Almighty Coach

by Stayrr

How could a poor graduate student without any background or connections become successful? With a coaching system? An upgrade? This is not a computer game, but real life we’re talking about! This will be a fantasy based on reality. Dai Li will fight back against all those who would mock and humiliate him with his astonishing and awe-inspiring training skills. From a nobody he’ll t

17. 509

Read Almighty Coach - Chapter 509 - The Aura of an Overbearing CEO online free - Light Novel Full

Chapter 509: The Aura of an Overbearing CEO

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The entire management staff of the U.S. National Track and Field Team, more than a dozen people, were gathered in the meeting room. Among them were the U.S. National Track and Field Team leader cum manager, the team doctor, the physiotherapist, the nutritionist, and even a lawyer. Apart from that, there were also a few assistant coaches.

Affected by the performance-enhancing drug scandal, the coaching team that Sebastian had established had long vanished. As for the second coach, Rivers, he was forced out before he had the chance to develop his team. The current U.S. National Track and Field Team didn't even have even one specialization coach, not to mention an assistant head coach. The only ones left were the assistant coaches they recruited hastily.

The few assistant coaches were whispering among themselves, some of them seemed a little excited.

"That's the new Coach Li, he arrived yesterday morning. He shut himself in his office the whole day, he even ordered takeout for lunch. I haven't seen him till now," one of them said.

"I saw him yesterday off work. I'll let you in on something, he's here alone," another person said mysteriously.

"Alone? So what?" Another on the side asked, confused.

"Him being alone means that he hasn't established his coaching team! Who knows, some of us might have a chance to become a specialty coach," the person answered.

The assistant coaches instantly became interested because assistant coaches were the lowest ranking coaches in the national team. They could only conduct the most basic kinds of the daily training. After the training camp, their work would be completed. It was impossible for them to follow the U.S. national team to the Olympic Games.

If one were to join the coaching team of the head coach, everything would be different. A specialty coach would at least be responsible for a particular event and, as such, would be able to follow the U.S. national team to the Olympic Games.

The others, however, poured cold water on them by saying, "I think you guys should stop getting ahead of yourselves. There are so many coaches all over the U.S. that, even if the new head coach wanted to build a new team, he wouldn't use us."

"But the third training camp is going to start soon. Where would the new head coach find time to build a new coaching team? He would still need to rely on us."

As the U.S. National Track and Field Team head coach, if Dai Li wanted to start his work smoothly, he needed to establish his coaching team. He needed at least two assistants or deputies and, apart from that, he also needed one specialty coach responsible for each of the events. That meant a coach for the sprint, middle and long distance running, the marathon, the high jump, the long jump, hurling, race walking, hurdle, and obstacle course events.

The only thing was that building a coaching team wasn't something one could accomplish in a short amount of time. Sebastian took several weeks to build his coaching team, and now, with so many coaches being involved in the performance-enhancing drug scandal, Dai Li's choices had decreased, making it even harder to create a coaching team.

As the assistant coaches discussed among themselves, they heard a lot of footsteps approaching from the hallway.

Looks like a lot of people arrived, everyone thought as they looked toward the direction of the footsteps. A few seconds later, Dai Li pushed the door open with around eight or nine people behind him.

"Why did he bring so many people?" Everyone looked curiously at Dai Li.

Dai Li coughed and cleared his throat before saying, "Hello everyone, I'm the new head coach, Dai Li. The people behind me are members of my coaching team, I will introduce them to you in a moment."

The initially expectant assistant coaches instantly looked gloomy. No one understood how this happened. Just a day before, Dai Li was alone. How did he have an entire coaching team in after only one day?

"Coach Li, who'd have thought you would finish building your coaching team so quickly? However, I sure haven't seen the faces of these coaches before," the one who spoke was the U.S. National Track and Field Team leader cum manager, Donny. He had previously met with Dai Li.

"These are all coaches from my physical fitness training center." Dai Li pointed behind him and said, "Time is of the essence, so I don't have time to contact the other coaches. Besides, a new team would need time to gel, so I might brought my people because we're more familiar with each other. We also established a tacit understanding a long time ago. We'll save time because we already know each other, which will help us get into the work faster."

"So that's it." Donny thought in his mind how rich coaches were different. Even building a coaching team was so simple. It was a feat that took others a few weeks to accomplish yet, when it came to Dai Li, he simply accomplished it by getting his subordinates to do the work.Under Dai Li's leadership, the third training camp of the U.S. national team was underway. Training was going smoothly, and there weren't any accidents or surprises. There was also no instance of athlete disobeying or causing trouble for the management. Everything went according to Dai Li's plan.

The list of participants' names for the U.S. national team had already been submitted to the International Olympic Committee, and the U.S. Olympic delegation was officially established. Based on tradition, after confirming the participants, each of the sports association would have to hold their respective press conference.

The U.S. National Track and Field Team had always been the group that had the most members of the U.S. Olympic delegation, so the scale of their press conference would also be more prominent. Every press conference could be regarded as a gathering of stars. However, this time, the press conference of the U.S. National Track and Field Team was a little quiet and dull. Due to the effects of the performance-enhancing drug scandal, too many star athletes could not participate in the competition. As such, during the press conference, only Irwin and a few others forcefully held things together.

Although the number of stars had decreased, the number of journalists and reporters did not go down. Those who were journalists tended to be curious, so they wanted to see the condition of the team that had been baptized by the performance-enhancing drug scandal. Apart from that, there were also people who had ulterior motives that were there to cause trouble.

A male journalist with black-bordered spectacles received the microphone and asked, "I heard some rumors saying that the selection for the current national team lacks justice and fairness. Some athletes whose results were not great during the qualifiers, even those who were eliminated in the first round, were actually brought onto the national team. As for some other athletes whose results were clearly better in the qualifiers, they were not selected. I would like to know if this rumor is true?"

"Someone really asked such a question." The chief operating officer, Frey, smiled calmly. Composed, he answered, "Before this, our only standard of measure for an athlete was their results during the Olympic qualifiers. However, due to the special circumstances of this year, some of our athletes had become involved in the performance-enhancing drugs scandal and left the national team. As the time to register with the International Olympic Committee was limited, we had to submit the participants' name list to the committee as soon as possible. That is the reason why some of the athletes were personally selected by our head coach, Mr. Dai Li."

The bespectacled journalist continued asking, "Then, Mr. Dai Li, when you selected the athletes, how did you ensure fairness?"

The microphone was passed to Dai Li. He pondered the question for a bit, and said, "Regarding the selection of the athletes, I selected the athletes who were better."

"Then how did you determine whether one athlete was better than the other? What is your standard?" The bespectacled journalist asked with an unrelenting tone.

"There is a lot. For example, body condition, individual talent, sports ability, overall ability, work rate, mental stability, injury proneness, all are taken into account. Even ambition is within the range of my consideration. I will comprehensively review everything before finally selecting a suitable athlete," Dai Li answered slowly.

"Your comprehensive review?" The bespectacled journalist laughed in disdain, "Then can I assume that you selected athletes based on your personal preferences?"

Dai Li frowned a little. The journalist's questions were very sharp and targeted. Obviously, the only thing he was afraid of was the world at peace. He was here to cause trouble.

"Of course you can't assume that, because your understanding itself is a mistake," Dai Li's expression became stern. He then continued, "To be selected by me, the athlete's overall strength needs to be acknowledged by myself. This has nothing to do with personal preferences. To acknowledge a person's strength and to like a person, these are two completely different things."

Dai Li spread his hands and continued, "For example, the best actor of the Oscars, you might not like him, but you will definitely acknowledge his acting skills. You can't say that the actor doesn't have any acting skills because you don't like this actor. Or perhaps you are of the opinion that the reason every Oscar winner has won is not that of their excellent acting skills, but it is because the judges liked them better?"

The bespectacled journalist suddenly did not know what to say. Initially, he had wanted to cheat and shift the concept a little. He didn't know that Dai Li was also adept at this trick.

"Then how do you prove that the athletes you chose are stronger? What if some among them are actually weaklings?" The bespectacled journalist asked in exasperation.

"You're a journalist, you should be able to tell the value of a news report because that is your job. In the same way, I am a coach, so it is natural that I am able to tell the overall ability of an athlete. It is my talent. A different industry is a completely different world. You are not a coach, so you might feel that what I've said is ridiculous; however, if you were to let me, a sports coach, do your job I would also be clueless," Dai Li answered.

When talking about the professionalism of a sports coach, the bespectacled journalist was clearly not Dai Li's opponent. Even if it were a sports journalist who excelled in writing sports-related reviews and critique, when it came to professionalism, they could never compare against a professional coach.

The journalist obviously did not admit defeat, he continued saying, "Coach Li, based on what you've said, only athletes that you acknowledge are allowed to enter the national team? You make me feel as if you are a dictator, it's not democratic at all."

"Democratic? So you think we should hold a vote to see who enters the national team? Then we don't need the Olympic anymore. We can vote to decide the champion. Would that be democratic enough for you?" Dai Li looked coldly at the bespectacled journalist and said, "There has never been democracy in competitive sport. It's a dog eat dog world, survival of the fittest. Your democracy won't help the U.S. national team gain even one piece of medal!"

As Dai Li spoke, he patted his chest and said, "And I am the head coach of the U.S. National Track and Field Team. So my acknowledgment is the standard and prerequisite for entering the U.S. National Track and Field Team!"

At that moment, Dai Li was emanating an aura that resembled an overbearing and robust CEO.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 510: You Really Can Do Anything When You are Rich

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The happenings of the press conference were immediately all over the news.

"'I'm the head coach of the U.S. National Track and Field Team. So my acknowledgment is the standard and prerequisite for entering the U.S. National Track and Field Team!' This declaration is too damn cool!"

"I think it's just a kind of arrogance. Who does he think he is? A Chinese coach, what gives him the right to say that his acknowledgment is the standard and prerequisite for entering the U.S. national team."

"I'm looking forward to when he fails during the Olympics. However, his failure is also the failure of the U.S. national team, so I still hope to see the U.S. team getting a few extra medals."

"I have the opposite opinion. I hope to see this Chinese coach succeed. Our athlete selection system has a lot of flaws, it's about time someone stood up to break tradition!"

Western countries had a culture of boasting. Take, as an example, the pre-match interviews that take place before some sporting events. Athletes from western countries say in these interviews that they are going to win the championship or that the winner would definitely be them, even if their strength or ability wasn't enough to take them past the first round. Asian culture was humbler. Even if one had the ability to win the championship, even if the chance of winning the championship were at 80 to 90 percent, they would still say that their opponents were strong and that victory wasn't a given.

Another example, in the NBA, before the season starts, at least half of the teams of say that their target for the year is to win the championship. However, there are only four to five teams actually strong enough to do so. Or when the season is almost finished, although it's only theoretically possible, players would still say that their team could enter the playoffs. Even during playoffs, when a team is behind by three games, there is a 100% chance a player from the trailing team will come out and say, "We'll make a comeback and win 4-3." In truth, they didn't believe in these statements.

Boasting didn't cost anything. After boasting this time, one would continue bragging next time. Since everyone knew he was only boasting, they wouldn't treat it seriously anyway. Since no one treated the statements seriously, even when the boasts came to nothing, there would be no shame in it. A man usually holds true to his words. Clearly, that thinking did not exist here.There was a knock on the door. The team leader cum manager of the U.S. National Track and Field Team, Donny, looked at the door before saying, "Please, come in."

Dai Li pushed the door open and walked inside. Donny saw that it was Dai Li and he immediately stood up to greet him.

"Coach Li, please, have a seat," Donny said enthusiastically.

After Dai Li sat down, he did not waste any time with small talk and went straight to the topic at hand, "Mr. Donny, the reason I'm here today is to discuss something with you."

"Coach Li, please elaborate." Donny showed that he was ready to listen.

"The third training camp of the track and field team is about to end. At the moment, I'm rather satisfied with the results and effects of the training. However, I feel that the time of training is still far from enough. You should know, the situation this year is different and the strength of our athletes isn't what it used to be. There are many young athletes on the team and they need more training to reach my expectations. Some of the older athletes also need more training to maintain their individual condition," Dai Li said.

"Which means that you want to increase the training time of the athletes, right?" Donny thought for a moment and said, "Before the opening of the Olympic Games, we still have a fourth training camp."

"That is right before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, right? I've seen the schedule, the fourth training camp is scheduled to be in August. After the training camp, we'll be headed straight for Rio for the Olympics. For me, that isn't enough time," Dai Li answered.

"In that case, we can try to extend the time of the third training camp. Or perhaps we can make the fourth training camp earlier. I can make report to the Track and Field Association about this. How many days do you want to add?" Donny asked.

"From now until the start of the Olympics," Dai Li replied.

"Uh… That's…" Donny suddenly looked troubled. He had thought that Dai Li only wanted to add a few days of training. He never would have thought that Dai Li would suddenly request half a month.

"Coach Li, it's fine if it's only two to three days, but it is tougher if you want to add that many more days. We need to rent places. We also need to provide the athletes with lodgings and food, as well as pay the staff. All these are extra expenses and I'm afraid I can't get that much of an increase in the budget," Donny said awkwardly.

The U.S. national team was an impromptu team assembled right before the competition. They were like provisional performance troupes who had no customized training venues, whose every training needed a rented location. As for the lodgings and food for the athletes, they also needed to book hotels and chefs in advance. Everything was done after budgeting was done. If one wanted to suddenly add a few days of training; if it were only two to three days, a discussion was still possible. As the amount of days Dai Li wanted to add increases, however, the logistical support, as well as the budget, would become problems.

The sports stadiums were constantly being used in the U.S.. Some of the larger stadiums were not just used for competitive sports, but also for concerts and performances. For example, the NBA stadiums or the NFL stadiums were often used to organize events. Athletes would sometimes need to rent other stadiums for their training.

If it were in China, situations like these would not appear. The Chinese national team had several training bases, so they could train in various places in the country. In the worst case, they could easily just put up with the training centers of any random provincial teams.

Dai Li also knew that Donny wasn't being superficial; he was describing things as they were. Suddenly adding days, not even taking into account the logistics of supporting of so many athletes and coaches, was not something Donny could solve.

As such, Dai Li said, "Mr. Donny, I know that adding so many days of training is indeed difficult for you, so I've thought of a solution. I want to change the location of the training to Los Angeles. At my training centers. I have sufficient space and equipment over there. It's sufficient for the huge amount of people we'll have training there at the same time."

"It is an idea," Donny nodded. "But can the athletes accept it?"

"We'll let the athletes participate voluntarily then. Those who are willing to come train in Los Angeles, I'll accept with my hands wide open. Those who aren't willing, I won't force them," Dai Li said.

"Then what about expenses?" Donny asked cautiously, "Coach Li, I know that your training centers have state-of-the-art equipment and facilities. The fees should be high, right? With that many athletes training at your place, I'm afraid the Track and Field Association won't approve this budget."

"I'll cover the training fees, no need to trouble the Track and Field Association," Dai Li said directly.

"Then what about logistical support? There are over a hundred people. They will need a place to sleep, right?" Donny asked.

"There is no lack of hotels in Los Angeles. Any random hotel will be able to accommodate a hundred or so people." Dai Li looked at Donny's expression and said, "Don't worry about the accommodation fees, I'll cover that too."

"The question of food…" Donny continued asking.

"I'll settle that. Food expenses are on me as well," Dai Li answered.

"Coach Li, the food and lodging of so many people, and it's not just a day or two, this is a pretty huge expense. Have you really considered this carefully?" Donny asked.

"I've thought about it carefully, I can still bear this much," Dai Li nodded.

"Alright then, since you're willing to cover the expenses, then I have no problems anymore." Donny let out a long sigh, while in his mind, he thought, You really can do anything when you are rich!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 511: The Weakest in History

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Everyone was gathered around the bulletin board, where there was a notice about the move to Los Angeles.

"We have to go train in Los Angeles? We're training until the start of the Olympics? That's 20 days. Do we really need to train that long?" An athlete asked with a frown.

Someone next to him immediately consoled him and said, "You don't have to worry, we're not being forced to go. It's voluntary. Don't go if you don't want to."

"What I want to know is, if we're training in Los Angeles until the start of the Olympics, what happens to the fourth training camp?" Another athlete asked.

"The training camp in Los Angeles will count as the fourth training camp. If you don't go to Los Angeles, it means that you are voluntarily giving up on the fourth national team training camp." A voice joined the conversation.

Chris Payton stood behind them. He had followed Dai Li to the U.S. National Track and Field Team. He was in charge of training athletes for the middle and long distance race, as well as the marathon.

"Coach Payton, if we go to training in Los Angeles, what's in it for us?" An athlete asked directly. He sounded like the type of person who wouldn't even get out of bed early unless there was something it in for him..

"What's in it for you? You can receive the best training in the world," Payton responded. "Our training center has the world's best equipment and facilities. Moreover, Coach Li will personally create your training plans. I can guarantee that you will experience significant progress."

A few people looked suspiciously at Payton. Clearly, they thought Payton was exaggerating.

"What? You think I'm lying?" Payton did not get angry. He continued saying, "You should know the results of training the past few days, right? Once we get back to Los Angeles, you will be able to use better training equipment, so the effects of training will be more apparent than they are now."

No one said anything. All the athletes knew that the past few days of training had been unusually useful.

Payton continued, "You probably don't know how high our fees are. It's not an exaggeration to say that we have the most expensive training facilities in Los Angeles. Of course, the training services we provide are the best. If you go to train in Los Angeles, you will enjoy around 20 days of free training. That in itself makes it worth it, right?"Payton turned around and left, leaving behind a group of athletes who couldn't make a decision.

One of them pulled out his phone and searched Coach Li's fitness centers.

After a few minutes, that athlete said, "Coach Payton isn't lying to us. What he said is true."

"Do they really offer the best training in the world?" Someone asked.

"No, I meant the cost. It's really expensive. You guys take a look…" The person passed his phone to the others.

"Oh God, that's really expensive! I couldn't afford that."

"That's the most expensive training center I've ever seen."

"Living in Los Angeles is expensive, so maybe other training centers in Los Angeles aren't that much cheaper."

"The other training centers in Los Angeles are definitely not that expensive. This is the price of the top-class training centers in New York."

"Then I think that what Coach Payton said makes perfect sense. I could never afford this normally. This really is a bargain!"

"Besides that, food and lodging are completely free, even if we have to pay the airfare we could almost look at it as a vacation. Los Angeles has a considerable number of nightclubs. Who knows, we might even meet a Hollywood star! I'm going to sign up, right now."

"Let's sign up together. I'm also going to Los Angeles!"

The word "free" was as attractive word. It often tricked people into making bad deals. For example, some people would drive to get free cabbages, but the value of the cabbages earned might not even be enough for gas money.

For these not-so-famous athletes, the prospect of experiencing highly expensive training and using high tech training equipment was a great deal.

Of course, people were lazy. Since it wasn't mandatory, even though it was beneficial, some would still choose not to do it. Not every athlete would prefer to train in Los Angeles."Coach Li, the registration deadline was yesterday. There is a total of 122 athletes going to Los Angeles to train."

"Noted. Hand the list of the registered athletes to Manager Blake. Let him book the hotel room," Dai Li said.

The number was better than Dai Li's had hoped. After all, it wasn't mandatory. Dai Li initially thought that it would be excellent if only half of the team was willing to go to Los Angeles. He never imagined the number that three-quarters of the team would want to.

Dai Li could easily handle the food and lodging of over 100 people. Food didn't cost much in the United States. In fact, Dai Li could just hire a catering service to make and prepare all of the meals for the athletes.

As for lodging, as long as he didn't book the team a five-star hotel, the price would be reasonable. Dai Li could actually book a medium-sized hotel.

The cost of training for this many people was going to be a little tougher.

The training of over a hundred athletes would use up many of his centers' resources. It would definitely decrease the number of resources that his paying clients would be able to use. Dai Li would have to stop receiving new clients temporarily. Of course, that would mean he might incur a loss during that period of time.

However, in the long term, this decision meant more advertising for Dai Li's centers. This sort of publicity could, at the very least, attract some clients. However, the prerequisite was that the current national team had to have a decent enough result, only then would it be convincing.

If the current U.S. National Track and Field Team flopped, it would negatively affect Dai Li's business. No one would want to train at the place a failed team trained. In the opinion of many, everything associated with a failure contributed to it. So, if the U.S. national team performed terribly during the Olympics, Dai Li's training would have to shoulder most of the blame. Athletes who originally wanted to train at Dai Li's place would cease to do so. He would lose a lot of potential clients.

The performance-enhancing drug scandal had decreased the strength of the U.S. national track and field team significantly. Even the general populace of the U.S knew something was off about the team; however, many were still relatively optimistic. They believed that even though many top-class athletes were unable to compete in the competition due to the performance-enhancing drug scandal, the U.S. national team could still achieve excellent results.

In truth, many Americans were oblivious to what was happening around them. They were used to immersing themselves in an idea, thinking that "The U.S. is number one in the world." Living a life centered around the U.S., the things that they were exposed to were also limited to only products revolving around American culture.

The U.S. is a world leader in various industries. As such, most Americans are unaware of the things happening outside the U.S. They have no desire to learn about things outside the United States and might even reject them. A lot of fresh and new items created in foreign countries might even be considered odd and, as such, be rejected by the American populace.

However, the other countries did not think the current U.S. National Track and Field Team was going to do well.

The U.S. track and field team was the number one in the world. They had to be prepared for everyone to be gunning for the. The world would use them as their target.

At the same time, the world would treat the U.S. as a subject for research and study. It was like a class, the teachers and parents would want the weaker students to learn from the first-place student. Every parent-teacher conference, the parent of the first-place student would always get on stage and talk about the study methods of his or her child. Their explanation would often become the bible for many of the students and parents listening.

The U.S. track and field team was that "first-place student." The track and field team of every country studied and imitated the U.S. team. They would learn about the strengths of the U.S. team as well as find the weaknesses. Often, the coaches of other foreign countries would know more about the U.S. national team than an American.

The strongest opponent of the U.S. national team was, without a doubt, the Russian team.

In the past, the Soviet Union was undoubtedly the world's strongest sporting nation. They would crush the American team in every Olympic Games. For example, during the 1972 Munich Olympics, the Soviet Union obtained 50 gold medals and the U.S. only got 33 gold medals. In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, the Soviet-Union got 59 gold medals and the U.S. got 34. After that, during the Moscow Olympics, as the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan, the U.S. national team boycotted the Olympic Games and did not participate. The following year the Olympics were held in Los Angeles and the Soviet Union boycotted to get their revenge. At the Seoul Olympics, both the U.S. and Soviet-Union returned to participate and Soviet Union ended up with 55 gold medals and the U.S. ended up with 36 gold medals. In the Barcelona Olympics, after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union participated in a joint team. The joint team took home 45 gold medals, which was still much more than the U.S.'s 37 gold medals.

Track and field events were always the strength of the Soviet Union. Before the 1980s, the three strongest track and field countries were the Soviet Union, West Germany, and the U.S. Back then, even West Germany was better than the U.S. in track and field. It was after the civil rights movement in America that the number of African-American athletes increased. After that, the U.S. surpassed West Germany and became the second strongest country in the world in track and field.

After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Russia inherited the success of the Soviet Union. Although Russia wasn't as strong as the Soviet Union had been, they were still the only country that was able to contend against the United States. The rise of Central and South American countries, as well as countries in the Caribbean in sprinting, further weakened the Americans as they snatched up many medals. It was also the reason why Russia could stand shoulder to shoulder with the U.S. in track and field events.

