship?

The higher the level of the athlete, the greater their desire for the championship and first place will be compared to that of ordinary people.

The saying "one way in one competition, another way in another" perfectly describes athletes.

……

beep--

When the announcement of the finals came over the loudspeaker, Chen Zuo and Wang Haibo stopped talking and then took to the stage in order of their semi-final rankings.

In the future, each person will have a solo performance during the finals, which is obviously not the case now.

The first row of the stands was already surrounded by media reporters, including CCTV, Sina, and several local radio stations and newspapers from Jinshi.

Long lenses and short lenses were aimed at the competition field.

There were also many more spectators than in the morning and during the semi-finals.

Most of the contestants from various provinces and cities were present, along with swimming enthusiasts who came to watch.

The 50-meter freestyle is actually second only to the 100-meter freestyle in popularity among all swimming events.

What's more, there are several gold medalists in this final, making it even more exciting.

"Oh oh oh!"

As the eight finalists walked out of the tunnel, the entire audience erupted in excited cheers.

Screams and shouts rose and fell.

This was the first time Wu Jin had ever experienced such a grand spectacle.

As expected of the finals.

The atmosphere was completely incomparable to the preliminary rounds in the morning and the semifinals in the afternoon.

The surrounding noise was so intense that it could make you feel excited without you even realizing it.

"Now that's what a competition should be like!"

Wu Jin smiled, put on her swimming cap and goggles, and started jumping and warming up in place; the other swimmers were also adjusting their condition to varying degrees, some breathing, some stretching.

Only after a beep did everyone stand on the starting platform.

The noise in the room immediately quieted down.

You can hear the needle drop.

Coaches Xu Guoyi and He Xinzhong, along with several others, were sitting together, occupying the best prime viewing spot for the game; and in front of them sat the head coaches from various regions and countries.

Zhao Ge, Zhang Yadong, Yao Zhengjie... one swimming legend after another gathered together, but their eyes were all fixed on a few people in the competition, without saying a word.

They were just chatting happily together.

"preparation--"

As the electronic notification sounded, everyone immediately lowered their hands.

The next second, the starting pistol went off.

Wang Haibo leaped out almost as fast as the starting pistol; Chen Zuo, Zhou Jiawei, and a few others followed him.

Wu Jin and Cai Li pretended to jump into the water as well.

"treacherous!"

At this moment, Mo Zhengjie couldn't help but turn his head and glance at Xu Guoyi.

Xu Guoyi smiled slightly and said in a voice only he could hear, "Likewise, likewise!"

You dare to call me treacherous after dominating Tianjin's home ground for over a month?
Wang Haibo committed a foul by attempting a jump!
Everyone has to play again.

The audience immediately became noisy.

Clearly, they hadn't anticipated this at all.

"Quiet!"

A voice announced over the loudspeaker.

The eight finalists returned to the starting block.

If anyone commits another foul in the next shot, they will be immediately ejected from the match.

Therefore, in principle, no one should dare to jump first.

Of course, there is a possibility, such as those who are not afraid of death or who are willing to take a gamble.

In future swimming competitions, even if a foul is committed, there will be no rematch; the swimmer will simply be removed from the final roster after the competition ends.

"preparation!"

It was still the same cold, electronic voice.

Wu Jin took a deep breath, adjusting her body's state and breathing.

His eyes were fixed on the slightly swaying fourth lane in front of him; the 50-meter end seemed to be beckoning to him.

This time, it's the real final showdown.

"let's start!"

No one saw Wu Jin's eyes, hidden behind her swimming goggles, suddenly become incredibly sharp.

That was longing.

The desire to win his first championship.

Or rather, ambition! *Beep*

As the starting gun fired, Wu Jin instantly exerted force with the toes of her left foot on the starting platform.

Whoosh!
He plunged into the pool like a flying fish; but in the corner of his eye as he fell in, he saw a dark shadow already sinking into the water.

Holy crap, recoil control?!

They dare to bet on a rematch?
Whose subordinate is this, so brave?

"hey-hey!"

On the stands, Mo Zhengjie watched his prized student take the lead after his shot hit the target, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his lips.

Xu Guoyi, Xu Guoyi, I, your old man, saw through your crooked ways a long time ago.

You have Zhang Liangji, I have a wall ladder.

"..."

Xu Guoyi was also stunned. Looking at Chen Zuo, who was in first place at the water's edge, his face instantly darkened.

Chen Zuo, that kid, he's really bold!
They dared to play with a big heart even in the finals.

As expected of a champion, this is something most people wouldn't dare to do.

However, this also shows that this guy is determined to win the championship.

The final was obviously much more exciting than the semi-finals and preliminaries. The splashing water in each lane was like a machine vortex, and each swimmer left a trail of white spray behind them.

Chen Zuo's lead continued; just 3 seconds into the race, he displayed the aura of a three-time gold medalist.