The Soviet Union implemented a nation-run sports system back a long time. When the Soviet Union first dissolved, Russia began to imitate and learn from the West when it came to politics, economy, culture, sports, and various other aspects. The nation-run sports system was rejected. However, Russia became worse. In the 1990s, the sports of Russia basically relied on the leftovers of the Soviet Union.

It was only after a powerful person became president that the Russians rediscovered their nation-run sports system. Then, Russian sports recovered and gradually became strong again. In truth, the current system used by the Russians isn't the same as the nation-run system deployed by the Soviet Union, though.

Russian policy encourages athletes to explore outside the country, to compete in foreign competitions or join foreign professional sports clubs. For example, the reputable CSKA Moscow was a football team with Russian military background. It was, without a doubt, a product of the nation-run sports system. However, the club doesn't just use foreign talent to boost their rank and playing standard. As soon as a player receives an opportunity to play in a higher level football league, CSKA Moscow is certain to encourage the player to venture towards it.

Apart from investments from the country, a lot of Russian billionaires have also started investing in sports. This has resulted in some Russian coaches who were working in other countries to return to Russia.

The current Russian National Track and Field Team head coach, Coach Melklov was exactly such a person. He used to be a long distance running world champion, and he received multiple honors during the period of the Soviet Union. The disintegration of the Soviet Union was coincidentally the year of his retirement. Back then, he did not know how to do anything apart from long distance running. As such, he was forced to leave Russia, going to Europe to earn a living. Later, as the economy of Russia recovered, he returned to Russia and became the head coach of the Russian National Track and Field Team.

The track and field events that Russia excelled in included women's middle and long distance running, the marathon, race walking, high jump, and the hurling events. As a long distance runner, Melklov was more familiar with coaching middle and long distance running, the marathon, as well as race walking. After he took over the Russian National Track and Field Team, they team has seen better results. In the previous world championship, Russia took nine gold medals, trailing behind the U.S. which won 12 gold medals.

For the current Olympic Games, Melklov's original target was also second place. However, plans change. The sudden appearance of the performance-enhancing drug scandal greatly weakened the strength of the American team. Melklov also saw a glimmer of hope for, once again, surpassing the U.S.An old bearded middle-aged man walked into Melklov's office with a roster in his hands.

"Coach, the roster submitted by the U.S. National Track and Field Team to the International Olympic Committee has been finalized. Just as you expected, compared to the qualifying round, there has been a drastic change in personnel. There is less than a quarter of the athletes left from the qualifying round. The rest of them are new additions to the U.S. team," the bearded man said.

The bearded man was called Ignagave. He was Melklov's deputy and also the deputy head coach of the Russian National Track and Field Team.

"There really is a drastic change in their personnel. I haven't even heard of many of these athletes. I'm guessing these athletes aren't even famous in the U.S.," Melklov said.

"However, the 400m sprint king, Jimmy Irwin is still on the list. Based on his results in the qualifiers, he's still the favorite for winning the 400m sprint in the Olympics. There's also Justin Alexander. He has been banned for so long. He returned this year, and I heard that his time is still around 9.80 seconds. After Kittel's retirement, this is a competitive time," Ignagave stated.

"Although the U.S. team has Irwin, I feel that this is the weakest U.S. National Track and Field Team in history. It is such a shame the events that the U.S. team is good are not the same ones we are. If we were to win one gold medal, it would be the equivalent of increasing the gap by two gold medals." Melklov put down the roster with a relaxed face. He then said, "Now, we can only hope that the British pull their weight. I hope that they can snatch a few gold medals away from the Americans."Great Britain is also a track and field powerhouse. However, the track and field events the British excelled in overlapped with the Americans.

Back in the day, the British Empire had colonies all around the globe. Even now, the scale of the Commonwealth Games is not in any way inferior to the Asian Games. The competition is actually more intense.

A lot of athletes from less developed Commonwealth countries hoped to move to Great Britain. Among them, most were African athletes from countries like Kenya, Cameroon, Uganda, and Jamaica. These countries used to be colonies of the British Empire and these were places that produced strong athletes. These strong athletes brought multiple Olympic medals to Great Britain.

Athletes of African descent were good at similar events, whether they were American or British. The events they excelled at were sprints, the long jump, and various other sports events that required high amounts of explosive power. However, African American athletes tended to have a slight edge over African athletes who had moved to Britain to play for them in the Olympics.

Moreover, there are a lot of similarities between the sports culture of Great Britain and the U.S. Citizens from both countries get very involved in the competition.

The head coach of the British National Track and Field Team was named Alex. He was a legend in British track and field. He used to be an athlete in charge of training para-athletes. Later, due to his success in leading the team through the Paralympics, he was promoted to become the head coach of the British National Track and Field Team.

At that moment, Alex also received the roster of the U.S. National Track and Field Team.

"I don't recognize many of the names here on this list. I haven't even heard of them. There's a rumor saying that the current U.S. National Track and Field Team is their weakest team in history. It looks like the rumor isn't baseless." A polite smile appeared on Alex's face when he spoke.

"Coach, I've taken a look and, in this Olympics, it is possible for us to surpass the U.S. team and win the gold medal in a couple of events," the assistant said in excitement.

"We are, of course, going to compete for gold medals. The more, the better. However, I'm fairly interested in the new head coach of the U.S. team. This is, after all, the first time the U.S. hired a non-American track and field head coach, isn't it?" Alex said.

"You're talking about the Chinese coach, aren't you? I sure don't think he has the ability to command the U.S. national track and field team. After all, track and field isn't a strength of the Chinese," the assistant said.

Alex maintained his polite smile and said, "The reason I'm following this Chinese coach is that his experience is similar to mine. You should know, four years ago, I was training para-athletes, and the competition I participated in was the Paralympics. The first product of this Chinese coach is also a para-athlete. You've heard of the name 'Blade Warrior' Phillip before, right? He's the only para-athlete in the world who could compete against normal athletes. He was personally discovered and groomed by this Chinese coach."

"That means that this Chinese coach excels at training for sprinting events. The sprinting events have always been the strength of the U.S. team!" The assistant suddenly had a solemn expression.

Alex instantly consoled the assistant and said, "Don't worry. Our sprinters don't have sufficient ability to become the champion in the Olympics anyway. We only have to do well in the relay races. However, the Jamaicans might think differently! After all, Kittel has retired. The Jamaicans need a new leadership icon. They want the title of the world's fastest man to remain in Jamaica, and not to return to the U.S.!"The Jamaican National Track and Field Team.

At that moment, the head coach, Fraser, was in the middle of lecturing his athletes. He looked excited. His held his fists tight and said, "The current U.S. National Track and Field Team is the weakest in history. This is a chance for our Jamaican squad. Although we have lost Kittel, I believe that among all of you, there is someone who can take Kittel's place, and become the new world's fastest man! The 100m, 200m, and 4100 relay races. A total of six gold medals. This time, we'll get them all!"A bowl of soy milk in front of Li Xue was empty. He patted his stomach and burped.

"The previous U.S.National Track and Field Team was filled with superstars. However, the current U.S. is, without a doubt, the weakest ever. Old Xue, the public account that I'm following just published an article that says that the current U.S. National Track and Field Team is ridiculously weak. They will be destroyed in the Olympics. Looks like that apprentice of yours won't last long as the head coach. Will he be fired by the Americans?" An instigator asked.

"Don't listen to the bullsh*t from that account. They don't know sh*t!" Li Xue pouted and said, "That is my apprentice, after all. Even if it is the weakest U.S. national team ever, it will obtain the best results!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

The Olympic Games were steadily approaching and the athletes began their final training.

The training venue of the U.S. track and field team was in Los Angeles. As the second largest city in the United States, and the home of Hollywood, the entertainment industry in Los Angeles was quite developed. This attracted young people. Many young athletes on the U.S. track and field team agreed to come to Los Angeles to train because of the vibrancy of the city.

However, they soon discovered that they simply did not have the time or energy to entertain themselves. Their training schedule was full from morning to evening and there was no rest on weekends. The training was very intense. After a day of training, everyone wanted to go to bed and sleep. It was impossible to go out to the nightclubs.

This kind of training was very dull, and remaining committed was a kind of suffering. As an athlete, one should adapt to the pain of training. Moreover, Dai Li said that the ones who couldn't adapt to this kind of training should just scram and go home.

People had self-esteem, especially athletes who were selected to be on the U.S. national team. Each was a top-notch track and field talent. Their egos were huge. Such people would not give up easily. No one would willingly withdraw. No one was willing to be regarded as a weakling by the other athletes.On the training ground, Ellis Mett crossed the last hurdle and rushed past the finish line.

He looked back to see that he finished in 12.98 seconds.

Mett was shocked.

"My God, I ran under 13 seconds. Is this a dream?" Mett couldn't help but exclaim.

You could win any competition if you can the 110 meter hurdles in under 13 seconds.Franz Muller held a pole in his hands and looked up at the bar in front of him.

He had never tried this height before. Six meters!

He took a deep breath and accelerated.

He gained support, had a great take-off, and, with the flexibility of the pole, he completed the extension, pendulum, upswing, the turn, and various other actions.

He then fell on a thick cotton pad.

Muller quickly got up and looked up at the bar as soon as possible, confirming that it did not fall.

"6 meters! I did it!" Muller couldn't help but shout in excitement.

Muller knew what vaulting over six meters in men's pole vaulting meant. The record for this event in the Olympics was only 5.97 meters!

Everywhere on the training ground the same thing was happening, athletes tested their limits and kept getting better and better.The Olympic Games this year was going to take place in Brazil. For the American audience, this Olympic Games was very suitable for them to watch. It was in the Americas, so the time difference was negligible and the American audience wouldn't miss any match.

However, a few days after the start of the games, the results of the U.S. Olympic delegation were somewhat unsatisfactory.

In this Olympic Games, the first major events were shooting, weightlifting, swimming, diving, judo, and road cycling. Among them, shooting, swimming, and road cycling were all events the United States was strong in. They were also on America's gold medal list.

However, the competition was fierce in these events, and the United States could not win everything. Shooting, for example. Although the United States had the most shooting athletes in the world, China, South Korea, Russia, Italy, and Germany also had top athletes. American athletes did not have any advantage. In road cycling, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Italy and other European countries were not inferior to the United States.

In these two events, the U.S. team's performance was relatively normal, and the results were similar to previous years. However, swimming dragged down the entire American delegation.

In swimming, the United States was the best. The U.S. could always expect to win gold. The U.S. team had even more gold medals in swimming events than track and field. There were 34 gold medals in the Olympic swimming events. If the U.S. team performed well, they could get 15 or 16 gold medals, almost half of the total gold medals in the swimming events. In comparison, in the track and field events, the American team could only get around ten gold medals.

However, the recent doping scandal also affected many swimmers. It caused a decline in the strength of the U.S. swimming team. With their strength lessened, the number of gold medals the United States would win would also naturally decline.

Because the swimming was a bit disappointing, track and field became the last straw to clutch at for many Americans.It was the first day of track and field events. At nine thirty in the morning, the Olympic track and field competition officially began, starting with the men's discus qualifier.

The discus required a combination of strength and technique. Athletes didn't necessarily need a lot of weight, but they had to possess good skills and excellent balance.

European countries have always conquered this event. Germany, was especially good at this event. Other countries such as Austria, Hungary, Belgium, Poland, Estonia, which all had a connection to Germany, were also very strong in the discus event.

As for the United States, they were not as strong as Germany, but they were also at a world-class level.

However, the impact of the doping scandal caused the top discus throwers in the United States to withdraw from the Olympics. The newly recruited athletes were not very strong. Even Dai Li could not find talented players for this event. Therefore, although the U.S. team sent three athletes to participate, they were all eliminated in the qualifying round.

This was a very bad result for the U.S. team. In the previous Olympic Games and World Championships, the United States may not have gotten medals, but they at least had one athlete make it into the finals.The Russian team had an athlete who entered the finals in the men's discus event. The Russian coach Melklov was satisfied with this result.

"Some athletes have entered the finals. Our target in the men's discus event has been met." Melklov looked subconsciously in the direction of the U.S. team and said, "No one on the U.S. team made it into the finals, right?"

"That's correct," deputy head coach Ignagave confirmed. "The Americans sent three athletes to participate, but they ended up in the bottom half of the rankings. They were nowhere close to making the final!"

"As expected, this year's U.S. team still has a large number of athletes, but there aren't many top-quality ones among them," Melklov smiled casually.At the headquarters of the American Track and Field Association, CEO Williams watched the performance of the U.S. track and field team.

"No one entered the finals. They really aren't strong enough! It seems like we shouldn't hope for too much from this Coach Li. If it can't be done, it can't be done." Williams shook his head.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 513: Social Gap

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

At 10:10 in the morning, two events were happening in the track and field stadium. The field competition was a qualifying match for women's shot put and the track competition was the first round of the men's 800 meters event. For both events, the U.S. team sent three athletes.

The American team originally had had a chance of winning gold in the women's shot put. They had a world-class star who was the runner-up in the Olympics and the winner of the World Championship. This star took the initiative to withdraw from the U.S. team after the outbreak of the drug scandal, on the grounds of a recurring back injury.

On the present U.S. team, the three female shot putters participating had never competed before. Two of them were personally selected by Dai Li.

As for the men's 800 meters, the United States wasn't weak, but the Kenyans were too strong. Kenya's strength was difficult to overcome.

In the area where the coaches waited, Dai Li chatted away with a Chinese coach in his fifties.

The Chinese coach, surnamed Yang, was the coach for the Chinese national team and was responsible for the hurling events. When Dai Li was still learning on the national team, he met this Coach Yang. They had to have a chat since they were reunited. Coach Yang was the same as he had been when Li first met him. However, the "Little Li" Coach Yang used to know had now become "Coach Li."

In terms of their social status, the head coach of a national team of the world's best track and field team was definitely the more important figure in the area.

"We're trying to win gold in the women's shot put event. Xiaona Li won the bronze medal in the World Championships," Coach Yang said, introducing her.

"I remember her from when I was on our national team. I remember she was less than 18 years old then," Dai Li said.

"Yeah, it's been so many years," Coach Yang said with a playful smile. He then said, "Coach Li, you are the head coach of the American track and field team. What do you think Xiaona Li needs to improve on? How about giving us a few tips?"

Dai Li was able to hear the vague sourness of Yang's words, but Dai Li was able to understand Yang's thoughts.

Back then, Dai Li was only temporary personnel on the national team. He wasn't even an authorized staff member. In contrast, Coach Yang, at the time, was already a coach that was responsible for a minor sports events.

In just a few years, Dai Li became the head coach of the U.S. track and field team, becoming the most important figure in the track and field stadium. He also became a person other coaches looked up to. In terms of status, Dai Li instantly leapfrogged and was ahead of Coach Yang. This was like seeing a younger brother become the head of a powerful society. It was normal for Coach Yang to feel sour in with that kind of social gap between them.

Of course, Coach Yang was not trying to make things hard for Dai Li. He was just a bit annoyed and wanted to vent his emotions.

Dai Li did not mind Yang's behavior, and his behavior could be understood. He still decided to show off to the coach. So, he launched a test on Xiaona Li and immediately saw her shortcomings.

"Xiaona Li. This athlete has very good technique and her strength, when compared with European and American athletes, is impressive. She has experience in competitions. If I have to say where there is still room for improvement, her arms are too stiff when she is throwing. I think her movements can be stretched a little more so that they aren't too tight. This is helpful for the overall coordination of her movements. If the overall coordination of the movements were better, perhaps in terms of results, the improvement would be minimal, but the stability of the throw will improve and her individual mental state would avoid excessive fluctuations," Dai Li said.

As Dai Li spoke, Yang's expression froze up. Dai Li's assessment was, in Yang's opinion, completely accurate.

The better the athletes are, the less room they have to improve. Xiaona Li, the bronze medal winner of the World Championships, was considered to be the world's top shot putter. An athlete like her was close to perfection in all aspects. It was very difficult to find any kind of flaw.

Faced with such an athlete, a coach would need to repeatedly watch the athlete's recorded footage during competitions, slowing down the video recording to compare and analyze slowly. Later, through continued discussion with the athlete, would it be possible to find flaws. Coach Yang also used this method, and he invited several hurling coaches to analyze her. Several light seminars were conducted before he finally reached this conclusion.

Coach Yang spent a lot of time and effort to get to that conclusion whereas Dai Li made the same conclusion with precision by just simply thinking about it. If Coach Yang did not witness this in person, he would not have believed it.

He was actually right! He said it so accurately just by looking at it casually. When Dai Li was on our national team, I didn't realize that he had such a great ability. No wonder this kid became the head coach of the American track and field team. That sort of observation is really unparalleled! Yang coach secretly thought.

At that time, any feelings of animosity that Yang held on to were replaced by respect for Dai Li. He was completely convinced that he was one of the best.

On the court, an athlete on the American team went onto the field. The athlete only threw 17.37 meters on the first try. It was considered a failure in the Olympics.

In the Olympic shot put qualifier, each athlete only had three chances, and the top 12 athletes would enter the finals, so every throwing opportunity was very valuable. If the first throw were too bad, the pressure for the latter two would be larger. If the result for the second attempt was also very poor, then the last throw would have no room for error. It would be a last desperate attempt.

The American athlete picked up the shot put. She then took a few deep breaths, adjusted her breathing, and then made a throw.

"Whoosh" The shot put was thrown from her hand, forming an arc that landed on the grass in the distance.

"It went over the 19-meter mark, she will totally make it to the final." Yang pointed to the athlete and asked, "Who is this person? I have never seen her before, but she is quite good."

"Her name is Vince Jackson, this is her first time representing the U.S. team in an international competition." Dai Li's furrowed his eyebrows. He then said with a somewhat imposing expression, "Coaching young athletes is tough. Their ability fluctuates too much"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 514: Counterattack of the Extra

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Vince Jackson was one of the athletes that had been personally selected by Dai Li. She was only 19. Vince Jackson was considered slightly above average in terms of her strength and talent. The reason Dai Li chose her was that he fancied her malleability.

There was no advantage to being 19 in the adult shot put competition. It could even be seen as a disadvantage. Shot put not only required strength, but it also required athletes to have a certain weight. At the age of 19 the body had not yet accumulated enough fat and the development of muscles had only just begun. This may it more difficult for young athletes because they were up against people in their mid-20s, the physical prime of one's life.

Vince Jackson's physical disadvantage was not the only one that was a result of her youth. Young athletes had unstable mindsets and their mental states were always fluctuating, especially in sporting events like the Olympic Games. There were too many uncontrollable external factors, both on and off the field, which made accounted for these fluctuations.

In the women's shot put qualifier, twelve athletes entered the finals. While the U.S. team sent three athletes, only Vince Jackson made it to the final. Although this was better than the men's discus event, it was worse than the U.S. had done in previous years.

The first round of the men's 800 meters occurred at the same time as the women's shot put qualifier. The American team performed as well as they had in the past. All three athletes advanced into the semi-finals.

After the men's 800 meters race, the Maracana Stadium, the main stadium of the Olympic Games, hosted the final of the women's 10,000 meters race. This was the first track and field medal round in this Olympics.

This event was undoubtedly dominated by the Ethiopians and Kenyans. Other countries also had strong athletes but, in the face of the alternate lead-runner strategy of the Ethiopians and Kenyans, it would be tough for them to keep up.

In the end, Ethiopia won the gold and bronze medals. The Kenyans won the silver medal, along with fourth and fifth place. An ethiopian came in sixth. The seventh-place athlete was slower than the sixth place athlete by a full 13 seconds. Africa's fame in long-distance running was really well-deserved.

Although it was a 10,000-meter race, at one point there was such a gap that they could have basically just surrendered. Dai Li could not be held responsible for losing the 10,000-meter race. The opponent was just too strong. It was too difficult for any coach to snatch medals from Ethiopia and Kenya in long-distance running.

The final event of the morning session was the final of the men's 20-kilometer race walk. Although the race walk event originated in the United Kingdom, the Russians were the strongest in it. The Chinese team was also strong enough to have a chance at getting first place. America was much worse off and couldn't make it into the top 20..

Dai Li did not expect a lot from this event. After giving the athletes some encouragement, they returned to the hotel to rest and prepare for the evening's competition.

There were no scheduled track and field events in the afternoon. It was not until 8:30 in the evening that the field events resumed.

The first event in the evening was the first round of the women's 1,500 meter race. The Kenyans and Ethiopians were the strongest in this event. Algeria's was also good. As for the American team, they were strong enough to place, but Dai Li was not too concerned about this competition. After all, it was the first round. There were many lesser athletes in the competition. These lesser athletes were all used as cannon fodder. It was rare for the U.S. to be eliminated when among such athletes.

The women's hammer throw qualifying match was held at the same time in the track and field stadium. The American team performed normally, and two players entered the final. They were up against a strong Eastern European team, so it was unlikely that the Americans would win.

The next two events were the first round of the men's 400 meter and the men's long jump qualifiers. America was favored in both of theses events. The American athletes were all able to advance and nobody was surprised..

There were two remaining track and field events that day. The first round of the women's 100 meter sprint and the final of the women's shot put.

Dai Li did not pay attention to the first round of the women's 100 meter. Although the U.S. team was not as good as the Jamaicans, they were definitely the second strongest. There would be no problem for America's two athletes to enter the final. They would be able to advance easily in the first round.

A gold medal would be awarded to the winner of this competition. This would be the third gold medal in Olympic track and field today and it was also the last gold medal for the day. If they could get this gold medal, it would at least be something to cheer about for the U.S. team. It would be very helpful for improving their morale.

However, the 19-year-old Vince Jackson was the only member of the U.S. team to advance. She would have to face top athletes from all over the world. It was very unlikely that the U.S. would win.Three athletes from the Russian team entered the finals of the women's shot put, Melklov was certainly determined to win.

"New Zealand veteran Adams and Hungary's Malton are our biggest rivals. Adams has already participated in the Olympic Games three times. She has won the Olympic silver medal. This time, of course, she's trying to get first place. Malton won the last World Championship. Schneider of Germany and Xiaona Li of China are also favored. As for the other athletes, they pose no threat to us."

Melklov suddenly laughed. He continued, "Only one person from the U.S. team advanced to the final, and she is a 19-year-old youth named Vince Jackson. I hadn't even heard of her name before this Olympics. Her preliminary score was 19.23 meters, which isn't bad. However, she's going to need to throw over 20 meters to have a chance at a medal"

As Melklov said that, he raised his fist and, with a fervent look, directed his words to the three athletes who would be competing in the event. "Girls, our biggest enemy, the American team will not be able to pose any threat to us. Now, no one will be able to prevent us from winning this gold medal! I believe that you can win. You guys will become heroes of Russia!"

On the other side, Dai Li was not as excited as Melklov. At the moment, he looked very calm.

None of the 12 athletes who entered the final were weak. He found that Vince Jackson would end up in the middle of the pack based on raw strength alone.

Although there are some gaps in strength, it won't be like the women's 10,000 meters where we were crushed by the African teams. It will be difficult to get a medal. Vince Jackson has always been unstable… looks like I have to take a chance!

Dai Li looked at the state scale in his coaching system and decided to use the tool for Vince Jackson.

The state scale could make an athlete's state extremely stable. For a player with superior talent, a stable state could almost ensure a victory. Dai Li originally helped Adam Holly get rid of his psychological problems by doing this.

At the same time, the state scale could also make the state of the athlete extremely unstable. This instability might cause the athlete to do very well or do very poorly. It was based on luck.

Today, Dai Li planned to make Vince Jackson extremely unstable.

Dai Li thought that if Vince Jackson were to perform normally, she wasn't likely to win. It was better to gamble and give her a shot at first place. Doing something extreme was her only shot.

The way that the shot put event worked made the state scale a great option.

Sports that were related to racing, such as short-distance running and swimming, were all fleeting. Every athlete only had one chance per month. Who would be the first to get to the finish line? Whoever was faster would come in first. There was no second chance. The performance and mindset of the athlete in sports like that were indeed important, but the most important thing in the competitions was still raw power and strength.

As for events like shooting, archery, diving, and other sports that relied on the accumulation of points, the total score determined the outcome. So every bullet, every arrow, every time the athlete made a move, they had to go all out. Even if they did badly for a second, they would lose the gold medal. For those kinds of sports, a steady performance was the most important thing. A single good performance might give athletes some advantage, but when calculating the total score, the one single excellent performance would be evenly distributed in the total score, which might lessen its importance or even make it negligible.

Shot put and other field events, however, were different from those other events. Field events gave an athlete multiple chances. For example, there were six attempts for the shot put and there were six opportunities to jump for the long jump. As long as one of their scores were better than the other athletes, even all their other scores were zero, they would still win.

This kind of system of competition also made it so that athletes could boldly go all out and choose the technique that pushed them to their limits, even if it put them on the verge of failure and fouling. As long as they produced a good enough result, they could still become the champion.

This was made the state scale particularly useful. For instance, for the six attempts that were taken, as long as there was a situation where an athlete went all out, it would be possible to become the champion.Vince Jackson picked up the shot put and looked at the ground with the curved lines. She was tense. Not only was this the first time she was participating in the Olympic Games, it was also her first time participating in an international competition. Now, she was in the shot put final in the Olympics.

Vince Jackson couldn't help but recall that a few months ago she was in the American domestic trials and only got twelfth place. She had ranked nowhere near the top three who had qualified. She didn't even dream that she would stand on the stage of the Olympic final.

It wasn't easy to get here. This may be the most brilliant moment of my life. I'll do my best! Vince Jackson thought of this and started a test throw.

"Ugh!" Vince Jackson couldn't help but scream and the ball left her hand at the same time.

Whoosh. The black shot put ball was like a cannonball.

Bam. A hole appeared on the ground. That hole was not even over the 17-meter mark.

The surveyor immediately rushed towards it and inserted a long rod into the hole.

"16.79 meters!" The referee announced the result.

Vince Jackson felt frustrated. Her throw had been terrible. That was an Olympic throw. A B standard in the Olympics was 17.3 meter, and the A standard in the Olympics was 18.35 meters. For athletes who entered the Olympic final, not being able to reach at least 17 meters was embarrassing.

Vince Jackson walked off the field, and Dai Li personally came over and handed her a towel.

"Sorry. Coach Li, I…"

He didn't wait for Vince Jackson to finish. Dai Li interrupted her and said, "It doesn't matter, it's just the first throw. In shot put, every throw is a new start! I picked you personally. I'm very sure that I didn't pick the wrong person."

Dai Li's expression was very relaxed and confident. This helped Vince Jackson settle down.

When faced with a young athlete who was in the Olympics for the first time, encouragement was obviously very important. Moreover, Dai Li did not want Vince Jackson to put too much pressure on herself. He tried to appear relaxed to take some off of her.

Moreover, Dai Li did not feel that his luck would be so bad that all three throws would be that bad.The first round of throws was over, and Vince Jackson, who had a score of less than 17 meters, was undoubtedly at the bottom.

An unknown athlete scoring less than 17 meters. Everyone thought this young girl was just an extra.

Coaches from the other countries chose to ignore Vince Jackson. While the other 11 competitors also decided not to pay attention to her. No one wasted energy on an extra.

The athletes started the second throw, and Vince Jackson also ushered in her second appearance in the Olympic final.

Vince Jackson stepped onto the throwing area and picked up the ball. At that moment, the big screen in the stadium and TV broadcasts showed the statistics on Vince Jackson's first throw.

When a very low score of less than 17 meters appeared, some viewers couldn't help but yawn. After all, it was already after ten o'clock in the evening. If the person going on wasn't an expert, it was very difficult for people to concentrate.

The people who were watching at home went to get a glass of water or go to the bathroom. No one cared about the results of an unknown extra.

In the coaches' rest area and the athletes' waiting area, everyone was busy with their own things. They were completely uninterested in the performance of Vince Jackson.

At that point, perhaps only the referee put his attention on Vince Jackson.

Vince Jackson took a deep breath and repeated the essential shot put techniques in her mind, and then started to throw.

The black shot put ball was turned into a small cannon again. It flew out and slammed into the ground, leaving a hole.

This time, however, the mark was located outside the thickest line.

That was the 20-meter mark!

The referee in charge of the measurement widened his eyes, as if he could not believe what he just saw.

Am I seeing this wrong? It exceeded 20 meters! She couldn't even reach the 17 meters a moment ago. How did her score improve so much in such a short amount of time?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 515: Lady Luck is on My Side

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"20 meters 42!" The referee confirmed Vince Jackson's result. It was the best result so far in the final of the women's shot put.

The referee checked again before recording the result. It was the first time in a very active career that he had witnessed a situation like Vince Jackson.

An athlete whose first hurl attempt was short of the 17-meter mark was able to surpass the 20-meter mark by a considerable distance on the second throw. The margin between the results was too great. It was if they were the results of two different people. If he had not personally witnessed it, it would be difficult to imagine an athlete producing such different results in the same competition.

As they saw a result that surpassed the 20-meter mark on the big screen, the live audience did not care who did it, they just gave the person a great round of applause.

Melklov was disturbed by the sudden eruption of applause. He lifted his head and looked towards the big screen. When he saw the numbers "20.42" he let out a cold exhalation.

"20.42 meters. A great result. Is that the athlete from the U.S.?"

The world record for the women's shot put was 22.63 meters. The Olympic record was 22.41 meters. Compared to those, a 20 meters result wasn't that big of a deal. However, those records were achieved during the 1980s, in an era where world records were constantly broken. Modern athletes could hardly throw 21 meters. This throw made her become an instant favorite to win gold.

Melklov's face became stiff. He felt pressured. He realized that the unknown athlete from the U.S. wasn't there to play around and that he should pay more attention to his opponents.

"Coach. That American…" Ignagave's face filled with concern.

"Don't worry, it's only 20.42 meters. It's not enough to guarantee a win. Who knows, it might only be a coincidence. That American might have just been lucky," Melklov consoled him."That's what I'm talking about. My luck can't be that bad. There's no way she'd keep being bad." Dai Li sighed in relief.

Dai Li knew the result of 20.42 meters wasn't enough to win a gold medal, but it was enough to get them a chance at another medal. However, what Dai Li was more concerned about was that the result was enough to cement Vince Jackson's place in the top eight. It meant that after the first three throws, Vince Jackson could continue with the following three test throws. Three chances where she would either get lucky or unlucky.

Gambling and luck. The more times, the better.

She has four more throws. She just needs to get lucky one in four of those times," Dai Li thought with confidence.

Vince Jackson walked off the field. She looked excited. The result was very close to her best result in training.The third round was about to begin. For the four contestants ranked at the bottom, if they failed to get themselves into the top eight, they would be eliminated. As such, it was their life or death throw.

Nobody passed the 20 meter barrier after a few athletes made their attempts. Vince Jackson maintained her rank in first place.

However, Vince Jackson also knew that a result of 20.42 meters was, at best, a result that would get her a medal. It wasn't enough to get a gold medal.

The current Vince Jackson would not be satisfied with just a medal. She wanted a gold medal. She wanted to get the first gold medal for the U.S. National Track and Field Team.

When she once again stood got into position, she was aiming for the Olympic gold medal.

With a 20.42 meter result as insurance, Vince Jackson could use relatively extreme techniques. This throw wouldn't matter if it was bad. After all, she had four attempts left.

However, this time, lady luck seemed to be busy doing something else. She did not visit Vince Jackson.

"16.95 meters!" The referee announced the result of Vince Jackson's third attempt.

"Awww…" The audience exclaimed in disappointment. As the athlete with the best result, everyone naturally expected Vince Jackson to throw better than that. However, she disappointed everyone. Her result was the second worst in the competition, and the worst result was also hers.

"That's what I said. That 20.42 meters were just a coincidence!" Melklov lifted his head and looked satisfied. It was as if he had proven to the world that he was correct.

Dai Li's expression was much calmer. It was like gambling with dice. As long as there was no cheating involved, one would sometimes win and sometimes lose. Under the effect of the state scale, the system would never cheat.

After the first three attempts, Russia's famous Sergeyeva managed a 20.33 meters result, temporarily ranking in second place.

The bottom four athletes were eliminated. The top eight rested for three minutes and, after the referee rearranged the appearance order according to the results, the fourth shot put attempt began. As Vince Jackson was ranked first, she would throw last.

On the fourth throw, it was clear that the contestants upped their game. The first two athletes utilized relatively extreme techniques in their throws. They both fouled.

The famous New Zealander, Adams, threw 20.28 meters and Hungary's renowned athlete, Malton, got 20.25 meters. The Russian contestant, Milkina, finally surpassed Vince Jackson with 20.43 meters, moving into first place. Later, her compatriot from Russia, the famous Sergeyeva, got 20.45 meters, temporarily moving herself into first place.

The Russians began to show their strength. These two Russians surpassed Vince Jackson, moving her into third place.

Vince Jackson was the last to make her attempt. However, she stepped on the periphery of the hurling area with her toe, resulting in a foul. There was no score for that throw. In a few short minutes, U.S. team's fortune had reversed."Good job, ladies. Well done!" Ignagave said, excited. It was as if the Russian national team had already won the gold medal.

In the women's shot put event, Russia was among the top two in the world. If the U.S. national team had not been affected by the performance-enhancing drug scandal, they competition would've been more intense. However, with Vince Jackson as their sole contestant, the U.S. national team seemed unable to put up a fight.

"Like I said just now. The American got lucky on that 20.42 meter throw. She is definitely not that strong," Ignagave repeated what he had already said. He then continued and said, "There are two more attempts, you're already in the lead. No need for any reservation. Just go all out and do your best! We will take both the gold and silver medals!"It was currently night time in the U.S., which was prime time. A lot of Americans sat in front of their TV, watching the Olympic Games.

In a small bar, the women's shot put was on TV.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the bar seemed a little dull. Many people stared at the TV with a sad look on their face. They looked speechless. She had been seen as an extra, then she had been in first place, and now she was in third. It was these sorts of ups and downs that truly disappointed the American viewers.

The opponent was the mighty Russian athlete Sergeyeva. If the U.S. had a famous athlete as well, the American viewers would still have hope. However, Vince Jackson was, without a doubt, a rookie. People subconsciously felt that she wasn't good enough to be Sergeyeva's opponent.

"Russia has surpassed us. Not only did our athlete not fight back, she made a foul throw. Shouldn't the coach do something right now?" Someone asked.

"Yeah, the coach should do something!" Another person concurred.Dai Li knew there was nothing he could do.

He was gambling. Whether she became excellent, or if it became terrible, it was not something Dai Li could decide. It was like Texas Holdem. He was already all-in. He could now only wait to see what kind of card was dealt.

However, Dai Li still encouraged Vince Jackson.

"Vince, you don't have to be too hard on yourself. This is your first Olympic. Getting a bronze medal is already an excellent result. Besides, your opponents include Sergeyeva and Milkina. They are both internationally renowned athletes. It's not embarrassing if you lose. No one will blame you. There is nothing for you to lose. Now, every centimeter you gain is considered a plus. So, in the upcoming two throw attempts, don't be nervous, but at the same time, don't restrain yourself. Just give it your all. Even if you don't achieve great results, you're still a winner!" Dai Li said.

Vince Jackson nodded. Dai Li's calm demeanor calmed her down a lot.The competition between the athletes intensified further.

The athletes from Russia took both first and second place. The two of them were the strongest and the most skilled.

Although the two of them were teammates, they both wanted the gold medal. So, when it came to the real competition, none of them relaxed. They both showed their true strength.

As for the athletes from the other countries like New Zealand's Adams, Hungary's Malton, and China's Xiaona Li, none of them would simply hand over the gold medal to the Russians. They began to fight for their lives.

On her fifth throw, New Zealand's Adams got 20.42 meters, tying with Vince Jackson at third place. According to Olympic rules, the results of the shot put event are only determined by the length of the distance and the sequential order is ignored. If the both of them had the same result, they would both be ranked third. As a result, they would both get bronze medals.

This was also true of the silver medal. However, if it were a gold medal, then there could only be one. If two people tied in first, then there would be a need for extra time.

After that, the Russian athlete, Milkina, made an error and fouled. Sergeyeva on the other hand successfully increased her lead to 20.48 meters, staying in first place.

Vince Jackson was the last to make her appearance.

Dai Li's words suddenly appeared in her mind.

"Coach Li is right. I'm already a winner after getting here. There's nothing I can lose. Now, every centimeter I gain is a plus!"

Vince Jackson took a deep breath, calmed her emotion, and began her fifth throw.

This time, she also used a relatively extreme move. Her shot put flew steadily past the 20-meter line before landing on the ground.

The result of Vince Jackson's fifth throw was 20.54 meters. Her extreme move reaped its rewards. She successfully surpassed Sergeyeva and regained her number one spot."Pretty decent luck! Another maximized state," Dai Li let out a breath of relief.

The result of 20.54 meters was excellent enough. It was a result that could win the gold medal. There was only one throw left and the other contestants would feel extra pressure. Who knows, they might even falter. Vince Jackson's chances of winning the competition just became much higher.

Dai Li couldn't help but look towards the other coaches. At that moment, many of the coaches looked solemn. They clearly didn't have much hope left.

Melklov's previous satisfaction was nowhere to be seen. The throw had not doomed him but it made his job a lot tougher.

He looked at Sergeyeva and nodded.

By then, Melklov had to put his faith in Sergeyeva.

The athletes began the last round. The first to appear felt immense pressure and her throw failed. The following athlete was unable to hit her target distance. At that moment, every athlete that finished increased Vince's chances of winning.

Hungary's Malton and China's Xiaona Li made their attempts consecutively. Their final throws didn't even reach the 20-meter mark. They did not pose any threat to Vince Jackson.

It was now New Zealand's Adams' turn. She was a 32-year-old veteran. Her body was no longer at its peak, but her technique and experience made up for that. It helped her remain among the best in the world.

It was also her last Olympic Games. As such, she was desperately hoping to win the gold medal, but any medal would be great.

At that crucial moment, her wealth of experience helped her. She did not panic. She calmly stepped into the hurling area and executed a perfect shot put technique.

"20.44 meters!" The referee announced Adams' result.

She passed Milkina and moved into third place. This was the most she could have hoped for. With that throw, her Olympic career had come to a complete end.

Milkina was extremely anxious. After the fourth throw, she had been in second place and she had a chance at first place. However, she was now in fourth place, not even eligible for any medal. There was only one throw attempt left.

She was a very experienced athlete. At such crucial moments, she forced herself to calm down and walked towards the hurling area.

"I can do this. I can definitely do this!" Milkina knew that the only thing she could believe in was her strength.

The shot put left Milkina's hand and easily flew past the 20-meter mark. With the naked eye, it seemed as if it fell in the 20.50-meter range. It had to be measured to see if it passed Jackson's throw though.

Milkina looked at the surveyor expectantly. A few seconds later, the referee finally revealed an answer.

"20.51 meters!" The referee announced the final result.

Milkina looked heartbroken. She had not managed to surpass Vince Jackson's 20.54 meters.

Adams was even more sorrowful. She was once again in fourth place. She couldn't even manage to get a bronze medal.

By then, the only one who could outperform Vince Jackson was the famous Russian athlete, Sergeyeva. If Sergeyeva could not throw farther than 20.54 meters, then the shot put gold medal would belong to Vince Jackson.Sergeyeva had been ranked in the top three shot put athletes for the past 2 years. There were even a few occasions where she would take the first place seat.

Whether it was strength, experience or technique, Sergeyeva was at the peak of her career. She feared no one in the world and the only thing that could prevent her from winning was luck.

Sergeyeva walked towards the hurling area with a solemn expression. She looked as if she was a little nervous, but the head coach of the Russia national team, Melklov, knew it wasn't nerves. She was serious.

On her final throw, Sergeyeva felt unbelievable pressure, which she used as motivation to improve her concentration and focus.

Finally, Sergeyeva released her final throw of the current Olympic Games.

The shot put hit the ground. The mark left behind was clearly a distance past the 20.50-meter mark.

"Woooaaahhhhhh!" Sergeyeva shouted passionately. Although the referee had not announced the result, she knew that it was definitely over 20.54 meters.

"20.63 meters!" After checking several times, the referee announced the result.

A round of applause erupted from the stands of the stadium. They were congratulating Sergeyeva, as if they thought she had already won.

Melklov embraced his deputy, Ignagave. He lifted both his arms in the air and waved to the audience behind him, as if he had won the gold medal himself.

The TV camera switched from Sergeyeva, to Melklov, to Vince Jackson, and then to Dai Li. Perhaps the broadcasters wanted to capture the sad expression of the head coach of the U.S. team.

However, Dai Li only furrowed his brows a little before returning to his calm demeanor.

For Dai Li, winning the gold medal was the goal, but a silver medal wasn't unacceptable. After all, in the women's shot put event winning wasn't guaranteed. The silver medal would have exceeded the target of the U.S. team before the drug scandal.

Besides, Dai Li still had one more chance to gamble. Vince Jackson might still win.

Vince Jackson stood atop the arena. All focus was on her. The shot put championship title depended on this final toss.

The one who was most nervous was, without a doubt, Sergeyeva. She felt that, although she was in the powerful position, there was nothing she could do anymore.

"Don't worry. That American can't beat you. Her results are too unstable. There were two times she didn't even pass the 17-meter mark," Melklov attempted to console his apprentice. In truth, he was also very nervous.

As soon as Melklov finished his sentence, Vince Jackson released her grip on the shot put.

Bang! The shot put hit the ground with great force.

Everyone looked towards the point of impact.

"I had a feeling. I knew that lady luck was on my side!" Dai Li was the first to smile.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 516: Chapter 516 – Upset

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The shot put clearly passed the 20.50-meter mark. However, before an official measurement was completed, there was no way to know if it had passed Serayegev's.

Dai Li smiled. He did not actually know whether Vince Jackson's final effort was able to surpass Sergeyeva. However, it was a result that exceeded the 20.50-meter mark. It clearly meant that it was another form of maximized performance.

Six throws. Three times her form was maximized. The 50% success rate couldn't help but make Dai Li feel happy. It meant that the state scale was fairly practical. It was only the first day of the track and field competitions in the Olympics. There were other events such as the javelin throw, the hammer throw, long jump, h and the high jump. The state scale was suited to help in all of those events.

Of course, the condition was that the ability gap between athletes could not be too big. If the athlete couldn't even get into the final through their strength alone, there was no helping them get a medal.

In the stadium, the referee did not immediately announce the result of that throw. As it involved the winning the gold medal, the referee was very cautious, repeatedly checking for the accuracy of the result. There was no room for error.

Finally, on the scoreboard, a number appeared. At the same time, the referee announced, "20.66 meters!"

Vince Jackson had successfully made a complete comeback in her last throw.

Applause erupted from everywhere. The audience began cheering for Vince Jackson, and the camera pointed her way. Many athletes walked towards her and hugged her as if congratulating her.

Sergeyeva looked crestfallen. The gold medal had been within her grasp but, in the blink of an eye, it had disappeared like the wind.

Melklov was doing a deep breathing exercise to suppress the wrath he felt. He wasn't mad at his Russian athletes, nor was he mad at Russia losing a gold medal, he was angry at the strength of the U.S. team.

Melklov had initially thought that the U.S. National Track and Field Team that was affected by the performance-enhancing drug team was significantly weakened and that they had lost their competitive edge in many events. However, that wasn't the case. At least when it came to the shot put event, he had been very wrong. The U.S. team sent out an obscure athlete that won the gold medal.

The camera stopped and focused on Vince Jackson. At that moment, the 19-year-old girl did not look excited, she looked dumbfounded. It was as if she wasn't aware of what was happening, that she had really won an Olympic gold medal.

This was her first time entering the Olympic. Heck, it was her first time taking part in an international competition and she had won the gold medal. To Vince Jackson, it was more fantasy than reality.

She did not prepare anything to say in interviews. She was unprepared for anything related to winning the gold medal, so when the journalists flocked towards and surrounded her, she did not know what to do.In the TV studio, two commentators began discussing the competition.

"I originally thought that she was participating just to gain some experience. Who'd have thought she would win and become the champion? Does this count as an upset?"

"It could be considered an upset. I'd never even heard of Vince Jackson before all of this. She never participated in any international competition, so she had zero points on the International Association of Athletics Federation table. However, she is an American athlete. I feel that when it comes to track and field, an American athlete winning the championship shouldn't be counted as an upset."

"That sounds about right. The U.S. is deservedly called the world's strongest country in track and field. At first, I thought that the performance-enhancing drug scandal would negatively affect the U.S. team, but it seems that they are still showing us just how scary they are. They have far too many exceptional athletes in their country. They sent an unknown athlete out, and she became a champion."

"This is also the first track and field gold medal for the U.S. team in this Olympics, right? Getting a gold medal on the first day of track and field events. That is certainly a good start."The CEO of the American Track and Field Association, Williams, was already in bad. He read a book and laid down, ready to rest.

"Dear, the track and field competition starts today, right?" His wife asked.

"Yup, that's right. The track and field competition starts today," Williams answered vaguely.

"Why aren't you watching the games? You are the CEO. Don't tell me you don't care about the team?" His wife asked.

"There's no need to watch. The current team is too weak and there aren't that many events where the team can win a gold medal. Today is the first day of the track and field competitions, so there are only three gold medals. The U.S. team definitely won't be getting any of them," Williams answered.

"Then what about silver or bronze medal?" His wife continued asking.

"The silver and bronze medals are also out of reach for the U.S. team. We got nothing in the women's 10,000 meters race walking as well as the men's 20 kilometers race walking in the morning. In the women's shot put final at night, we only had one unknown athlete get into the final, and it's her first time participating in an international competition. It was an achievement that avoided elimination in the first three rounds." Williams turned over and faced away from his wife, clearly done talking about the topic.

At that moment, a phone rang.

Williams was ready to sleep, but someone had to call and disturb him. It made him furious.

Williams looked at the caller ID on his phone. It was Frey calling.

"This bast*rd. Does he not know what time it is? This is my personal time!" Williams snorted coldly. Frey was definitely calling about work, and Williams hated talking about work-related matters on his own time.

"Hello, it's me. What's the matter?" Williams picked up the phone, and his tone was icy. He made his dissatisfaction clear.

However, Frey did not feel it at all. He was very enthusiastic. "Mr. Williams, good news, we made an upset! We've got a gold medal!"

"Upset? Gold medal? Us? You mean the U.S. national team? Or do you mean a track and field event?" Williams asked immediately.

"It's track and field! Women's shot put. Vince Jackson won!" Frey exclaimed.

"Vince Jackson," Williams repeated the name once but it was unfamiliar. He subconsciously asked, "Are you telling the truth?"