And in second place is Wu Jin.

"Charge, Wu Jin!"

Xu Guoyi was shouting, while Mo Zhengjie stared intently at the disciple in lane six, his eyes also fixed on lane four where Wu Jin was.

He was indeed wary of this dark horse.

Otherwise, Chen Zuobing wouldn't have been allowed to take such a risky move; it's just that this kid set off too quickly.

Wow!
Chen Zuo pressed the gun into the water, vigorously swinging his arms and legs to increase his speed.

In almost a breath, he had already emerged from the water and completed his first freestyle stroke, while the others were still accelerating in the water.

At this moment, Chen Zuo was clearly going all out.

He didn't exert himself much in today's preliminaries and semifinals; having rested and prepared, and now that he's familiar with the lane, his condition is indescribably explosive.

With the added bonus of three gold medals, his body temperature had been soaring these past few days.

Chen Zuo is determined to take first place.

Waves surged before him as Chen Zuo sprinted toward the finish line, striving for his dream of becoming a four-time gold medalist.

The speed is getting faster and faster, and the ferocity is increasing.

He was confident that if he continued swimming in this condition, he would definitely be number one.

No one can be your match.

He has reached his speed limit, and this is the best he has been in over the past few days of competition.

He even had a gut feeling that this time... he could break 23!

23 seconds!
A territory he had never set foot in before.

Perhaps, he will accomplish it today.

1 seconds, 2 seconds...

Chen Zuo swam 10 meters and was still in first place.

"call--"

He came out of the water to breathe and subconsciously glanced to his left.

With just one glance, his breathing and rhythm almost collapsed.

"..."

Just when Chen Zuo thought he had an absolute lead thanks to his recoil control and rapid burst of energy, he took a breath.

He saw a figure.

A figure that was not there at all when it first emerged from the water to breathe.

In other words, someone has caught up with us.

"That Wu Jin?"

Chen Zuo's only worry was this guy.

Even with my own recoil control and increased speed, I still couldn't shake him off?

Moreover, with the next breath, the figure Chen Zuo saw became even clearer.

This is all too clear to a seasoned swimmer... It means Wu Jin has surpassed him and is in the lead.

How come those two breaths were so much faster than mine?
We couldn't see him just now!
……

"what?!"

On the stands, Mo Zhengjie stared in disbelief as Wu Jin overtook his disciple in just 3 seconds.

He thought he was seeing things.

It’s just that!

All those techniques like recoil control and rapid water release crumble in the face of absolute speed.

All the people in the stadium saw was that Wu Jin in lane four had a speed that was unmatched by the other seven swimmers after she came out of the water.

The white waves behind them were also the most ferocious.

The rapid closing of the gap between Chen Zuo and the leader was so intense that everyone watching it felt their adrenaline surge.

The shouts were deafening.

So exciting.

Unfortunately, it only lasted a few seconds.

Wu Jin was already in first place.

There was absolutely no intense scene of two tigers fighting.

He used his speed to completely outclass Chen Zuo, who had reached the peak in terms of condition, strength, and tactics.

UI!
With a 14-second intermediate acceleration, Wu Jin's speed was the fastest in the entire lane.

"it is good!"

"Hahaha!"

Xu Guoyi laughed loudly, waving his hands and shouting, "Keep it up, Wu Jin, keep it up!!!"

“Sprint!”

"Charge to the very end!!!"

Wow!
Wu Jin gasped for breath. After 25 meters, there was no one left in her sight.

He could still see Chen Zuo before, but after a few breaths, it seemed that there was no one behind him anymore.

This time, the speed was absolutely fast.

The feeling of activating your skill as soon as you enter the water is really exhilarating.

"This kid is still accelerating!"

"He can still pick up speed after 25 meters, he's really young!"

National team head coach Zhao Ge was smiling, quite astonished by Wu Jin's explosive power.

A rare scene unfolded on the entire 50-meter freestyle track.

Wedge-shaped!

Wu Jin in lane four was in a complete lead.

Chen Zuo, who finished second in lane six, also had a very clear advantage in second place.

With a significant lead over third place, Wu Jin is now half a step ahead of second-place Chen Zuo.

Then came Cai Li and Zhou Jiawei, who were closely battling for third and fourth place.

"Final sprint!!"

A few seconds after the acceleration skill dimmed, Wu Jin, feeling somewhat exhausted, immediately activated the intermediate sprint.

The final burn lasted a full 1.2 seconds.

He was like a shuttle riding the wind and waves, rushing straight towards the finish line.

Chen Zuo, who was behind him, was once again outpaced by him.

"..."

All the coaches in the stands were momentarily stunned.

This includes Xu Guoyi, who has always worried that Wu Jin will not have a breakthrough performance later on.

When will this kid be ready to sprint?!
And they charged so fiercely!
(End of this chapter)