"Of course! Why would I lie to you? If you turn on your TV now, you can still see the awards ceremony!" Frey said.

Williams stood up, walked towards the TV, and turned it on.

The shot put awards ceremony had just begun.

A familiar song rang about. It was the U.S. national anthem, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

"Oh, say can you see…"

Williams could not help but raise his voice and sing along.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 517: Taking the Top Three

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The U.S. national team had one a gold medal and Dai slept peacefully.

The next morning, Dai Li arrived at Maracana Stadium.

The first event was the qualifier for the women's triple jump. It began at half past nine in the morning.

In this event, the competition was tight. European, as well as North and South American countries, all had athletes with a shot at the gold medal. As such, the U.S. wasn't definitely going to win.

In the end, one American athlete made it into the final. Her name was Mamina Kim. She was only 20 years old. She was one of the athletes who did not have the chance to take part in any competitions before being scouted by Dai Li.

As Dai Li saw Mamina Kim make the final, he decided that he would continue using the state scale in the final.

The event that followed was the preliminaries of the women's 3,000m obstacle course.

The obstacle course was an event that the U.S. team was historically good at. However, this was almost a long-distance run and there were obstacles to overcome, so the stamina expended was around the same as the stamina expended in a 5,000m race. The two African powerhouses, Kenya and Ethiopia, were also influential in this sort of long-distance sport. Those two countries were the U.S. team's chief opponents.

There was a total of 18 slots available for the final of the 3,000m obstacle course. As such, it wasn't that hard to make it into the final. In the end, all three athletes from the U.S. team advanced. However, all three athletes from both Ethiopia and Kenya also made it. Apart from that, Germany and Australia both had two athletes advancing through to the final. Among the Asian countries, only an African athlete from Bahrain made it into the final.

After that, the event that used the track was the first round of the women's 400m sprint. It was an event the Americans dominated. It was possible that they take home the gold, silver, and bronze medals. Getting through the first round was a given.

The field event happening at the same time was the men's discus. All American athletes were eliminated in the preliminaries, so Dai Li did not pay attention to the final result of the competition.

The last track and field event of the morning was the first round of the men's 100m sprint. The 100m sprint had always been one of the most popular events. It was also one of the events with the most contestants. Among the contestants, around one-third of them were considered B standard athletes. They would definitely be eliminated in the first round. Another third of the athletes had just reached the Olympic A standard. These athletes were also there to simply take part in the competition; they would be thankful if they made it to the second round.

American athletes were naturally there to win, especially Justin Alexander. Before he was banned, he was the world's second fastest man. For him and all the American athletes, the first round was a warmup.

No track and field event was scheduled in the afternoon. In the evening, the preliminary of the men's pole vault and the semi-final of the men's 400m sprint began almost at the same time.

The men's 400m sprint was one of the best events for the U.S. team. They had the "King of the 400m," Jimmy Irwin, with them. The gold medal was as good as won by the U.S. team. The only unknown was whether the U.S. team would be able to take all three medals.

Franz Muller was to make his appearance in the preliminary round of the men's pole vault. Although the German fellow did not take part in the qualifiers, his talent potential was S grade. Under Dai Li's training, he quickly passed the six-meter mark.

The world record for men's pole vault was 6.16m and the Olympic record was only 5.97m. A result of over six meters was enough to become an Olympic gold medalist.

Franz Muller did not let Dai Li down. He was the only one from the U.S. team to make it into the final.

The other countries were in a similar situations. For example, the traditionally strong Russian team also only had one athlete going into the final. Another country, Germany, of similar strength also only had one representative in the final. Apart from that, Czech Republic, France, Poland, and etc. all had only one athlete making it into the final. The complete list of the 12 finalists was a list of athletes from 12 different countries. That meant that no single country had an absolute advantage in this event, everyone's strength was equal.

The event that followed was the final of the men's long jump competition. It was an event that the U.S. team had a chance at winning. Three American representatives made it into the final.The long jump event was affected by the drug scandal. Several famous long jump athletes weren't able to participate in the current Olympic Games.

However, there were a lot of reputable long jump athletes in the U.S. Even if they were replacement athletes, they still had world-class strength. Paired with Dai Li's training, their strength was on another level.

Moreover, Dai Li had the state scale. For sports like the long jump that recorded only the best jump out of multiple attempts, the state scale was an essential power.

Dai Li was not disappointed. After the first jump, one of the American athletes triggered a lousy condition, achieving a result of no more than 7.5m. The other two athletes triggered the incredible conditions, obtaining results of 8.38m and 8.37m respectively.

The world record for the men's long jump was 8.95m. The Olympic record was 8.90m. However, those crazy results were the byproduct of the golden era of track and field records in the 1980s and 1990s. It was difficult for modern athletes to jump even 8.50m. A jump that passed the 8.30m mark would ensure first place in a typical international competition.

In the Olympic Games and the World Championship, the level of the athletes was undoubtedly higher than a normal international competition. However, an 8.30m jump was still an impressive feat.

One 8.38m and another 8.37m. For the athletes from other countries, these results were two critical blows to their chest. Even if they survived, they received severe internal injuries. The weaker athletes probably thought of quitting when they saw those results.

Great athletes also felt a twinge of bitterness when they saw umps that were close to 8.40m. Everyone participated with the gold medal as their target. If they could not win the gold medal, the silver medal was a good alternative. Now, the gold and silver medal were already almost out of reach. For the athletes who aimed for gold, it was a very tough pill to swallow.

With the Americans obtaining two excellent results right off the bat, the contestants from the other countries would have to utilize extreme techniques in their next five jumps. It was impossible for them to surpass those two jumps if they played it safe. There was additional pressure on these athletes because using extreme techniques mean increasing your likelihood of failing.

The athletes from other countries had no choice, they had to give it their all.Some of them would succeed and some of them would fail.

After three rounds, the best result was still the record set by the American athlete at 8.38m. The second-best result was the 8.37m set by the other American athlete. The third-ranked result was also from an American athlete, set at 8.31m. The American athlete who didn't even make it to the 7.5m mark in the first round finally triggered a maximum condition on his third attempt, improving his result to 8.31m.

With that, the gold, silver, and bronze medals seemed to disappear from any other athletesThe famous long jumper from Great Britain, Rutherford, stared at the scoreboard in despair. He had just recorded an 8.33m jump, sending the previously third-ranked American into fourth place.

However, that American athlete immediately made a leap of 8.39m, leapfrogging everyone into first place.

Rutherford was brought more despair when the last American athlete to make his attempt achieved a result of 8.41m.

Rutherford felt like crying when he saw a jump that went over the 8.40m mark.

What's wrong with the U.S. team today? Did they all grow wings? If we continue like this, the Americans will win all of the medals in long jumping. Rutherford felt immense sorrow. He lost all ambition to fight for victory.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 518: A Bonus

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Three American flags rose into the air at the same time in Maracana Stadium. The "Star-Spangled Banner" was played again.

The Brazilian audience in the stadium felt nothing for the song. They discussed the might and strength of the U.S.

"I saw an article that said that the U.S. team was affected by a drug scandal, and they in bad shape. It looks like that isn't the case."

"Don't believe the media. When have they ever been honest? The U.S. team has already won two out of five gold medals. That is impressive."

"The U.S. National Track and Field Team is deserves to be considered number one in the world. Even the negative effects of the performance-enhancing drug scandal, causing so many strong athletes missing the game, can't hold them back."

At that moment, many Americans watching the event in public venues around the U.S. cheered

The CEO of the American Track and Field Association, Williams, did not go to sleep this time. He waited in front of the TV and watched the competitions and matches of the Olympic Games.

When the three flags moved into the air, he was reminded of the Olympic Games from eight years ago. The U.S. team back then took home all three medals in the men's 400m sprint.

"When did our long jump athletes become so strong?" Williams mumbled to himself.

Williams looked carefully at the three well-built youngsters standing on the podium. He recognized one of them and the other two looked really familiar. Obviously, the two new faces joined the U.S. team after the drug scandal.

These two youngsters that I don't recognize were probably brought in by Dai Li. his Coach Li really has a good eye.

Williams suddenly realized he admired Dai Li.

"We shouldn't let this Coach Li become our scapegoat. The athletes he chose have been excellent so far! If we give him another four years, our U.S. National Track and Field Team will be strong again!"The three U.S. athletes covered themselves with American flags as they answered questions from journalists. Dai Li watched it all with a bright smile while praising the state scale in his mind.

The three athletes had decent abilities, but if they had performed normally they could not won all three medals. That was where the state scale helped. The nature of the long jump event also made it possible for the state scale to work its magic. With six attempts at jumping, they only had to achieve the maximum condition once.

Moreover, Dai Li's was lucky today. Two persons achieved the maximum condition in the first jump. It instantly put immense pressure on the other athletes, helping the U.S. obtain an advantage right at the start. Victory would not have been certain if the U.S. hadn't taken such an early lead. It was the Olympics, after all. It was the highest level of competition in the world.

As the men's long jump final was underway, the women's 100m sprint had just ended.

Two contestants from the U.S. team had made it into the final. All three contestants from Jamaica had made it into the final.

The final of the 100m sprint would begin in two hours.

The next event in the track and field stadium was the men's 10,000m long distance run.

There were a total of 34 contestants in the men's 10,000m long distance event. Almost all of the participants were Olympic A standard and most of the participating countries sent out three contestants.

The 10,000m run required teams to employ an alternating leading strategy to conserve stamina. If a country sent three athletes, it would be easy to generate a small area alternate leading strategy. If it were only one person, it would be difficult to do. Leading the pack alone would definitely result in one running out of stamina and following another athlete would result in falling into someone else's rhythm.

The two long-distance powerhouses of Africa, Ethiopia and Kenya, were the strongest contenders for the gold. The other countries, like Uganda and Eritrea, were similar to the U.S. in strength. They were regarded as the second-tier teams.

Although the U.S. was only really behind the two African powerhouses, Dai Li did not plan on trying to win the run's gold medal. Kenya and Ethiopia were too strong. The difference in strength was not something Dai Li could overcome in such a short amount of time.

The race went as expected. The Kenyans took both first and second place while the Ethiopians got third and fourth place. Long-distance events were still dominated by the Africans. A U.S. athlete managed to get fifth place, which was a decent result in itself.

After the men's 10,000m race was the semi-final of the men's 800m race. The contestants from Kenya maintained their form and all three of their athletes made it into the final. Two athletes from the U.S. also made it through. If everything went according to plan, the gold medalist would emerge after a battle between the Kenyans and the Americans.

After that was the major event of the day, the women's 100m sprint.Dai Li's gaze turned towards a man not far away. The man's hair and beard were all completely white. He was at least 60 years old.

"That guy is the head coach of the Jamaican team, right?" Dai Li asked the U.S. team leader, Donny, who stood beside him.

"Yeah. He's Fraser," Donny nodded.

It wasn't the first time Donny was made the U.S. team leader, so he recognized many coaches from the other countries, especially from Jamaica. They were, after all, their strongest sprinting adversaries.

Coach Fraser is a legend in the world of track and field. He has groomed no less than ten world champions. Among them was the world's fastest man, Kittel. I only graduated that year, and I knew Fraser when I was following Li Xue on the Chinese national team. Coach Li Xue really admired him. Who would have thought that only a few years later, I would have the chance to battle against him in the same arena, Dai Li thought.

At the same time, in the Jamaican camp. Fraser's deputy saw Li. "Coach, the head coach of the U.S. team is staring at you!"

"Staring at me! Does that Chinese coach want to provoke me!" Fraser turned his face towards Dai Li and widened his eyes intentionally.

However, Frase didn't expect Dai Li to smile at him. It was a very friendly smile.

Fraser suddenly felt as if he was punching cotton.

On the other side, Dai Li lightly tapped his chest and said to himself, "This old Jamaican man sure is aggressive!"The Jamaican team was confident in that they were going to win the gold medal. To guarantee it, they dispatched both of their fastest representatives who were respectively ranked as number one and two in the world.

As for the U.S. team, their strength was significantly lessened by the drug scandal.

Everytime a doping scandal occurs in the U.S., the sprinters were the ones who felt the full brunt of the consequences. That was because performance-enhancing drugs worked best in the sprinters' bodies. Use the 100m sprint as an example, reducing your time by 0.1 seconds was an incredible feat.

Even though two American athletes made it into the final, they still did not pose much of a threat to the Jamaicans. If the Jamaicans had only one advantage, Dai Li might have tried his luck. The Jamaican athlete might be in bad condition, and the U.S. could end up winning the gold medal. However, the Jamaican employed a double-insurance tactic, so Dai Li decided to not challenge the Jamaican team.

The result was as predicted. The Jamaicans won both the gold and silver medal. An American athlete managed to get a bronze medal. It was still a pretty fruitful result."We managed to win one gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. Not bad," Dai Li was pretty satisfied with the results for the day. He stretched and prepared to return to the hotel.

At that moment, on the big screen of Maracana Stadium, a list of participants in the next sporting event appeared.

"Oh, I almost forgot that there is a women's heptathlon. After this event ends, the gold medalist of the women's heptathlon will be awarded. American athletes are participating in this race, so I should wait for it to be over before I go back to the hotel."

Dai Li didn't pay much attention to the men's decathlon or the women's heptathlon. The two events were important, just too complicated. Dai Li did not put much effort into them.

When Dai Li took over the U.S. national team, the Olympic Games was only one month away. Many of the new and younger athletes in the national team needed training, and they needed to improve quickly. It was impossible for Dai Li to focus too much on the decathlon and heptathlon events. The men's decathlon included a 100m sprint, the long jump, shot put, high jump, 400m sprint, 110m hurdles, the discus, the pole vault, javelin throw, and 1,500m run. A total of 10 events. The amount of time and resources spent on an athlete's decathlon training would have been similar to the amount of time and resources used on ten separate athletes in ten separate events. If Dai Li focused on ten instead of one, he would get more gold medals.

The training process for a decathlon event was a cumulation of training effects, it wasn't something one could improve quickly through short and targeted training.

If it were a single event, like the 110m hurdle, adjusting and targeting weaknesses could have helped an athlete become better

However, the result of a decathlon was the accumulation of several individual events. An improvement in a single event was less significant. It definitely couldn't help an athlete become that much better.

In modern sports, athletes were becoming more professional every day. The number of track and field athletes with multiple events kept on decreasing. In the 1980s and 1990s, there were a lot of sprinters who were also long jumpers. Even at the beginning of the 2000s, there were a lot of long jumpers who also participated in the triple jump. However, nowadays, barely any athletes that took part in multiple events. The only ones who survived were runners who participated in multiple running events. The race walker of 20km and 50km. They were likely the only survivors.

An athlete might have great talent. However, focus and vigor are limited. To achieve world-class success in a sport was already difficult enough. To become world-class in multiple events was almost impossible. As such, the the decathlon was extremely difficult.

The developed Western countries were the traditional powerhouses of the decathlons. The sport tested the overall abilities of an athlete, including the athlete's speed, explosiveness, strength, flexibility, jumping ability, endurance,and balance. Caucasians had a natural advantage. Their explosiveness, jumping ability, and endurance were better than Asians', and their flexibility, balance, and strength were also greater than Africans'. They were well-suited to the kind of sport that tested one's overall ability.The sequence of the women's heptathlon began with the 100m hurdles. It was followed by the high jump, shot put, 200m sprint, long jump, javelin throw, and the 800m run. All the events would be completed within two days. Among them, the high jump, long jump, shot put, and javelin throw, the field events, gave every contestant three attempts. It was different from the six attempts normally given.

After completing every event, the athlete received scores based on the results from the respective event. Take the shot put event as an example, the scores for a 20-meter result and a 19-meter result were completely different. Even if an athlete ranked first in the shot put event, if the result wasn't good enough, the score would still be low. In the same sense, even if athletes ranked far from each other, as long as the result was good enough, the athlete would get a high score.

The final score was the key to deciding the victor. The system made it so that if one were to flop in an event, as long as the scores for the other events were good enough, the athlete could still manage to make a comeback.

Now, the only event left was the 800m run.

Once the competition reached this stage, people would have a clue as to which athletes were possible winners. The score between athletes widened. Only the ones whose scores were in front had a chance of winning.

The person currently in the lead was a contestant from the Ukraine. Her score was 5838. In second was a German athlete with a score of 5777. Following her was an American athlete who had a score of 5702. The fourth-ranked athlete was a Russian, she had a score of 5650. These athletes were within 200 points of the first-ranked athlete, so they were still in the fight for gold.

The fifth-ranked athlete had a score of 5614. The difference in this score exceeded 200 points. It would be extremely difficult to turn the tables, but going for a medal was still possible.

The last event of the women's heptathlon was the 800m run.

The 800m run had certain rules. In the first 100m, athletes had to run in their respective tracks, but after they could start moving into the innermost track. If the lead runner ran fast, the athletes scores would be better. If the lead runner was slow, the scores of the athletes would be worse.

In the women's decathlon, the 800m race was scheduled to be the last event. Moreover, the groupings were done based on scores. The best eight would be placed in the same group. That way, they wouldn't unnecessarily lose points in the end because of the speed difference between the lead runners in each respective group.

It was the same in the men's decathlon. The 1,500m race did not require runners to be separated into individual tracks, so it was arranged to be the last event. Similarly, the athletes with the highest score would be grouped together.

The first to appear were the eight athletes with the lowest scores.

"It's not unreasonable these eight are ranked last. It is apparent from their 800m result alone. The best time among them was two minutes and 14 seconds." Dai Li shook his head slightly as he looked at the results of the contestants.

The contestants of heptathlons and decathlons naturally could not be better than athletes who specialized in the single event. The result of the last eight was even worse. If it were a female athlete who trained specifically for the 800m run, they would make it within two minutes.

The second round of athletes appeared. They fared better, the best result was two minutes and 13.65 seconds. Afterward, the athletes of the third round appeared. The lead runner kept suppressing her speed. The best result for that group was surprisingly over two minutes and 15 seconds.

The fourth group consisted of athletes ranging from ninth to sixteenth place. Theoretically, if their results were good enough, they still had a chance of winning a medal, so this group battled. Several athletes made it in two minutes and ten seconds. The first-ranked athlete even ran two minutes and 8.55 seconds. Based on the scoring, she would receive more than 980 points.

Finally, it was time for the top eight to make their appearance.

Dai Li used a morale-boosting book on the American athlete before spectating the race in peace. Although the American athlete was ranked third, she was behind the first placed athlete by 136 points. It wasn't an easily surpassable gap.

However, the contestant from Ukraine wasn't that great in the 800m run. At the end of the race, she was actually in last place.

Was she conserving her strength intentionally? That's a possibility. After all, she leads second place by 61 points and third place by 136 points, looking for stability is normal, Dai Li thought.

However, after around a minute, Dai Li discovered that his judgment was wrong. The contestant from Ukraine was really not good at the 800m run.

In contrast to that, the American contestant was constantly positioned within the top three.

"We have a chance!" Dai Li realized.

The contestants went into the final straight of the track and began their dash. Dai Li couldn't help but stand up and cheer for his team member.

Finally, the first one to the finish line was the Russian. Her time was two minutes and 6.50 seconds. The American was close behind her, with a time of two minutes and 7.34 seconds. The difference between the two was only 0.84 seconds, and the difference between their score was 52 points.

Two minutes and 7.34 seconds. That's almost 1000 points. The Russian was quicker than us by 0.84 seconds, that shouldn't be a 52 point advantage. The final score of the Russian should not be enough to surpass the U.S. Dai Li made the judgment immediately.

Now, what Dai Li cared about was the times of the second-ranked German and first-ranked Ukrainian. The German in second place led the U.S. by 75 points, and the first-placed Ukrainian led the U.S. by 136 points.

The German contestant had a horrible time. it was two minutes and 15.21 seconds. She was not good at the 800m race.

Two minutes and 15.21 seconds. Based on the scores from the previous rounds that should even reach 900 points. We just need 975 points to surpass the Germans, Dai Li counted in a flash in his mind.

Just now, I estimated that our athlete should have around 1000 points. If I'm right, we should beat the German, and we should be in second place.

Dai Li calculated all of that quickly. At that moment, the first-ranked Ukrainian athlete made it past the finish line. She was still in last place. Her result was two minutes and 17.72 seconds.

The gap between us and Ukraine was 136 points. The Ukrainian's result is two minutes and 17.72 seconds. That should be between 850 to 870 points. If our athlete manages to get 1000 points, then this Ukrainian only needs 865 points to become the champion!

As Dai Li reached that conclusion, he became slightly nervous. The final result was not out. He did not know if his athlete could surpass the Ukrainian and become the champion. He looked towards the big screen anxiously.

The results of the athletes were converted into scores and appeared on the big screen.

Two minutes and 7.34 seconds. 1004 points, our final score is 6706 points!

The German's result, two minutes and 15.21 seconds, got her 890 points. Her final score is 6667 points. Fewer than us!

The Ukrainian only finished the race in two minutes and 17.72 seconds. She got 855 points, so her final score is 6693 points. That's 13 points fewer than us! We've won!

Dai Li clenched both his fists in excitement.

He never would have thought that the U.S. team would get another gold medal that day.

It was a bonus!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 519: Things to Protect

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There were five medal ceremonies on the second day of the track and field events. The U.S. team won two gold, one silver, and two bronze medals that day. It was a good haul.

In summary, so far the U.S. had won a total of three gold, one silver, and two bronze medals. One could argue their performances were flawless. Even the most critical audience would give the U.S. team a perfect score.

However, the track and field events had only just begun. There were eight more days to go, and only eight out of 47 gold medals had been won. It was a small amount considering how many were left. The U.S. team still had a long way to go.

The third day of the track and field events started. In the morning,there were no events scheduled in the main stadium. The only track and field event was the women's marathon, which was underway outside on the streets.

The women's marathon was another event the two long-distance running powerhouse nations from Africa dominated. It was once again a competition between Kenya and Ethiopia. Although the other countries sent out strong competitors, they still did not have the strength to snatch the gold away from the two long-distance running powerhouses of Africa.

At night, the first event in which a medal would be given out was the women's triple jump. One U.S. athlete made it into the final.

Dai Li went about his old tricks once again. He used the state scale again but, this time, Dai Li's luck was not as good. The first two jumps both triggered the terrible condition and the best result of the U.S. athlete was only 13.93m.

Do I want to take another chance? If the next attempt is terrible, then she won't even make it into the top eight, and the remaining three chances will be gone."

Dai Li hesitated for a moment before finally removing the state scale. He decided to let the athlete get a safe result to at least get into the top eight.

This time, the U.S. contestant jumped 14.33m, putting herself in the top eight and getting three more chances.

Dai Li had more chances to try his luck. He used the state scale on the athlete again. However, luck was not on his side. In her following three attempts, the U.S. athlete only managed to trigger the maximum state condition once and the other two attempts were terrible.

It dissatisfied Dai Li. In five attempts, he only managed to achieve a maximum state once. The other four times were terrible states.

This state scale is truly a double-edged sword! Dai Li sighed in resignation. He looked at the result sheet. The final result of the U.S. athlete was 14.88m, third place. She got a bronze medal.

I've already managed to win two gold medals from the women's shot put and the men's long jump events using the state scale. The return I've got from the state scale is good enough. Although we didn't get a gold medal this time, a bronze medal is better than nothing. Dai Li consoled himself.

At the same time of the final in women's triple jump, the semi-final of the men's 100m sprint was underway. Justin Alexander was in the stadium.

Alexander was an athlete that Dai Li had trained personally. As such, Dai Li had great confidence in Alexander's strength. Dai Li believed that Alexander would win the men's 100m sprint, even if he had strong Jamaicans opponents.

Alexander did not let Dai Li down. He advanced as the first in his group.

After the semi-final of the men's 100m sprint ended, the next event on the track was the semi-final of the women's 1,500m run. That was followeds the high-profile final of the men's 400m sprint.

It was one of the events the U.S. team was best in. The U.S. team had three spots in the final.

A lot of the U.S. audience had already taken out their Jimmy Irwin signs. They wer waiting for the king of the 400m sprint to get his fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The contestants walked out of the tunnel separately and began preparing for the race. Dai Li used the detector on each of the athletes in the final. His face froze when he used his detector on an African athlete from South Africa.

Grade S talent potential! This guy has a value of 900. Who is this guy! Was there someone this amazing among the contestants? Why has no one paid attention to this person before? Dai Li frantically searched and looked for information on this athlete.

South African representative, Nick Zouma. 21 years old. First time taking part in the Olympics. Never took part in the World Championship in Athletics. He has also never participated in the IAAF Grand Prix or the diamond league. The only international competition he competed in was the Commonwealth Games. He got a bronze medal.

Dai Li stared at the South African guy as he grew cautious.

This South African will definitely threaten Irwin, I better let him know.

Dai Li moved to Irwin's side and said, "Jimmy, do you see that South African?"

"I don't know him," Irwin answered.

"Be careful of that guy. He is strong. He might threaten you," Dai Li said.

Irwin's immediately felt weird. As the king of the 400m sprint, he had absolutely no reason to look at an athlete that he did not even know. The guy looked like a rookie.

However,words from Dai Li's mouth had to be taken seriously. Irwin knew deep down that his coach had amazing insight. Since Dai Li said the South African was strong, Irwin would not take him lightly.Irwin had a mix of emotions as he readied himself for another final in the Olympics.

This will be my final Olympics. The thought flashed through Irwin's mind. He then shook his head.

I thought the exact same thing four years ago! However, four years later, I'm still here. Time sure enjoys making fun of people!

The sound of the referee's reminder to the athletes reached his ear. Irwin prepared and went to his starting position.

This time is really my last Olympics. In four years' time, I probably wouldn't be able to run anymore.

As the gun sounded, the race officially began.

Irwin started smoothly. He quickly moved into the rhythm he excelled at. However, his thoughts fell into past memories. His past experience in the Olympic Games fragmented into different parts and ran through his mind.

He remembered a decade ago when he was a youngster in his first Olympics. As a Caucasian athlete competing in an event dominated by black athletes, no one thought he would win. However, he was crowned the champion. The media used the word "upset" to describe it because he was Caucasian. A Caucasian winning the 400m sprint, was considered shocking.

Most media outlets said that he had gotten lucky. A lot of sports critics said that he was a one-hit wonder. However, in the Olympics four years later, he did it again and became the Olympic champion of the 400m sprint. From that day onwards, he didn't lose 400m sprint.

Everyone in the stadium stood up and a cacophony of cheers and applause erupted from the crowd. People lifted signs showing their support and waved large posters of him in the air. Some even waved American flags. To Irwin, the scene was familiar.

The Olympics four years ago was just like this. Everyone cheered for me. Everyone hoped that I would get three consecutive championships and create a new era. Back then, I succeeded! I became the winner of the Olympics and revelled in glory…

My old self fought for glory, but what about now? What am I fighting for? To get another win and create history? Is there a big difference between three consecutive wins and four consecutive wins?

If my investment in shale oils hadn't failed, I wouldn't have come back. I should be at home right now with a glass of champagne in my hands. I should be watching TV, talking about other athletes. Maybe I'd return to ESPN and be a part-time commentator.

Irwin's thoughts were suddenly chaotic. He was still able to maintain his rhythm and speed.

Running had already become second nature. It was his instinct, even if his thoughts stopped, his body would automatically keep running.

I'm still in a race and it's the final of the Olympics. What nonsense am I thinking about? Why did I bring up such terrible issues in my mind!"

Irwin's focus returned to the race track. By then, he was about to enter the straight track for the final dash.

I'm in the lead. When I get this gold medal, the sponsors will keep their promise and provide me with a bonus. New sponsors swarm me and I will be as busy as before.

Irwin was the first to enter the final stretch of straight track. He began to accelerate into his final dash.

However, a shadow suddenly appeared beside him.

Someone has caught up to me! Irwin was shocked. He turned his head slightly and saw an unfamiliar face and a green uniform.

Green. It should be an African country. It's that young South African! Coach Li reminded me to keep an eye on him. Irwin remembered Dai Li's warning before the race.

The next second, the young South African, Zouma, passed Irwin.

"Oooooooooooh…" A flurry of panicked sounds emerged from the stands. No one would have imagined the great king of the 400m sprint could be overtaken by some unknown contestant in the final dash.I've overtaken Irwin! Nick Zouma's mind suddenly went blank.

Zouma suddenly realized that he had a chance of winning. It was possible for him to beat Irwin, to dethrone the king of the 400m sprint!

More than a decade ago, when Irwin first took part in the Olympics, he was like me. He was just an unknown person. He stepped over various veterans and succeeded in becoming the best in the 400m sprint.

Today, I can replicate that moment. I will become the second Jimmy Irwin. I will become the new king of the 400m sprint!"

No, I don't want to become the second Jimmy Irwin. I am me. I don't want to be the clone of someone else. I want to be myself! I want to surpass Jimmy Irwin! I want the records to be filled with my name!"

At that moment, Zouma's heart burned with passion. His entire body flooded with energy. He used all his strength to rush towards the finish line just over a dozen meters away.Am I going to lose? Irwin suddenly did not know what to do.

The moment Zouma overtook him, Irwin finally panicked. It was a panic he had not felt in a long time.

He was the king of the 400m sprint. He had never lost in any of the important races. None of his opponents ever made him panic.

However, right now, the young South African had done it. He let Irwin see the possibility of losing.

I had this feeling a few months ago, but it wasn't in a race. It was when oil prices fell. I almost lost all of my assets. I panicked back then! I was really worried that I would go bankrupt. My mansion, my cars, my yacht. All of my possessions would be taken by the bank. I would have nothing left. I would lose my life… That's why I chose to return here because I don't want to lose everything!

At that moment, Irwin suddenly understood why he chose to return to the sports arena. To compete against athletes who were over ten years younger than him for the championship. It wasn't his desire for glory, it was because he didn't want to lose all his money!

Irwin had grown up in a middle-class family. After he became famous in his youth, his wealth accumulated. He had never been poor, not even for a single day. He did not know how to live a life of poverty.

Irwin was not like other sports stars who had lived in poverty. His middle-class family had shielded him from issues that arose from money problems.

The current Irwin had already won a good number of championships. He had received way too much glory. He had grown numb to the applause and the praise tired his ear. The championship, the glory, the title of the king of the 400m sprint, those were not the things Irwin desired.

What he wanted most was to enjoy a comfortable and worry-free life.It just so happened he needed money to maintain that dream.

If Irwin lost that race, he would not receive the bonus provided by the sponsors. The amount of advertisement and endorsement deals would decrease. Although the remaining advertisement and endorsement fees would be enough for him to live his remaining life in comfort, his quality of life would decrease significantly.

I've always known what I was fighting for! It's not glory, applause, or fame. It is the way of life I desire! A life of freedom! I have to protect my life! That is also something that I must protect.

Irwin suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. He found a direction. He found a target for his effort. He found something he needed to protect.

Irwin was no longer confused. He looked straight at the finish line in front of him and became unbelievably determined. His entire demeanor and aura were completely changed.

His speed increased. With his breathing technique alone, he caught up with the South African youngster, Zouma. They ran shoulder to shoulder.Irwin has caught up again! It's the last 100m dash, so this is when Irwin is at his strongest. However, I will not lose. Zouma did not retreat. Instead, a fire lit up in his heart. He wanted to defeat Irwin.

Zouma turned his head slightly. He wanted to check just how fast Irwin was going. However, he realized there was an immense energy emanating from his opponent.

At that moment, Zouma hallucinated. He thought that he was running against a giant. He was terrified.

How is this possible? Why am I so scared? Zouma thought.

It was the first time Zouma had been in this situation. He was separated by two lanes from Irwin. However, the energy from Irwin made him feel like he was suffocating.

That was the imposing aura of Irwin. It was the energy of the conqueror of the 400m event. It was the special demeanor that was accumulated by winning multiple races.

He used it to inform the challengers that this was his territory. Here, he was king!

Another second passed. Irwin overtook Zouma.

Zouma did not resign to his fate. However, the current Irwin already understood and knew what he wanted to protect. He gave it his all to do so."Irwin is in the lead and the gap is gradually getting wider. Looks like there's no doubt anymore. He has passed the finish line! Irwin has won. Congratulations Irwin, a historical four consecutive wins in four Olympics!"

The commentator exclaimed in a loud voice, which was quickly drowned out by the audience.

Dai Li let out a breath. When Zouma overtook Irwin, he had really worried that Irwin would lose the race.

That scared the sh*t out of me. I really thought Irwin would lose. However, this South African youngster really is something. Grade S talent potential. I'm sure after Irwin retires, he will become the new conqueror of the men's 400m sprint.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 520: The Pursuit of Victory

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Irwin did not disappoint his fans and he was crowned the champion of the men's 400m sprint.

The South African youngster, Nick Zouma, got the silver medal. The bronze medal went to another U.S. athlete.

On that day of the competition, the U.S. team had already won a gold medal and two bronze medals. The upcoming event was another important one. It was the men's 100m sprint.

The previous fastest man in the world had retired. The world record he left behind was unlikely to be broken within the decade. This race was going to determine who was the new fastest man in the world.

As the defending champions in the event, the Jamaican team was in a good place. Three of their athletes had made it into the final. Their objective was to keep the gold medal in Jamaica.

Although the U.S. team had been hurt by the drug scandal, two of their athletes still made it into the final. Among them was the world's second fastest man, Justin Alexander.

Although all three of their athletes made it into the final, the head coach of the Jamaica team, Fraser, was not relaxed. He was careful, especially when it came to Alexander.

The assistant beside him looked at Fraser with wonder. It had been a long time since he witnessed such a solemn expression on Fraser's face.

"Coach, are you worried about Alexander? He has been banned for almost five years. That means that he hasn't ran in any international competition for five years. Perhaps he has gotten worse," the assistant said.

"It is not an easy feat to make it through the U.S. qualifier. Besides, Alexander ran within 9.9 seconds in the U.S. Do you think that he won't do better now?" Fraser took a deep breath and continued. "I'm not only worried about Justin Alexander, but the entire U.S. team."

"Coach, I don't quite understand," the assistant sai, dumbfounded.

"I used to believe that this U.S. team was the weakest the country ever had. Of course, everyone thought the same. However, this U.S. team is strong. They won a gold medal on the first day. You could say that it was luck, but they have gotten some since then as well. Do you think they are really just lucky? It has only been three days since the start of the track and field events and the U.S. team has already won four gold medals. They have exceeded all expectation," Fraser stated.

"Perhaps it's because all the events that the U.S. team is good in are concentrated in these first few days," the assistant said.

"Then why don't you tell me which events the U.S. team are weak in?" Fraser asked with disdain.

The assistant was speechless. As the world's strongest country in track and field, the U.S. did not have any weak events. Even in long-distance running, the U.S. team was second only to Ethiopia and Kenya.

Fraser then said, "The media may still be saying the U.S. team is weak, but I believe that any head coach could see that the U.S. team is still amazingly strong. That Chinese coach of the U.S. team is no simple man. To lead the U.S. team and achieve this kind of result, means we've underestimated him since the beginning. A non-American coach, and a Chinese one at that. He must have some kind of special ability."

As Fraser said this, he looked towards Dai Li. His gaze was firm. He then changed his tone and said, "But I still believe that victory belongs to us!"The Jamaican athlete, McNea, stood on the race tracks. He rubbed the soles of his shoes against the track to decrease his anxiety.

McNea was currently the strongest 100m sprinter in the Jamaican team. He had to take over for Kittel.

It wasn't McNea's first time in the Olympics. Four years ago, he had participated in the Games. He also made it into the final back then.

Back then, everyone had their eyes on the world's fastest man, Kittel. The McNea back then was but a supporting character that didn't really matter.

In truth, to be a sprinter in the same generation with Kittel was unfortunate, even more so if you were one of his teammates. Actually, McNea was exceptional. He had worked hard but, no matter how hard he tried, he was only a supporting character.

McNea did not want to be a supporting character, he wanted to become the main character, the focus of the stadium.

Today, without Kittel, McNea finally had the chance to become the hero.

"This time, we don't have Kittel. I will lead the Jamaican team in this event!" McNea clenched his fist tightly.

Jamaica needed to tell everyone that even without the world's fastest man, Jamaica was still number one when it came to sprinting! Jamaica would produce a new world's fastest man.

McNea had decided long ago that he would voluntarily bear this burden. That was the reason he had to win!Another Jamaican athlete, Bartlett was also very nervous. However, he was also excited.

It was Bartlett's first Olympics. He had not slept last night because he had been so anxious.

In Jamaica, any exceptional young sprinter would receive the nickname, "Kittel's successor." That nickname had been stuck on Bartlett for more than a decade.

Every Jamaican child saw Kittel as a role model. They hoped to become the next Kittel. Bartlett was the same. When Bartlett was still a kid, he began practicing. He displayed great talent very quickly and started formally training. He stood out in competitions of various age groups. Ultimately, he made it onto the Jamaican national team.

On the Jamaican national team, he met dozens more like him. Of course, he also met Kittel himself. Later, Bartlett defeated his opponents and rivals one by one. He told everyone that he was the real successor to Kittel. He climbed over anyone he had to in order to participate in more and more international competitions, including the current Olympic Games.

Kittel has retired. I will become the second Kittel! I want to become the new fastest man!

Bartlett's obsession grew stronger as he got older. Since he was young, people had called him Kittel's successor However, in Jamaica, too many people were told that. Today, he would prove to the world that he was the one who truly deserved the title

Kittel, you should be watching this race in front of a TV, right? I'll let you know. I'll let the world know that I'm the most qualified person to be the next you!Alexander breathed in deeply.

The final of the Olympics, what a familiar scent!

It was the second time Alexander had been in the Olympics. His previous outing was eight years ago.

Alexander was banned four years ago and lost a chance to challenge Kittel.

It's been eight years. I'm finally back, but the people from back then have since left the competitive arena. Alexander looked around him. There were a lot of fresh faces.

In the five years Alexander was banned, he had missed one Olympics and one World Championship in Athletics. For a sport like sprinting, an athlete's prime was very short, so five years was enough to see two generations of athletes go by.

The athletes who were present in the first Olympic Games that Alexander had participated eight years ago were nowhere to be seen in the stadium today. Even counting the athletes who were present when Alexander was banned five years ago, only two of them were present at the race today.

Among them included McNea from the Jamaican team. However, five years ago, McNea was just a fresh young athlete, so he had posed no threat to Alexander. Back then, in Alexander's eyes, McNea was only an extra. However, today, McNea had become the best on the Jamaican team.

Seeing the energetic youngsters that surrounded him, Alexander suddenly realized how time had discriminated against him.

A five year ban. I've missed too many things and I've lost way more. Today, I'll start to make up for it all!

Alexander stood on the starting block. His movements seemed slow and structured, structured like the movements of a robot. He looked serious, as if in the middle of a holy ritual.

Perhaps to everyone else, I'm still the guy who used performance-enhancing drugs to improve my results. I'm still an immoral cheater. I will prove that my glory is not reliant on prohibited drugs. Even without drugs, I will become the best in the stadium.

Alexander took a deep breath and looked towards the track in front of him. He lowered his head and prepared himself for the race to start.Dai Li looked at the eight contestants lined up at the starting line and said, "That young Jamaican called Bartlett, he has more potential than McNea. He's got the better chance."

"Oh?" The team leader, Donny, looked towards Bartlett and said, "McNea is the top sprinter on the Jamaican team. Besides, his results have been good. He ran within 9.90 seconds a few times this year. I thought you would look more favorably on McNea!"

"In truth, the person I favor the most is still Alexander," Dai Li smiled. He then said, "Alexander is the athlete I trained personally. I fully understand his strength. Although Alexander is older than the other athletes, his condition is well-maintained and he isn't any weaker than those youngsters. I'm a little sad I didn't meet him sooner. If l had maybe he'd be the fastest man in the world and not Kittel."

Donny did not reply. He had long become used to Dai Li's confidence. Donny realized that the coach's predictions often came to pass. He was a little upset but, after a while, Donny's temper disappeared. He used his silence to display his attitude.

What Dai Li said was true. Compared to Irwin, Dai Li had not used the age-reduction card on Alexander, because he didn't have to.

Dai Li attributed it to luck. It was just like how some people naturally look younger than others, while some naturally look more mature. Alexander might have been the kind of person whose body aged slower than normal athletes'. Although he was already over 30 years old, he still had the body of a younger person.

At that moment, the referee gave the command for them to get in position. The athletes were prepared to take off.

As the gunshot rang, all the athletes rushed away from the starting line almost at the same time. In the next second, the big screen showed the reaction time at the start of each of the athlete.

Alexander's reaction time was 0.155 seconds. It was the second last.Bartlett had the fastest starting time, O.128.

Alexander had really aged. His reaction time was slower than younger athletes'. However, Bartlett's reaction time of 0.128 seconds wasn't in reaction to the gun, it was more like he had tried to beat the gun.

Beating the gun is a type of sprinting tactic. The athlete would attempt to get used to the rhythm of the referee's command and, based on the rhythm, attempt to start at the moment the gunshot rings. As for starting after hearing the gunshot, it would be the body reacting. The difference between the two was an interval of .03 seconds, it can be said to be irrelevant. However, to a world-class sprinter, even 0.01 seconds matters.

In the past, when it came to sprintin, the rule regarding the start was that the second athlete attempting to beat the gun would be sent off. So many athletes were choosing to try to beat the gun so that they would gain an advantage. Some athletes even attempted to beat the gun intentionally just to disrupt the rhythm of their opponents and to get used to the rhythm of the referee.

However, the rules of track and field were changed. If an athlete attempted to beat the gun, they would be sent off. This greatly reduced the number of situations where athletes attempted to beat the gun, so the number of athletes who employed the tactic also decreased. To take the risk of getting sent off just to gain an advantage of a few tenths of a second was not worth it.

Although Alexander's start was slower, he was even faster than the other younger athletes.

After 50m, the distance between the eight athletes began to widen.

By the time they reached the 70m mark, the group in the lead had become apparent. They were Alexander, McNea, and Bartlett.This old bastard, Alexander. He's already over thirty years old, how is he still so fast! McNea couldn't help but complain to himself.

In the World Championship six years ago, McNea had the chance to meet Alexander in the final. However, McNea was new to the Jamaican team back then, so he wasn't given the opportunity. Kittel had battled against Alexander instead.

Now, Kittel had retired. Alexander, a guy who was a few months older than Kittel, was still in the race. Moreover, he was not any slower than when he was younger.

I can't lose, I am the best sprinter on the Jamaican team. I have to carry the team!

At that moment, the responsibility felt like an enormous mountain on McNea's shoulders. McNea suddenly imagine that he was hiking up a mountain. It was as if he was not running on a track, but on a slope.

On the other side, Bartlett also felt a formless pressure. The pressure had become more powerful than the excitement in his heart.

It was the final of the Olympic Games, after all. The closer they got, the more pressure was on them. It was especially clear when everyone in the stands stood up and cheered. Tens of thousands of people watching you could make anyone nervous.

Perhaps the athletes with a lower ranking would feel less pressure because no matter what they did, they would not get a medal. For the ones in the lead, the pressure was much greater.

Bartlett was in the leading group, and he felt his desire to win and his fear of defeat getting stronger. However, his spirit that had once demanded victory began to waver.Alexander did not take notice of his opponents at all. When there was less than 30m left before reaching the finish line, Alexander was chasing after a shadow.

That shadow was the world's fastest man, Kittel.

At that moment, Alexander felt as if he had gone back in time. In the old days, he had run shoulder to shoulder with Kittel, but Kittel always passed him at the last second.

He had challenged Kittel again and again, and he had failed again and again. However, Alexander never gave up. To defeat Kittel, he had even agreed to Sebastian's suggestion and used prohibited drugs. For that, he had paid a hefty price.

Vaguely, Alexander also had a vision. Kittel was beside him. He was on the race track right beside him. That huge shadowy figure was going to overtake him again.

No! Alexander screamed in his mind.

Regret and dissatisfaction filled Alexander's mind. Memories of each of his defeats were so vivid, they gave Alexander the impression that he was actually there.

Alexander was feeling sad for himself. In the end, he did not defeat Kittel, and now Kittel had retired and set a world record no one could beat. Alexander no longer had a chance to compete against him.

At that moment, Alexander's thoughts returned to reality. The illusion of being overtaken by Kittel disappeared. Alexander noticed that the huge shadowy figure was not on the track.

Kittel has already retired, and he created a wall I cannot surpass!

As he realized that, Alexander suddenly felt uncontrollable rage. He needed to vent his emotion, he wanted to vent crazily.

The only target for his wrath was the race track beneath his feet.

At that moment, Alexander made his last dash. That dash was not only for the gold medal, but it was an explosion of the emotion from his heart.

There was dissatisfaction, disappointment, sorrow, and also wrath.

These emotions he had accumulated over the years were all released in that instant. They became the force that pushed him forward.At the moment of his last dash, McNea and Bartlett were both burdened by pressure, but Alexander was instead releasing his emotion.

At that moment, the difference became clear and the winner was obvious.

Alexander stood out. He left McNea and Bartlett in the dust and dashed towards the finish line!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 521: Two World Champions and One Newbie

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"Justin Alexander crossed the finish line!" The live commentator was excited, and the timer stopped at 9.78 seconds.

"9.78 seconds. Justin Alexander just ran the best time in the 100m sprint this year! And it's the first score within 9.80 seconds after Gittell's retirement!" said the commentator excitedly.

To win with a time within 9.80 seconds made Alexander's Olympic gold medal even more precious.

Alexander didn't laugh out loud after he crossed the finish line. He didn't even look excited. He hit his own chest with his right hand and shouted out as if he couldn't express himself accurately.

Macnee of the Jamaica team seemed to be driven out of mind. For him, it was a disaster that Jamaica didn't win this race again. As the top sprinter on the team, he felt guilty.

"We lost and I am the one to blame," Coach Fraser said in low voice.

"Coach, it's neither your fault nor ours. That Alexander ran too fast. He ran within 9.80 seconds. No one could beat him and take the gold medal unless Gittell had come back," his assistant said.

"What we need to do now is show the world that Gittell is not irreplaceable. We must tell the world that Jamaica is still the No. 1 sprinting superpower in the world even without Gittell!" Frazer said and, suddenly, he sighed, "Unfortunately, we failed. We lost the 100m sprint gold medal. Maybe the world will see Jamaica as nothing without Gittell!"

"Sir, we lost only one important gold medal. The 200m sprint and the relay race are on the way. We still have four gold medals to fight for. We can still prove to the world that Jamaica is the most powerful country in the field of sprinting if we get the four gold medals smoothly," added the assistant.

The assistant's words made Fraser refreshed. He regained courage and said, "Yes, you're right. This isn't over. We must get the other four gold medals!""Congratulations, Coach Li! You helped the American national team win the gold medal of the 100m sprint again. America has not won the gold medal of men's 100m sprint in the last three Olympics. The last time we won this gold medal was 16 years ago!" Downey said, clearly excited.

"Well, we worked so hard to get this gold medal," Dai Li said with satisfaction, looking at Alexander who was still celebrating the victory near the finish line.

Dai Li knew that Alexander faced many obstacles to get this gold medal. His continuous challenge to Gittell, the ban in the prime of his life, and coming back to track and field in his thirties had all been difficult. It all paid off though.

He hadn't beat Gittell, but right now he was on top of the world.

"We've taken the gold medal of the 100m sprint. Today we have won two gold and two silver medals in total. Today is a great day." Dai Li was happy.

There had been four competitions that day and the American team, led by Dai Li, had won two of them. This was indeed an excellent achievement.The CEO of the U.S. Track and Field Associations, Williams, didn't miss any race that day.

Even when the last program, men's 100m sprint's final, and the following award ceremony had all finished, Williams still sat in front of the TV, gazing at the screen.

After a long time, he sighed deeply and spoke to himself. "Finally, we got the Olympic gold medal of men's 100m sprint again after 16 years."

The gold medal of men's 100m sprint meant a lot to America's track and field team.

The fastest man in 100m sprint was also considered the fastest man in the world. This title meant not only a gold medal or glory, but also a world record. Men's 100m sprint was the most influential track and field program.

America had ruled men's 100m sprint for the last several decades. Many "flying men" were Americans. Americans had always kept the world record of the 100m sprint before the rise of Gittell from Jamaica that ended the American rule and kept Americans away from the Olympic gold medals of the 100m sprint for a dozen years.

An U.S. National Track and Field Team without a world champion of the 100m sprint was like an empty dumpling that was tasteless. It lost the most important part.

The need to get a world-class championship in the men's 100m sprint had always burdened Williams. America signified to him that the country was once again the best at track and field.

It is the fifth gold medal of the track and field team. This year's team, which is weaker than those of previous years, got five gold medals in three days of competitions. What an achievement! Dai Li's training is great! Maybe the schedule has to be changed. The press conference that is going to blame him for the failure might be changed to a celebration party for him!It was the fourth day of the Olympic track and field games. There were still many discussions about the men's 100m. No new world records were created this time, but the story about Alexander's gold medal was the headline of many sports articles.

Dai Li paid little attention to the news stories. His focus was on the races that were being ran that day.

The first program of the fourth day was the qualification for men's triple jump, where the U.S.A was likely to win gold. Two American athletes entered the final, one of which was Thales, the defending champion.

However, Dai Li was surprised that Europe did not perform well. The three traditional superpowers in the triple jump, Britain, Italy, and German, sent no athletes to the final. there was only one Russian athlete that made the final. However, all three of the Chinese athletes entered the finals.

The first round of women's 100m sprint happened at the same time as the triple jump qualification. Three American female sprinters passed the first round easily.

The third program was the preliminary round of men's 3000m steeplechase. Three American athletes performed very well and they all entered the final.

The first gold medal of track and field programs of the day was going to be revealed after the men's 3000m steeplechase. It would come from the final of women's hammer throw.

Dai Li liked field events the most. The state scale, which was like gambling was effective on the high jump, long jump and the four throwing events.

To Dai Li's surprise, although he gambled well with all three of the American women, they didn't win the competition.It was the third throw of women's hammer throw. The Polish athlete Ullodzinke stood on the throwing area. She got the hammer and turned three times to throw the hammer out. The hammer left her hands and went flying.

The hammer flopped on the ground. Dai Li was surprised by where it landed.

It's longer than 81 meters!

The Olympic record for the women's hammer throw was 78.18 meters, and the world record was 81.08 meters. According to the statistics from the world-class competitions, a distance longer than 76 meters would give the athlete a gold medal.

Will it be a new world record? Dai Li looked at the scoreboard.

The scoreboard showed a score of 82.29 meters after a careful measurement and the referee's confirmation.

OK. That's a new world record, 1.21 meters longer than the former record! Dai Li took a deep breath. He knew that America wouldn't get the gold medal for this program. Facing a new world record, athletes from other counties could not get the gold medal either.

The state scale couldn't solve this problem. An athlete without the strength to break the world record could never win the competition even with his best performance.

In the end, America got a bronze from women's hammer throw, which made Dai Li a little disappointed. All he could do was accept it. The rival broke the world record after all.

The women's 3000m steeplechase followed. This was the second event of the day which awarded medals.

The competition was seen as between America, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Kenya won gold, America won silver, and Ethiopia won bronze.

The first two finals that day brought America no gold medals, only one silver, and one bronze. However, that was a big achievement in and of itself.

The following three programs were the first round of men's 400m hurdles, the first round of men's 110m hurdles, and the qualification of women's discus throw.

The 400m hurdles and the 110m hurdles were all where the US was likely to win gold. In women's discus throw, no American athlete entered the final.

The third medal round that day was in the men's pole vault.

The rules of the high jump and the pole vault were different from the rule of the long jump. In the long jump, the top eight athletes in the first three jumps would then jump three more times. The one who jumped the longest of the eight would be the gold medalist.

The goal of the high jump was to clear a set height that gradually increased. An athlete had three chances to try to clear every height. The athlete could challenge the next height as long as he or she jumped over the current height in any of his or her three jumps. The athlete was eliminated if they missed three umps. The height wouldn't stop increasing until there was only one athlete left. They would be the champion.

The pole vault allowed an athlete to pass at any height. The athlete might choose to pass all the jumps at a certain height in order to save his or her energy for a higher one. The pass would not be counted as a jump. To put it simply, an athlete could skip a height and directly choose to jump at the next height.

What's more, the athlete could choose to pass the current height if he or she failed in the first or the second jump at this height. He or she could only use the chances left for this height to jump at the next height. For example, if one failed in the first jump at a height and he chose to pass, he would only have two chances to jump at the next height, with the failure counted as one jump.

Meanwhile, an athlete was not allowed to jump again at a height if he chose to pass at the height. You passed the height and then you must attempt the next height.

When the height was increased so high that only one athlete was left, the one must jump, and was not allowed to pass.

Theoretically, an athlete could always choose to pass until no one else left. Such a strategy would give him or her the highest height. The athlete would be the champion if he or she jumped over the height. Otherwise, the athlete's score would be zero.The day's competition's first height was 5.50 meters. Athletes from France and Russia chose to pass. They thought it too easy for them and could not even consider it a warm up. So, they decided not to jump so that they could save some energy.

The other ten athletes jumped. It was an easy height that could be a warm up for them to get familiar with the competition field or to gain their competitive mindset.

The height of 5.50 meters was not so difficult for those who could be in the Olympic final. All athletes jumped over it except one Latvian athlete.

Eleven athletes remained on the field. The next height was 5.65 meters, 0.15 meters higher than the previous height.

According to IAAF's rules, the height increased every time in the pole vault should be at least 5 centimeters. Athletes in the Olympic Games were all the top-level in the world. At the beginning of the competition, an increase of 5 centimeters each time would force athletes to jump too many times, which would slow down the competition and make athletes exhausted. That would make the competition boring to watch and the athletes' scores low. So, the height was directly increased by 15 centimeters.

5.65 meters was a relatively difficult height in an Olympic final. One unable to clear this height could never win the gold medal.

This height made five athletes leave the final. Six remained.

The next height was 5.75 meters, which saw the elimination of another athlete. Five remained in the final.

The fourth height was 5.85 meters, 10 centimeters higher than the previous one. Four succeeded in clearing this height and one chose to pass after he failed twice, which left him only one chance to jump at the next height.

The fifth height was 5.93 meters, 7 centimeters higher, not 10 centimeters. That was because that the Olympic record was 5.97 meters.

The Olympic record was 5.97 meters.It required that the final must set a height of 5.98 meters to see whether anyone could clear it and break the record. According to rules from the IAAF, the increase in height should be at least 5 centimeters each time. So, the height before 5.98 meters was 5.93 meters.

Two athletes were eliminated at this height. A French athlete, a Russian athlete, and an American athlete were still competing. The next height they would challenge was the Olympic record of 5.98 meters."The next height is 5.98 meters and we still have three athletes. Pat Riley, the defending champion from France, Kurayev, the world champion from Russia, and Muller from the US," said the commentator.

Pat Riley was the champion in the last Olympic Games. It was him who had created the Olympic record of 5.97 meters in men's pole vault.

The Russian athlete, Kurayev, was the gold medalist of the world championship two years ago. He was excellent.

With such a fame and strength, the two could undoubtedly challenge the Olympic record.

But the American, Franz Muller, was a newbie to the world-class competition.

At that moment, the head coach of Russia, Merkulov, looked at the handsome Muller in surprise.

Who can tell me who this Muller is? Where does he come from? How could he make it? How could it be possible for this guy whom I never heard of to challenge the Olympic record together with world champions?

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 522: The Newbie's Counterattack

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The height was 5.98 meters and three athletes remained, two of whom were world champions.

A competition between two world champions could draw in a very large audience by itself, but a third party took part in the competition. Franz Muller, a young man who was new to the Olympic Games, was about to challenge the record height along with the two world champions.

He was at least going to win a bronze medal. Getting a bronze medal was an impressive achievement in men's pole vault when one was competing with two world champions.

The handsome young man drew more and more attention. The audience began to talk about his good looks and reporters began to search for his information. They found he had no achievements in international competitions and, looking into it further, didn't have any in U.S. either.

"This Franz Muller was chosen by you, wasn't he?" The team leader, Downey asked. "He never took part in any qualifying competition, right?"

"You are right. He missed the American tryouts due to some unfortunate circumstances. He has the talent, though. That's why I chose him," replied Dai Li.

"I really admire your judgment. Now we know you have made a right decision, but you took a huge risk. If Muller hadn't done well you would've been blamed," said Downey.

"That's why I'm counting on him right now," said Dai Li.

"Well you are already a success. Someone who didn't even tryout for the Olympics getting a bronze medal is impressive," Downey said joyfully.

Dai Li stared at Downey and said with an intentionally confused tone, "Why do you think getting bronze is impressive?"

Downey was totally surprised. "Do you want him to achieve more? That's not possible! Don't you know his rivals? They are the defending champion Pat Riley and the world champion Kurayev. How could Muller win a gold or silver in a competition with those two?"

"He has the talent," Dai Li repeated. "So, nothing is impossible!""Now, the height is 5.98 meters. Clearing this height will break the Olympic record. The first to attempt is the American athlete, Franz Muller, who was born in German and moved to America with parents in his early years. He is now a student in University of Oregon. And his score in the qualifier was…"

The American T.V. commentator paused and found that he had no document with Muller's statistics from the U.S. qualifiers.

"What's up? Was he not in the qualifiers? Was this put together by an intern? He missed such an important score! He's so fired," said the commentator angrily.

An awkward pause followed, but the live stream on TV continued. The audience could see what was happening and they could also hear what was happening on site even though the commentator said nothing.

The commentator turned off the speaker and complained to his director. "Who collected the information for today? I don't even have the athlete's statistics from qualifiers!"

A moment later, he heard his director's voice in his earphones. "I looked it up for you. Franz Muller didn't take part in the U.S. qualifiers."

The commentator suddenly remembered a report on an athlete that had gotten on to the U.S. national team without actually having participated in qualifiers. It was an indication of shady deals on the team.

This competition proved the conspiracy theory was groundless. Although he didn't take part in the Olympic qualifiers in America, Franz Muller was already one of the top three male pole vaulters in this Olympics. He already had a bronze at least.

The commentator cleared his throat and opened the speaker to go on with his introduction, "Muller didn't actually participate in any Olympic qualifier. He was directly picked by the coach of the U.S. National Track and Field Team. He is now among the first three in men's pole vault. He sure didn't let his coach down! Of course, applause must go to the head coach, too. Let's thank him for picking Muller to the team, which paid off today."

Muller started to move just after the commentator finished his introduction. His attempt to break the world record began.Muller was a nobody, so his making it this far surprised the Russian head coach, Merkulov. He didn't see Muller as a threat, though. From his perspective, a newbie like Muller didn't deserve his attention even if he was impressive. The major rival of Russia was still the defending champion from France, Pat Riley.

When Muller started to jump, Merkulov simply tried to appreciate his jump.

Muller was like a big bird flying high. He got across the bar elegantly and then fell on the sponge mat.

Oh, beautiful posture! Merkulov thought.

The next moment he realized that this young athlete unknown to him jumped over the 5.98 meter mark and had broken the Olympic record in only one jump.

How could an Olympic record be broken so easily?

He is so powerful! It seems that he can clear 6 meters. Will he be stopped at the next height? Merkulov thought.

Merkulov wasn't yet worried that Muller would win the gold because he was confident about his own athlete. 5.98 meters would stop Kurayev either.

Kurayev had won the pole vaulting world championship two years before. This height was a piece of cake for him. It also only took him one jump to succeed in clearing 5.98 meters and breaking the Olympic record.

It was easy for the first two athletes to clear 5.98 meters.

The last athlete to jump was Pat Riley from France, the defending champion of this program. He won the men's pole vault four years ago and he then broke the Olympic record at that time with a height of 5.97 meters.

To everyone's surprise, he didn't come to the field. He chose to pass.

"Pat Riley chose to pass. Then he will skip the height of 5.98 meters and go directly to the next. He is so confident that he chooses to pass at this height," spoke the commentator.

The Russian head coach Merkulov dismissed this.

Self-confidence? It's just a tactical pass! He wants to put pressure on us. However, Kurayev has long been battle-hardened with rich competition experience. He will not be influenced by mind games. Merkulov curled his lip and thought.

The next height was 6.03 meters, 5 centimeters higher. Compared with the world record of 6.16 meters, it was not so high. It was already a height that that most athletes couldn't dream of clearing.

Franz Muller got the pole and stared in front of him. Then, he started to move forward. For him, the height was also a great challenge. It was close to the highest height he had cleared in daily training.

On the side of the field, Dai Li used the state scale for Muller. He put all the weights on the side of the extreme stable state. He believed in Muller's strength. He thought that Muller would clear the height if he performed stably.

Muller started to run and accelerate. With the help of the pole, he succeeded in making movements including his swing up, extension and turn. At the moment his S Level talent was on display. He flew across the bar with a series of smooth movements.

Success with only one jump, again!

The site was filled with joy and excitement. The whole audience greeted Muller with thunderous applause.

In the Athlete Waiting Area, Pat Riley and Kurayev looked serious. Even to them, the height of 6.03 meters was a tough challenge. They had the strength to clear it but they couldn't guarantee success.

The two world champions saw Muller, the young unknown, as a foil for themselves. The final in their eyes was a competition between the two of them. Yet, Muller had successfully changed the situation of the final after he cleared the height of 6.03 meters. He had the highest score. Pat Riley and Kurayev were now finding that Muller had been a strong rival on the path to the gold medal.

Kurayev followed to jump. He was not as relaxed as he was before.

He put up the pole and accelerated with a rhythm. Then he jumped high with the end of the pole sticking into the ground. At the same time, he made movements in the air with the pole.

As a gold medalist of the track and field world championship, Kurayev was undoubtedly very skilled. He was not so lucky then. His shank knocked the bar down to the ground.

Kurayev's first jump failed!

The audience around shouted out in disappointment. Kurayev shook his head, too. He walked down from the sponge mat, thinking about the adjustments he had to make.

Pat Riley was the next to complete his first jump.

Pat Riley had chosen to pass the height of 5.98 meters. Maybe he was confident in himself. Maybe he choice was about tactics, or maybe he was just bluffing. Regardless of the reasons he might have, after Muller cleared this height, Pat Riley had to jump as the defending champion.

He had chosen to pass the previous height and this action gave him a disadvantage at this height. As a pole vaulter, his every jump was a self-adjustment. In such a program requiring the repetition of movements, the more adjustments one made, the more possibilities he had to win.

Now, it was like a game where you had to guess the right number. You said a number and were told that your number was bigger than the right one. So, you could say a smaller number when you guessed again. When you were told your number was smaller than the right one, you could try a bigger number. Keep tryin and you could eventually say the right number.

Such a method of trial-and-error also worked for a pole vaulter. If you didn't utilize the strength of your waist enough, then use your waist more the next time. If you didn't raise your legs high enough, then raise them higher the next time. It's impossible for a jumper to jump for endless times at one height, but such adjustments would help you gain a higher fault tolerance in competition.

From this perspective, Pat Riley's pass at the former height had lost him an opportunity for the self-adjustment.

What's more, both Muller and Kurayev had cleared 5.98 meters. For them, 6.03 meters was only 5 centimeters more than 5.98 meters. Pat Riley hadn't cleared 5.98 meters. For him, the height of 6.03 meters was 10 meters more than the previous height he cleared.

In pole vaulting, the bigger the increase in height each time was, the more difficult the jump would be.

Pat Riley held fast to his pole and took a deep breath. Then, he started his first jump at the height of 6.03 meters.

"Alas!" sighed the whole audience disappointedly. Pat Riley failed, too. It was obvious that he didn't manage to control the height of his jump. His take-off showed that he would never clear the height of 6.03 meters.

"Giving up the height of 5.98 meters seems to have been the end of Pat Riley!" Dai Li said.

Dai Li was watching this pivotal moment with a sense of security. Muller had already cleared the height of 6.03 meters. In fact, Dai Li hoped that both Pat Riley and Kurayev couldn't clear the height and then America would get a gold medal easily.

This situation was complicated. The two world champions who were in favor to win didn't clear 6.03 meters, but the young jumper from America with no fame, experience, or achievements had the best score.

Then, Kurayev started his second jump.

Kurayev already knew the reason for his first failure. After adjustments, he corrected the mistakes in his first jump and he jumped over 6.03 meters successfully.

Pat Riley was then burdened. As the defending champion of this program, he was before considered the one who was most likely to win, but he was at the moment the only one of the top three who didn't clear 6.03 meters.

He stood on the field with a cloudy face. It was his second jump, but it was also a jump to determine his fate. Failing twice usually meant that the third jump wouldn't succeed. He was at the moment the only one left who had yet to pass this height. He had to jump for the third time immediately if he failed in his second try.

Pat Riley hoped he could succeed, but he was unlucky. He failed again in his second jump.

The defending champion was in a hopeless situation!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 523: Clearing the Bar

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Now, the bar was 6.03 meters high and Pat Riley only had one more chance. If he failed this time, he would be knocked out and only win the bronze medal.

Even he succeeded jumping over this height, he had to face the two competitors in the next round.

At this time, Pat Riley regretted that he passing at 5.98 meters. He was so arrogant that he lost the chance of adjusting himself.

In fact, the 6.03 meters were not insurmountable. He could jump that height in his daily training and he had also achieved the height in real competitions. However, when going directly from 5.93 meters to 6.03 meters, Pat Riley couldn't get used to it immediately. His first two attempts failed, leaving him in a desperate situation.

All of the audience was watching at Pat Riley. As the last Olympic champion of men's pole vault, he was considered the favorite to win before the competition, but now he may be the first to be eliminated.

"Can Pat Riley jump over 6.03 meters high?"

"I think it's too hard. After all, he's failed twice. I don't think it possible to succeed a third time."

"According to the statistics given before the game, he once jumped even higher than this. I think he still has a chance."

The audience clapped their hands in a rhythmic manner, like the drumbeat before a gladiator's battle, a unique way of cheering for the pole vault. They were expecting that the defending champion could successfully jump this height and then continue to give them a good show.

At this moment, however, the camera was on the referee. He was holding a microphone to announce a message.

Pat Riley had chose to pass on the height!

He wanted to skip the height 6.03 meters and directly challenge the 6.08 meters.

According the rules, the athlete could request not to jump after the failure of the first and second attempts at a certain height, but the number of times to continue the attempt at the subsequent height can only be the number of times remaining after the failure of the previous height. Pat Riley had made two attempts at 6.03 meters high. Therefore, even as he chose to pass the height, he only had one attempt in the next height.

To be or not to be, this is his last chance."Pat Riley chose the way with the highest risk-reward ratio," said Downey, the team leader of the United States.

"Or maybe Pat Riley had no confidence." Dai Li proposed another possibility.

Pat Riley had failed twice at height 6.03 meters, and even he had succeeded at the third jump, he would have had to compete with the other two competitors. If he failed in the last attempt, he would win a bronze medal and say farewell to this Olympic Games.

Now, he had chosen to pass the height and go directly to the next height. At least he was on the same starting line as the other opponents. Although he only had one chance, he would be the champion if he succeeded and the other two competitors failed. If both he and his opponents succeeded, he also entered the repechage group, and if he failed, he still won the bronze medal.

From this point of view, since he could win a bronze medal, he still had a shot. If he was lucky enough, he may even win a gold medal. If not, he still had nothing to lose. He at least could win the bronze medal.The height rose another 5 centimeters reaching 6.08 meters, which was really close to the world record 6.16m. This was really a world-class competition.

Muller looked serious. 6.08 meters was his highest height in his training. Now in real competition, the final of Olympic Games, Muller seemed to be lacking confidence.

Muller's first attempt failed as expected.

In fact, few athletes had the strength to challenge the height at all. Naturally, the ability to challenge it didn't mean that he could succeed. The person who had the highest likelihood of success must have been the Russian athlete Kurayev. Two years ago, in the World Championship, Kurayev showed the world that he was the best athlete today both in terms strength and mentality.

However, it was 6.08m now, which had not appeared in any Olympic Games before. It was really a difficult challenge!

Faced with this height, Kurayev's first attempt also failed.

Then it was Pat Riley's turn, his last chance.

Holding the pole tightly, Pat Riley looked straight ahead, took a deep breath and started to accelerate. He began to take his last try.

The long pole hooked on the ground, Pat Riley jumped up high, dangling, swinging, raising his legs, pulling up, a series of smooth movements.

At this moment, even Pat Riley could see the hope of winning.

Unfortunately, he didn't do well in holding his belly in. His body touched the bar as he was crossing it.

Pat Riley fell on the spongy mat. Hearing the sound of the bar falling hitting the ground, he couldn't have been upset. As the last champion of men's pole vault, it was the end of this Olympic Games."Pat Riley failed! He is knocked out! I didn't think Pat Riley would be the first one to be knocked out!"

"I thought it would be the young American athlete. I didn't expect it to be Pat Riley,or that that young American could make it this far."

"I think that American athlete will be knocked out very soon. It is 6.08m high. I don't think anyone can make it except for Kurayev."

People began to discuss the game. The competition was nearing its end and there were only two athletes on the field, both of whom had two attempts. For both of them, one attempt may determine the final winner.

Standing on the field, Muller was very nervous. Before today, he had not participated in any competition outside the United States. Now, he not only stood at the final of the Olympic Games, but he also had to face Kurayev in the final competition. He was definitely nervous.

Dai Li also felt the change of Muller's mood.

For Muller, 6.08m high is an extremely hard challenge. After hesitating for a moment, Dai Li moved the weight to the other side of the state scale at last.

Before this, the state scale was on the extremely stable side and Muller's performance was so stable that he had reached 6.08m high. However, it was not enough for Muller to jump over this height. Therefore, Dai Li decided to take a risky bet. Maybe Muller would be lucky enough to jump over the height 6.08m.

Muller began to accelerate in rhyme. With the long pole stuck into the ground, he jumped high.

"Oh, no!" Dai Li felt something was wrong immediately.

As soon as Muller was in the air, Dai Li knew he wasn't going to clear this jump. Muller was going to fail this attempt.

Obviously, this was not what Dai Li wanted.

With the second attempt failed, Muller had only one chance left. The situation was not looking good for him.

Then Kurayev began his attempt.

Muller's failure surely relieved Kurayev's pressure. Now, he had one more chance than Muller and the situation was more favorable.

Besides, Kurayev was confident that he could jump over 6.08m high.

He stood on the starting area now, but he didn't jump immediately. Instead, he kept adjusting they way he held the pole as well as adjusting his mental state.

Then he began to murmur, as if he was praying to remind himself some key strategy.

At this time, the audience started to clap for Kurayev in rhythm. The applause was getting faster and faster. Any athlete who heard this kind of applause would feel his blood boiling.

Finally, Kurayev started to run and then jump. His body moved smoothly and he crossed the bar.

The bar was slightly shaking. Maybe his body touched the bar or it was caused by the wind.

Kurayev raised his head as soon as he fell on the mat. The bar was still there firmly.

"Yes! Yes!" Kurayev roared with excitement.

"He made it! 6.08m high, Kurayev made it!" The commentator also shouted with excitement.

Cheers erupted from the audience as the large screen played back Kurayev's attempt. In slow motion, Kurayev's body in the air was literally attached to the bar. If Kurayev had been a centimeter off, the bar would have been knocked down.

"Whoa…" The cheers turned to exclamations. The tiniest things causing great results was part of the charm of sports.Since Kurayev cleared the height of 6.08m, the situation was not favorable for Muller. No one would think it unreasonable if Kurayev started celebrating.

This was pole vault. If the athlete failed in the first two attempts, he was not likely to succeed in the third.

Now, Muller's situation was the same as Pat Riley's just a few moments ago. If he failed in his third attempt, he would lose the game. If he succeeded, he would enter the next height.

Muller could choose to pass on the height. He could use his last attempt and challenge the next height.

"How about we pass the height?" asked Dai Li.

Muller didn't answer him directly but, instead, said, "Coach, the next height is 6.13m. I have never jumped that high before. Even in my training, I have never tried that height."

"Franz, listen to me, if you fail at the height of 6.08m, you will lose the game and you only receive a silver medal. If you succeed, you would face the height of 6.13m anyway. So, why don't we avoid the possibility of failure in the third attempt and directly challenge 6.13m high? Kurayev cleared the height of 6.08m, and if you want to defeat him and win the gold medal, you must jump over 6.13m high!" said Dai Li.

"I have no confidence. I've never tried that height before," said Muller hesitantly.

"I believe in you!" Dai Li patted Muller on his shoulder. "You never attended the Olympic qualifiers, but I still ignored over all dissenting views and recruited you onto the national team. Do you know why? Because I believe in you! I believe you will be the dominate the men's pole vault for the next decade, and today is only your first step. All you need to do is have faith in yourself. Don't hesitate and don't be afraid. Today, 6.13m high is just a small challenge to you. In the future, you must be able to break the world record. Now, you only need to believe that you are the best!"A glow of excitement shown on Merkulov's face. He said, "That American guy chose to pass on the height! It looks like we can celebrate the victory ahead of time!"

"Yes, both of his two attempts were failed at height of 6.08m. How dare he try the height of 6.13m!" said the deputy head coach Igonagave.

"6.08m high is the new Olympic record now, 0.11m higher than before. I don't know whether Kurayev has the interest to rewrite the record again," said Merkulov.

Muller chose to pass on the height. Therefore, both of them had to challenge the height of 6.13m. However, Muller only had one attempt. If he failed, he had no scores both in the height of 6.08m and 6.13m. Since Kurayev had cleared the height of 6.08m, he would win the championship without attempting the height of 6.13m if Muller's attempt failed.

However, according to the rules, if Muller's attempt failed, Kurayev still had three attempts. He could continue to try the height of 6.13m and even higher levels if he wanted to.Then his challenge would not be about the gold medal but about the new Olympic Games record.

This was all assuming that Muller couldn't clear 6.13m.Muller had never tried this height in his training.

Dai Li also knew that if Muller wanted to clear that height, he must outdo himself. Just as Igonagave said, if he couldn't jump over 6.08m, how could he make 6.13.

Now, Dai Li only could pray that luck would come to him.

A perfect balance! He must have perfect balance! Dai Li prayed in his heart.

In fact, Dai Li knew that even Muller if had just the right balance, he still might not clear the height of 6.13m. Although Muller's talent level was S, he was too young. Besides, he had only been trained by Dai Li for one month. He was not yet the king of the pole vault.

"But maybe you will be crowned for the first time today!" murmured Dai Li.Looking ahead of him, Muller's face seemed extremely calm. Instead of feeling nervous, he felt excited and expectant.

Muller moved, he started to accelerate, and then he made a series of technical movements of pole vault. He had done that for numerous times. He could skillfully complete this movements even sleepwalking.

As Muller's body was rising in the air, the bar was coming closer and closer.

6.13m is really high! Suddenly, Muller had a strong will take over him. He must clear this jump!

The expectation turned into the faith to win as the excitement turned into the desire for victory. At this time, a kind of potential seemed to unlock in Muller's body. In the face of the desperate situation, he really exerted extraordinary strength.

Perhaps this was the special ability of a king!

Finally, Muller's hands were off the pole. He was like a dancer, performing his most elegant dance!

Perfect! Dai Li unclenched his fists. Although Muller's body had not crossed over the bar yet, Dai Li could see that Muller would make it!

A second later, Muller had successfully cleared the bar.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 524: Advance Triumphantly

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Muller successfully jumped over the bar and fell on the thick mat while the bar above remained stable.

"6.13m high. Franz Muller! He made it! He seized his only chance! He cleared the bar at 6.13m high!"

Muller stood up on the mat. First, he looked up to confirm that he had not knocked down the bar. When he confirmed his success, he immediately raised his hands and screamed. Although he hadn't won yet, he had jumped 6.13m high, which meant that he had gone farther than he thought was possible. At this moment, he really was a winner.

The audience was so excited. This was exactly the kind of nail-biting drama they had come to see.

"He succeeded! We succeeded!" The U.S. team leader Downey was so excited that he gave Dai Li a big hug. Downey thought Muller would fail just as Pat Riley had. To his surprise, Muller had made it.

The camera zoomed in on Riley's face. In this competition, both Muller and Pat Riley had been put in the same situation. They had both failed their first two attempts, passed on the height, and moved on to the next height. They both chose to use their last chance to challenge the height.

However, where Pat Riley had failed. Muller succeeded.

"Now Pat Riley is really in a bad mood. Maybe he will say he wasn't lucky enough," said the commentator in a jocular tone.

On the Russian team, the head coach Merkulov, the deputy head coach Igonagave, and the world champion Kurayev were all serious.

Before Muller had jumped, Kurayev had already been celebrating his victory. However, Muller's jump had been successful, which meant that Kurayev not only lost his gold medal but also had to challenge that same height.

Now, the situation was completely different. A minute ago, Kurayev had the advantage, but now the situation was not looking good for him. He had to successfully complete this jump to catch up to Muller.

6.13m was only 0.03m lower than the world record in men's pole vault. Even for the world champion Kurayev, it was an extreme challenge. Although he had the ability to clear that height, he wasn't positive he'd succeed. He needed to get lucky in order to succeed at that height.

Standing at the starting area, Kurayev grasped the long pole firmly and encouraged himself.

That American newbie could jump over that height. I, as the world champion, also must make it.

After thinking this, Kurayev started to run.

However, 6.13m was really high. After he jumped up, Kurayev realized that he had not jumped high enough to pass over the bar.

Failed. Kurayev got up from the mat. He shook his head ungratefully and then returned to the starting area.

Since Muller had already completed this jump, there was only one athlete left on the field. Kurayev didn't get a break before he had to jump again.

As an experienced athlete with the strength of a world champion, Kurayev knew the problem with his first attempt and he also knew where he needed to make some improvements. He murmured to himself in order to remember when he needed to do.

Kurayev took a moment before he started his second attempt. He tried to restore his strength as much as possible and he wanted to give himself more time to prepare.

According to the rules, when there were less than three athletes, the time of preparation could be extended to three minutes. Therefore, Kurayev started his second attempt three minutes later.

However, this jump was very difficult. If he wanted to clear this height, he must combine his strength and his skill. He had to be very lucky as well.

Kurayev was unlucky, however, and he failed again this time.

A second failure was really a deadly strike to Kurayev. Now, he was in the same situation as Muller and Pat Riley had been. He only had one chance now and, if he failed this time, he lost the gold medal. If he succeeded, he didn't win. He had to continue to compete with Muller at the next height.

Kurayev was now also facing a choice on whether to pass on this height.

In pole vaulting, the athlete could choose to pass on the height after two failed attempts and attempt the next height, which was a choice of maximizing returns. Even if he succeeded in his third attempt, the athlete also needed to challenge the next height. However, if he chose to pass at that height, he could come to the next height and stand at the same level as the rest competitors.The Russian coaching team was having a heated debate.

"We should pass on the height. Once you fail twice it is the best option. Both Pat Riley and that American Muller did so. I think we have no other choice," said one Russian coach.

However, another coach shook his head, "I don't think passing on the height is a good idea. You should remember that the height for Pat Riley after passing was 6.08m and the height for Muller was 6.13m. However, if we choose to pass on this height, the next height is 6.18m. The world record is only 6.16m now, which means that Kurayev needs to create a new world record. That's really difficult, no different from giving up."

"But if Kurayev cleared the height of 6.13m, he'd still have to jump 6.18m high. Therefore, we can't avoid confronting the world record," said the first coach.

"So, do you think that American guy can jump over 6.18m? That's a new world record. I don't think he can make that. Therefore, we only need to jump over 6.13m. When the height comes to 6.18m, if both Kurayev and that American guy can't jump over it, the height of the bar will be lowered. Then, it will be more favorable for Kurayev!"

According to the rules, if all the competitors failed their three attempts at a certain height, then there would be a tie-breaker. The bar would be lowered and the competitors would begin their attempts again.

Under the rules, if Kurayev jumped over 6.13m, the next height was 6.18m, which exceeded the world record. If Kurayev couldn't make it, young Muller couldn't jump over it either. Under this condition, the bar would be lowered. With more experience and more strength, Kurayev would have an advantage over Muller after the bar was lowered.

If Kurayev chose to pass on the height, he would have to face 6.18m height with only one chance. If he failed, he would lose the game. Faced with a height exceeding the world record, nobody would be confident.

After a long discussion, they all looked at the head coach Merkulov, hoping that he could decide.

Merkulov shook his head and said, " Let Kurayev make the choice himself."The referee asked Kurayev whether or not he was going to pass.

Moments later, Kurayev was back on the field, and the height of the bar remained the same.

Kurayev had chosen not to pass on the height. He wanted to try 6.13m again.

Kurayev doesn't seem confident enough to attempt to break the record. Dai Li became a little more relaxed.

"I think Kurayev made a wise choice." Looking at the field nervously, Downey told the coach his opinion. "6.18m would exceed the world record and nobody will make it. Under the condition that neither Muller nor Kurayev can jump over that height, the bar will be lowered. That's going to benefit Kurayev."

"However, all that depends on Kurayev successfully jumping over 6.13m on his third attempt," said Dai Li disdainfully. "Kurayev is a world champion, a top athlete of men's pole vault, so his target should not be the height of 6.13m, but the world record. Today, he quit his chance of confronting the world record. The moment he chose to try his third attempt, he lost the game and lost his confidence. He doesn't have the heart to pursue the championship!"Standing on the starting area, Kurayev rotated the pole to make sure it didn't slide.

The next height is 6.18m and it exceeds the world record. I can't jump over that height and Muller also can't make it. The height will be lowered and I will need to compete with Muller again!

Kurayev took a deep breath and began to run. He started to run and accelerate. While the long pole stuck into the ground, Kurayev's body was above the bar. Then he began to cross the bar.

"He crossed it!" the audience shouted with exclamation.

"I made it!" Kurayev wanted to celebrate even as he was falling to the ground.

However, the bar fell to the ground.

Kurayev had touched the bar and failed.

"Gosh!" The audience groaned and they felt sorry for Kurayev.

However, the cameras didn't focus on Kurayev. All the photographers gave all their attention to Muller.

Young Franz Muller won the championship even though this was his first world-class competition!

The newbie athlete had become the king of pole vaulting.In an American bar, people began to exult. A rich man wanted to buy everyone a drink.

"Yes, we won! Franz Muller, good job!"

"Franz Muller was the guy who was recruited to the national team without attending the qualification trial. I remember that someone even doubted the fairness of him joining the team. In my view, we couldn't have won the gold medal if we had the people from the pole vaulting qualifiers on the team."

"Let alone the gold medal. I didn't think we'd win any medal!"

"Who cares about the fairness of it all. We want the championship, the gold medal! We are watching the Olympic Games here and hoping our nation can get more gold medals!"The awards ceremony was over and Downey was excited as he looked at the stars and stripes above.

"We got one gold medal, one silver medal and one bronze medal today!" said Downey.

"No, you are wrong," Dai Li shook his head. "This is not the end of the day's competition! We'll gain more."

The first round of women's 100m dash was on at the same time the men's pole vaulting was. This was just the first round of women's 100m, so the audience paid more attention to the finals in men's pole vaulting. Therefore, few people cared about the first-round competition of women's 100m dash, even the broadcasters ignored it.

The American team had a high likelihood of winning this event. The American team was also strong in the 400-meter hurdle and the 400-meter dash. Normally, it was common that three American athletes entered the final of 400-meter hurdles.

Then came the final of men's 800-meter event, the fourth gold medal of the day.

As the defending champion of this event, Kenya had three athletes in the final and America had two. This event was basically the competition between Kenya and America.

Kenyans were indeed better at medium and long-distance running. The Kenyan athlete won the championship by a slim margin of 0.8 seconds. One American athlete won the silver medal and another Kenyan athlete won the bronze medal.

After the men's 800-meter event, there came the final in women's 400-meter dash. This was the last competition of the day.

The American team was also unstoppable at 400-meter event, with three athletes entering the final. The Jamaican team also improved a lot in recent years with two athletes entering the final this year. However, they couldn't threaten American team at all.

At last, the American team won the gold and silver, while the bronze medal was won by the Jamaica team.

The fourth day of the Olympic track and field competition ended there. In the six finals, the American team won two gold medals, three silver medals and one bronze medal. It was still going well.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 525: Triumph Belongs to the Brave

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was the fifth day of the Olympic track and field competitions. The track and field events being held were the women's pole vaulting qualification round and the first round of the women's 5000 meters. The next event was the final in the men's triple jump.

The US team was favored to win the gold medal in men's triple jump and they had two athletes participating.

Europeans were also quite good at the men's triple jump. In the past three decades, Europeans had gotten excellent results in this event. However, several of Europe's traditional triple jump powers failed to perform well in this Olympics and no European teams made the final.

On the contrary, players from Mexico, Colombia, Cuba, Guyana and other countries in the Central and South America advanced. On top of that, three athletes from the Chinese team advanced to the final. The Chinese team therefore had one more athlete than the American team.

Jinrong Hu, the coach of the Chinese team in charge of the long jump, was an acquaintance of Dai Li. When Dai Li had graduated from college, he had entered into the Hanbei Province Sports Bureau and worked as a choreman in the Beikou Base. At that time, Jinrong Hu also worked at Beikou Base, so Dai Li had the chance to get acquainted with him. After Dai Li trained Haiquan Fang, Jinrong Hu personally took Haiquan Fang away from the base. When Dai Li went to the national team for further learning, he also worked with Jinrong Hu. He worked with him during the Asian Games.

Many years had passed. Jinrong Hu was still the coach of the national team that was in charge of the long jump. Although he was more experienced and qualified, he didn't officially get promoted.

However, Dai Li, who had worked in the Beikou Training Base as a choreman at that time, had become the head coach of the U.S. national team.

At this point, the game was about to start. Dai Li and Jinrong Hu stood together and they had a friendly talk.

"Coach Li, the US national team is determined to win the gold medal in the men's triple jump, right? Dorries was the defending champion of the men's triple jump, so there is no doubt that he will win this gold medal," Jinrong Hu said with a smile.

"Maybe, we still have four Chinese athletes that advanced to the final," Dai Li still used "we", which made Jinrong Hu feel comfortable with him.

Jinrong Hu was comfortable with the word Dai Li had used – "we." He felt that although Dai Li had become the coach of the US team, he was still modest and didn't regard himself as an outsider.

"Oh, it's just a fluke. You certainly knew the ability of our athletes. They lack both ability and experience. They are good in Asia, but they were not qualified to be in the Olympic final," said Jinrong Hu.

"Coach Hu, I don't believe you don't want your athletes to win the championship," Dai Li said, smiling. "The soldier who does not want to be a general is not a good soldier!"

Jinrong Hu didn't deny what Dai Li said, but he knew that it was almost impossible for them to defeat the U.S. team and win the gold medal. He changed the topic and said, "Anyway, Coach Li, it couldn't have been easy to achieve what you have these past few years, right? When did you go to the U.S.?"

Dai Li began to tell his experience, "When I left our track and field team and returned to the provincial team, I met Zhizhong Gu by chance. At that time, Zhizhong Gu was the coach of the national table tennis team, so he recruited me to be the physical coach for the team. You must have heard about what happened to the national table tennis team later."

"Zhizhong Gu was demoted, and you were also affected, right?" Jinrong Hu had been on the national team for several years, so he had a clear idea of the regulations of the national team. Therefore, Jinrong Hu could guess what would happen to Dai Li after Zhizhong Gu was demoted.

"I was transferred to some committee for applying for the intangible cultural heritage status for a sort of free-hand boxing. I can't even remember the official name for free-hand boxing now! I was promoted in terms of ranking, but the new job was actually a position with little work. I am a coach and I don't know anything about an intangible cultural heritage application. So I quit," Dai Li said.

"So you went to the U.S.?" asked Jinrong Hu.

"I didn't have enough money to go to the U.S. at that time! So I went to the Dingtian Football Club and followed Harman for a year as a fitness coach," said Dai Li.

"Dingtian offered a good salary, right? I heard that Dingtian group was very rich; they spent a lot money on football," Jinrong Hu said.

"Dingtian indeed offers a pretty good salary. I wouldn't have had enough money to open a training center in the U.S. without them," Dai Li said. "I worked at Dingtian Club for a year, during which I saved some money. Then I went to the U.S., rented a place, and opened a physical training center. In the beginning, nobody came to my training center. To save on the rent, I had to train some disabled athletes for free. I was lucky enough to meet Philips, namely, the blade runner."

Dai Li gave a brief summary of what happened after that. He mentioned helping Taylor comeback, helping Holly overcome a tragedy, and helping Alexander, Ford, and Aylwin with their training. By the time the performance-enhancing drugs scandal broke, the U.S. team had no available coaches, so Dai Li was appointed head coach of the U.S. National Track and Field Team in a time of crisis.

Dai Li go to in depth into his story; he skipped over many details. For Jinrong Hu, Dai Li's experience over the years was full of ups and downs.

"Oh my god, it sounds like a Hollywood blockbuster to me! Your experience is enough for you to make a two-part autobiography now!" Hu sighed.

When Dai Li and Jinrong Hu were talking to each other, a young Chinese woman came over with a press card hanging around her neck. There was a national flag design on her press card, to make it obvious that she was a reporter from China.

"Coach Hu!" The female reporter greeted Jinrong Hu in a sweet voice, but his eyes were fixed on Dai Li.

"It's Miss Liu!" It was apparent that Coach Hu knew the female reporter.

"Is this Coach Li?" Obviously, Dai Li was the real target of the reporter.

Jinrong Hu knew that she had just came over to talk to Dai Li, so he did Dai Li a favor and introduced them. "Coach Li, let me introduce Miss Ran Liu, a reporter sent by CCTV to cover the Olympics."

"Hello, Miss Liu," Dai Li nodded politely.

"Coach Li, I have heard so much about you. I feel so lucky to finally be able to meet you." The female reporter shook hands with Dai Li, who was smiling warmly.

The three were chatting casually when Ran Liu asked, "Coach Li, do you have time for an interview?"

"Well I don't want this to have been a complete waste of time for you." Dai Li thought for a while, then he smiled and nodded. "No problem, but I'm busy with my work at the moment. You can tell my assistant that I have agreed to an interview, he will arrange a time for you."The final of the men's triple jump finally began. One of the two athletes on the U.S. team was Dorries, the champion in the last Olympics. Their goal was to win the gold medal again.

With the aid of the state scale, Dorries had an excellent performance in the third trial jump. His final score was 17.96 meters. Athletes from other countries lost almost all of their motivation.

The world record for the men's triple jump was 18.29 meters and the Olympic record was 18.09 meters. At present, it was almost impossible for athletes to challenge the two records. Dorries' score could rank in the top 10 showings ever, and 17.96 meters was enough to determine the outcome of the competition ahead of time.

Another American athlete also performed well in the fifth trial jump. His final score was 17.75 meters. He was ranked second, securing for him the silver medal. The Chinese athletes were respectively the third and the fourth, winning a bronze medal for the Chinese team.

The two events that followed were the men's 1,500m preliminary round and the first round of women's 100m hurdles. The two American athletes both did well in the men's 1,500m preliminary, so they each made it to the final. The U.S. was traditionally good at the women's 100m hurdles, so the first round was stress-free for them.

These events were followed by the women's discus final. Dai Li did not pay attention to it, because no one on the US team could make it to the final.

The men's 200m race was held at the same time. All three of the American athletes made it to the final, and Macnee, Jamaica's No.1 sprinter, made his second appearance.

The morning races were over and the next races would not be held until the evening.Neither the U.S. men's basketball team nor the U.S. National Track and Field Team stayed in the Olympic village.

The village was too simple and crude for American athletes. What's more, the U.S. Track and Field Association could raise hundreds of millions of dollars from several major sponsors a year, so it was not too crazy for them to book a hotel.

Franz Muller's race was over but, instead of going out to enjoy Rio's nightlife, he stayed in the hotel.

Of course, it was not because Muller wasn't interested in going out, all the young people were, but Muller had no money.

He was still a college student and, although the full scholarship guaranteed him a comfortable life, it wasn't be enough for him to constantly spend money.

Rio de Janeiro was not a cheap city. It was more expensive than Las Vegas. In Rio de Janeiro, as long as you had enough money, you could enjoy everything you could enjoy in Las Vegas. In addition, you could also enjoy what you couldn't enjoy in Las Vegas.

Everything was also more expensive during the Olympics. What's more, Muller was an American. In the eyes of Brazilians, Americans are wealthy, so they took advantage of this Olympics to make money from Americans. Therefore, Muller's scholarship was unlikely to support him to indulge in extravagant pleasure-seeking entertainment.

Sure, he could get his way even with no money. Muller was quite handsome. With his good-looking face and perfect figure, which is typical for Germans, he could easily get the attention of many enthusiastic Brazilian girls. Even if he didn't want to go out, he could wander around the Olympic village. What's more, he was now an Olympic champion. There were probably a bunch of female athletes who wanted to make out with him.

Muller was handsome enough that he could afford to be picky about the people he slept with. Handsome guys seemed to always be the pickiest.

Sitting alone in the hotel room after lunch, Muller hung out and appreciated his gold medal.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang and Muller dropped his gold medal. Through the peephole, he saw his teammate, Wyon Leonard.

Wyon Leonard was a high jumper. His event, the men's high jump final, was the first of the evening.

The high jump and the pole vault were two different events. Leonard was far more famous and qualified than Muller. At the Olympics four years ago, Leonard and two other competitors won the Olympic bronze medal at the same time.

In track and field events it is possible for multiple athletes to win the silver medal or bronze medal at the same time. Especially in the high jump, where it was usually impossible for all athletes to clear the bar when it is raised passed a certain height. Therefore, there are always multiple athletes that win the silver medal and the bronze medal in the high jump.

Muller immediately opened the door, invited Leonard to come in, and said, "Wyon, your high jump final will be held is tonight, why aren't you getting ready?"

"I needed to ask you some questions." Leonard walked into Muller's room, sat down on the sofa, and then said, "I want to know how you defeated Pat Riley and Kurayev yesterday. What's your trick?"

"Trick?" Muller frowned and didn't know how to answer.

"Or how did you do that well? As far as I know, you've never jumped over 6.13m, even in practice, but you did it yesterday. If you have any trick, I would like to know it," Leonard said earnestly. "I really want to win tonight but I have a lot of tough competition."

Although Leonard was the second runner-up in the last Olympics, he was not the strongest physically. The Russian Geedako, who won the men's jump high at the last Olympics, also won the gold medal at the World Championship two years ago. He was regarded as the king of men's high jump the past four years.

Another Ukrainian athlete Doogallov, known as the "prince of jump high", did not participate in the Olympics four years ago and the World Championship two years ago due to an injury. He came back to participate in this Olympics and he was definitely in a position to challenge Geedako.

Leonard was not as skilled as Geedako and Doogallov, but he wasn't to far behind them. In addition, Franz Muller, who took part in an international competition for the first time, had won the championship of men's pole vault while up against people more skilled than him. Leonard saw the hope for himself.

For Leonard, it was unbelievable that Muller had won a gold medal in his first Olympics. Leonard felt that he was an experienced veteran, and he had won the bronze medal at the Olympics before. He felt that if Muller could win a gold medal, so could he.

That is why Leonard had come to Muller's room; he hoped to learn something useful from Muller.

Muller hesitated before saying, "Actually, I don't have any trick. I was just thinking that I had to clear the bar and then I did it. You know that it is very hard to control your performance on the field."

Leonard looked disappointed because he didn't get the answer he wanted.

"In fact, I think you should go to someone else instead of me. There might be only one person who can help you," Muller added.

"Who?" Leonard asked eagerly.

"Coach Li!" Muller answered confidently. "Coach Li can create miracles and only he can help you with this problem."Leonard followed Muller's advice and went to Dai Li for advice.

When Leonard explained what he had come for, Dai Li found it both funny and annoying.

"Wyon, your event is tonight. Don't you think it's too late? I am not in a position to create an Olympic champion in an afternoon," Dai Li laughed.

Leonard felt a little bit embarrassed, so he bowed his head subconsciously.

"Well, I'm not kidding." Dai Li leaned back calmly on the sofa. "I can't help you physically improve in an afternoon. However, you don't need to. Let's talk about something else."

Leonard immediately became serious and ready to listen. Dai Li picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, and asked, "Did you watch the pole vault final yesterday?"

"Yes, I did, Muller performed brilliantly." Leonard nodded.

"Before the race, did you think that it was possible Muller could win?" Dai Li asked.

"Of course not," Leonard said as he shook his head without hesitation. "I thought either Pat Riley or Kurayev would win."

"Then who do you think is stronger, Kurayev or Muller?" Dai Li continued to ask.

Leonard thought for a moment and then replied, "Before yesterday, I would have said Kurayev is stronger than Muller. But now, I think Muller and Kurayev are on the same level. Muller is younger, so I think Muller will surpass Kurayev. It's just a matter of time."

"Then do you know why Kurayev lost?" Dai Li asked.

After thinking for a while, Leonard answered, "In my opinion, Kurayev didn't perform as well as Muller. If he had performed better, he would have been able to clear 6.13 meters."

"No. Actually, after two failed attempts at 6.13 meters, Kurayev didn't choose to go directly to the 6.18 meter jump. That was when he lost," Dai Li said.

"6.18 meters was higher than the world record for men's pole vault, right? Kurayev was unlikely to clear it," said Leonard.

"Kurayev must had the same idea. It's true that 6.18 meters would've been tough to reach, but if you don't believe in yourself and you don't have the courage to try, then you are doomed to fail." Dai Li picked up his teacup, took a sip of tea and continued.

"His tactical intention was simple. He wanted to clear 6.13 meters. Both he and Muller would fail to make the attempt at the height of 6.18 meters. So next, the height would be lowered, and he would have an edge over Muller. That is to say, he gave himself leeway.

"Muller, after two failed attempts at 6.08 meters, chose to pass. He used his last chance to challenge 6.13 meters, which he had never tried in practice sessions. He made a choice to be brave. That's the difference between the two of them.

"Let me tell you a story. It happened in China. There was a famous battle. The first emperor of our country built a great dynasty and, after his death, many people stood up to his dynasty. A general who guided the army composed of 50,000 farmers defeated a regular army of 400,000 soldiers. Guess how he did it?"

Leonard thought for a moment and said, "He must have used some tricks, right? I know that the ancient Chinese generals liked to use fire and water in battles. That general might have burned his opponents with fire or used water to drown them."

"You know a lot about ancient Chinese tactics but, unfortunately, you guessed wrong." Dai Li shook his head.

"They must've be in a strong castle, like the medieval castles in Europe. A castle with a few dozen people in it can withstand the attack of a thousand. I think if the general had a big castle, he would win," Leonard said.

"Wrong again," Dai Li shook his head, and then he told Leonard the answer. "The general didn't choose to defend, but to attack with his army. He led his irregular troops and crossed the river and they sank all their boats to the bottom of the river. The general told his troops that they had no way to retreat, so they had to move forward. In addition, he broke all their pots. Then, he told his troops that if they could not defeat the enemy, they would have nothing to eat and all of them would starve to death. The general wanted his 50,000 soldiers to know that if they wanted to survive, they must move forward and attack the enemy. Only by defeating 400,000 could they eat again.

"Then, just as the general expected, his troops kept attacked their enemies until they finally defeated every last one. When an army is confronted with a desperate situation, they can unleash tremendous power, even though if they are just farmers."

Dai Li took a deep breath and continued. "I'm telling you this tso that you know to never cower, even if your opponent seems more powerful. You have to constantly remind yourself that you are in a desperate situation, you have no way to retreat, you can only go forward and keep fighting! You have to remember that triumph belongs to the brave."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 526: The Desire for Showing off and Stability

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

There were 15 athletes participating in the Olympic men's high jump final. There were three extra athletes because four athletes had tied for 12th place in the qualification round. They couldn't clear the next height, so all of them were allowed to participate in the high jump final.

This had no impact on the final result. There would be only one champion, one runner-up, and one second runner-up. These low-ranking athletes were unable to compete for the medals.

The initial height was 2.20 meters, a height at which no one failed. The next height was 2.25 meters and two athletes were eliminated. The third was 2.29 meters and three athletes were eliminated. The fourth height was 2.33 meters, and only six athletes made it

One of the differences between pole vaulting and high jumping was that in pole vaulting the height was almost always increased by five centimeters between rounds. In the high jump, the athlete may choose to increase the height by more than five centimeters. It could be five centimeters or ten centimeters. However, as the race went on, the height increased less and less. Basically, the referee had to get the race to end between five to eight attempts.

The bar was raised by three centimeters and the height was 2.36 meters this time.

This height was a challenge for Leonard, who failed to clear it at the last Olympics, which had put him in third place.

Now, facing this height again, Leonard remembered the story of the ancient Chinese general that Dai Li had told him. The saying "triumph belongs to the brave" kept flashing through his mind.

This was Leonard's first attempt at 2.36 meters, but for some reason he felt like it was his only shot.

Leonard started his take-off.

"Perfect!" When Leonard jumped over the bar, Dai Li couldn't help but notice that it was a perfect trial jump.

I did it the first time! Leonard got up from the pit and was very excited. He had finally succeeded in clearing this height

The Coach Li's lesson was indeed very effective. When confronted with difficulty, do not cower. Keep fighting and you will succeed! Leonard thought it had been this lesson that had helped him so much. However, he had actually done so well because Dai Li had used the state scale on him .

2.36 meters was challenging for many athletes. When athletes' attempt at 2.36 meters were over, there were only 3 athletes left. Besides Leonard, there was the champion of the last Olympics, Geddako, and Doogallov, the "prince of high jump," from the Ukraine.

Geddako also cleared 2.36 meters the first time, but Doogallov chose to pass the height.

Today, Doogallov was very confident. He had chosen to pass 2.20 meters, and then had cleared 2.25 meters. He had then chosen to pass 2.29 meters, and cleared 2.33 meters. This was the third time passing. He would challenge the third height directly and, if he failed in all three attempts, his final score would be 2.33 meters.

The bar was raised 2 centimeters this time and the height was 2.38 meters. The best height in men's high jump this year was 2.37 meters so, if someone who cleared 2.38 meters, he would have the best score this year.

Leonard stood on the field and began to feel hypnotized by Dai Li's teachings again.

Leonard had succeeded in clearing 2.38 meters in competition only once before. Therefore, he couldn't make any mistakes in this next attempt, He had to do well on his third attempt, only in this way could he clear 2.38 meters.

He started his approach run, accelerated and jumped, and, with a series of twists, Leonard's upper body managed to clear the bar.

"He got help from the state scale again!" Dai Li knew it from Leonard's take-off.

However, getting lucky with the state scale did not ensure success. 2.38 meters is too difficult for some of world's top jumpers to clear.

Although Leonard's upper body had jumped over the bar, his heel touched the bar.

"What bad luck!" Dai Li said to himself. Leonard was also aware of it. He became saddened while he was still in the air.

On the screen, the audiences saw Leonard touch the bar and they cried out.

However, the bar just wobbled a little, and then stood still.

Leonard had touched the bar, it hadn't fallen.

According to the rules of the high jump, a jump is failed when the bar is dislodged from the rack. That is to say, a jump is successful as long as the bar doesn't fall, even if the athlete touches it.

Yet the bar is very easily dislodged. The bar bracket only supports the bar. It does not secure it. Even the slightest touch to the bar would dislodge it. Furthermore, the bracket is on the side of the mat, so there really is barely any support for the bar. If the jumper touches the bar, the force he inflicts on it would almost definitely push the bar off the bracket. That's why the bar wass so easily dislodged.

"How lucky Leonard was!" Dai Li sighed.

Touching the bar without knocking it down was 100% a result of good luck. It could only be said that the laws of physics had been on his side.

On top of that, the state scale had helped Leonard out twice. It seemed that Leonard had been touched by Lady Luck.

Leonard was so scared when he touched the bar, especially when the bar was wobbling. That second seemed as long as a century.

The bar didn't fall! Leonard looked at the referee immediately and the referee hesitated. The referee didn't raise the white flag until he was sure the bar had not fallen.

"I made it!" Leonard had just gotten up from the mat, but he quickly fell down on his knees in excitement. He waved his fists to express the excitement in his heart.

On the side of the field, Geddako, the defending champion from Russia, and Doogallov, the "prince of high jump" from Ukraine, looked at Leonard, saddened.Doogallov stood on the field.

He had chosen to pass the 2.36 meter jump, which told everyone that he was very confident in his strength. It seemed that he wanted to tell the audience that 2.38 meters may be a challenge for some, but it was very easy for him.

Doogallov became famous in his youth, which is when his nickname, the "prince of high jump," had became known. When Doogallov was young, he had won almost all the championships of the youth competitions. When he was an adult, he became the champion of various events.

God seemed to like to play the trick on this "prince of high jump." Although he had won the championship in various track and field events, he had never had the chance to win a medal in the Olympic Games.

The first time Doogallov participated in the Olympics, he had come down with the flu before the final, which greatly affected his physical condition and performance. He had still gotten fourth place, which wass just one step away from the medal.

Four years later, Doogallov was selected for the Ukrainian national team, but he was injured in a warm-up, so he missed the Olympic Games and the World Championship two years later.

Now, it was the third time for Doogallov was participating in the Olympics. The "prince of high jump" was no longer young, but his desire for the Olympic gold medal was stronger than ever.

In today's competition, he showed his pride and confidence.

He chose to pass two out of the first four heights. When he had passed the 2.36 meter jump people became suspicious of him showing off.

However, people believed that the most pretentious will get struck by the lightning. Doogallov might not have been struck by the lightning, but he would pay his price for showing off. His first attempt at 2.38 meters failed.

Doogallov got up from the mat, stepped off it, and shook his head as he walked. It was clear that he was unsatisfied with his jump,or that he had failed to show off.

Next up was the last Olympic champion, Geddako.

In the Olympic Games four years ago, Geddako's score was 2.38m. Four years later, he had to face this height again. If he got the same score as he did four years ago, he couldn't defend his championship.

However, Geddako was quite confident he could clear this height.

Amid the applause and cheers from the audience, Geddako began his first attempt.

However, Geddako's first attempt failed.

Geddako stepped off the sponge mat and his expression was nonchalant. It seemed that he was not affected by this slip-up. For Geddako, it was just a trial jump. If he had succeeded, he would have been happy, but now he just knew that he had to adjust his performance. After all, 2.38 meters was not his ultimate goal, because he had the strength to jump higher.Doogallov began his second attempt at the 2.38 meters.

Approach run, take-off, jump. All the posture of the "prince of high jump" was graceful, like a delicate work of art.

Doogallov stood up and wanted to celebrate, but the bar suddenly fell off.

"What's the matter? I didn't touch the bar!" Doogallov was very surprised.

The next second, a slow-motion playback appeared on the screen. It could be seen that, when Doogallov lifted his foot, the upper of his heel touched the bar

"Actually, I don't think he needed to be as flamboyant as he was in that technical movement. He should have been a little more conservative," Dai Li commented.

"Doogallov has always been like this. He's so fond of himself, he's always hoped to win by showing off. If he wins, it's all the more impressive, but his likelihood of failure increases. Perhaps this was his biggest drawback," said Downey.

Then it was Geddako's turn. After the failure of his last attempt, he had evaluated his performance and got back on the field again.

"Geddako is quite stable. He will get over this jump. I just don't know how many attempts he needs to make it," Downey said.

"It seems like he'll need at least three times. He doesn't take enough risks, he is too conservative in the take-off. Although it allows him to finish the whole technical movement smoothly, he can't clear 2.38 meters successfully." As soon as Dai Li stopped talking, Geddako failed again.

Athletes with stable performances, unless they were unlucky, were often able to jump heights as long as it was within their normal strength to do so.

At 2.38 meters, the two Olympic gold medal contenders both failed two attempts. Next, they were confronted with the same choice: to continue their third attempts or pass the height and go straight onto the next height.

The referee suspended the game and asked the players on both sides for their opinions.

"Given Doogallov's character, he will definitely choose to pass," Downey said.

"So how about Geddako? What will he choose?" Dai Li asked.

"He's always been very conservative, so I guess he won't challenge the next height," Downey answered.

As it turned out, Downey was right. Doogallov was supposed to be the next on the field, but he didn't show up. Instead, Geddako approached. That meant Doogallov chose to pass, but Geddako chose to continue his three attempts.

If other jumpers don't clear 2.38 meters, it may be a right choice for Geddako to keep trying to jump. Now even if he clears t 2.38 meters, he will not be the champion. Dai Li shook his head slightly. He didn't have faith in Geddako.

Geddako spent a lot of time preparing. He didn't move forward until the referee told him that the countdown was starting.

Geddako crossed over the bar but heard the disappointed sigh of the audience before he the shitponge mat.

He was unlucky that day. His third attempt failed, too. The champion of this program in the previous Olympic Games was eliminated first.The next height was 2.40 meters, which was higher than the Olympic record of 2.39 meters and was just 5 centimeters lower than the world record of 2.45 meters.

Leonard hadn't cleared this height in competitions before and he had never tried the height in his daily training. Generally speaking, if one could clear 2.35 meters or higher in an international competition, he could count on being the gold medalist. Only in an Olympic level competition could the standard be raised to 2.40 meters.

This height was indeed beyond Leonard's ability. In his first attempt, he knocked down the bar before his upper body crossed the bar.

His performance made the audience think that he couldn't clear 2.40 meters.

That meant Doogallov, who chose to pass before, would be the champion if he could clear 2.40 meters. If he couldn't, he would only win a bronze along because of his pass at 2.36 meters.

He had only one chance left to attempt.

This was beyond his ability.

His last success was at 2.33 meters and now he was going to attempt 2.40 meters. It was 7 centimeters higher. In the high jump, an increase of 7 centimeters when the height was already above 2.30 meters was hardly possible.Suddenly, Doogallov was excited. He thought it would be excellent if he used his only chance to clear 2.40 meters and beat his rivals after two consecutive failures.

I will create the most classic jump in the Olympic Games' history as long as I can succeed!

Doogallov still wanted to show off.

He was a pretentious jumper. Just like those who wanted to look nice even on their deathbed, Doogallov was thinking about how to win impressively.

You must win before you think about an impressive win.

Firstly, he approached. He took-off and aimed to get over the bar. His technical movements were so standard.

His jump would have been so impressive and beautiful if the bar hadn't been knocked down.Failed! Doogallov gazed at the bar on the ground, shocked.

Maybe he had been so sure of himself.

Doogallov failed in his last attempt.

Leonard got another gold medal for America.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 527: The Person Who Uses the Axe

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

After the men's high jump, the next final was going to be held in two hours. Before that, there would be six events: the women's javelin qualifiers, the men's 110m hurdles semifinals, the women's long jump qualifiers, the women's 400m hurdles semifinals, the men's 400m hurdles semifinals, and the women's 200m semifinals.

The American team performed as expected in these six events, without anything unusual happening.

Later, the final of women's 1500m event was decided.

Two American athletes were in the final. Ethiopians made up the majority of the athletes. However, they just had quantity, not quality. In other words, those Ethiopian athletes were good, but not good enough to place.

The Turkish athletes performed remarkably well in women's 1500m event. In the last Olympic Games, they won both the gold medal and the silver medal. They had also won the World Championship. They were the biggest opposition to the American team. However, two years ago after the World Championship, Turkish athletes were found to have used illicit drugs and were banned by the IAAF. Therefore, the last winners of the gold and silver medals missed this Olympics.

The Russian team was also very powerful in women's middle-distance races and the Soviet Union had even dominated this event for a long time. Nevertheless, as in most racing sports, African and Middle Eastern countries were not to be taken lightly.

Bahrain, Morocco, and Katar also had powerful competitors. The unique climate of west Asia and north Africa, along the eating habit of Muslim countries were very suitable for training middle-distance athletes. In many middle-distance races, people from west Asia and north Africa often could defeat African competitors from Sub-Saharan.

Unfortunately for them, there were many African-Americans competing for the U.S.

African-American athletes were much stronger than African athletes.

Many people felt this was because America was better and American people had a high quality of life.

This was just one aspect. For example, there were lots of African-European people. Moreover, European social security was better than American, and poor people could get more social welfare and nutrition than American poor people. However, African-European athletes from England and France were not as strong as African-American athletes.

The real reason why African-Americans people were stronger could be traced back to colonial era.

When European colonists sold slaves to America, they mainly chose Africans, who were tall, strong and full of strength. They were physically ideal slaves. When the slave trade boomed, the population in Africa declined rapidly.

At that time, the long distance from Africa to America was really a big challenge. The people were huddled in the ship's hold and there was little food and water. The people who survived the journey had to have been physically impressive. If not, they would have been thrown into the sea to feed sharks. The descendants of these strong men and women could have inherited their physicalities.

The trip from Africa to Europe was not as bad. Many slave traders went through the Strait of Gibraltar, so there was little risk during the transit. Therefore, the same physicality that Africans transported to America needed to survive was unnecessary in those transported to Europe.In the women's 1500m event, Turkish athletes were banned for having used illicit drugs, which benefited the American team most. Two American athletes performed excellently and won a gold medal and a silver medal.

After the final of the women's 1500m event, there was only one event left. The final of the men's 110m hurdles.

Hurdles had always been a strong event for the American team. America had been dominant for years, especially in the men's 110m. During the last twenty years, only Feixiang Lin from China had beaten them.

However, after his retirement, the Chinese lost much of their hurdling ability, while America regained the dominant position.

Nowadays, the country America worried most about was Jamaica. After succeeding in 100m and 200m events, the Jamaican team began to develop other track and field events. They had become strong in the 400m and short-distance hurdles.

The 400m and 200m races were related. In the 1990s, many 400m athletes could participate in 200m competitions. Short-distance hurdles required the same explosive force. It was known that Jamaican athletes were good at short-distance races. When faced with fierce competition in sprints, many Jamaican sprinters chose to practice short-distance hurdles.

For the American team, their most powerful athletes were not at this Olympic Games because of the drug scandal.There was only one American athlete that reached the final of the men's 110m hurdles. Ellis Metter, who hadn't made it through the first round of Olympic qualification, was one of the athletes chosen by Dai Li.

Without the powerful American athletes in the men's 110m hurdles, the outcome of the event was unpredictable.Fraser, the head coach of the Jamaican team, was inspiring his athletes.

"America doesn't have powerful athletes in this Olympics. This is the best chance we have to win the championship. The only American athlete in the final is named Ellis Metter. Based on the information we got, he has never attended any international games. He even didn't make it through the first round of Olympic qualifications in America! Sending such an athlete to the Olympic Games, America must really have no talent.

"In the men's 100m dash, an American athlete grabbed the gold medal from us. This time, we should pay it back. We should let them know how it feels when your gold medal is stolen! Reed, it's your turn now. Come on, go get the gold medal!" Fraser said.

The Jamaican athlete participating in this event was named Reed. Two years ago, in the World Championships in Athletics, he won the bronze medal in the men's 110m hurdles. Now, without the powerful American athletes in this event, Reed was hoping to win the gold medal.

On the French team, there was an equally ambitious and fierce athlete.

His name was Baccus, a 29-year-old veteran athlete. This was his third Olympic Games.

Baccus was a powerful athlete, but he had bad luck. When he began to participate in international games, Feixiang Lin was in his prime. At that time, even American athletes couldn't defeat Feixiang Lin. Young Baccus hadn't win stood a chance.

When Feixiang Lin was injured, Baccus had become famous. However, it didn't last too long because Dai Li cured Feixiang Lin. At that time, Baccus who was just reaching his prime, became a supporting role once again.

After Feixiang Lin's retirement, American athletes rose to fame and became the main players in the men's 110m hurdles again. Therefore, Baccus still didn't get much recognition.

Baccus had been a top athlete for more than a decade, but there had always been stronger athletes. He hadn't yet had a good chance to win.

However, this time was different. Without the powerful American athletes, Baccus also saw a chance.

I have never heard of that young American athlete. He didn't even qualify originally. He can't be a threat to me. I should pay attention to that Jamaican, Reed. He won the bronze medal in the World Championship in Athletics the year before last.

Looking at the podium, Baccus looked determined.

May God bless me. After all these years, it should be my turn to win a championship!When all the competitors were on the track, Dai Li smiled.

At first, Dai Li had been worried about Metter. However, after detecting the other competitors, Dai Li became calm. None of the other seven competitors matched Metter in neither ability nor talent.

Metter's talent level was S, which was really rare. Even in top international games like Olympics, athletes with A level talent were not common. In most cases, there might be only one athlete with an A talenin every two events. Basically, those athletes with A talent won the championships. It was really unlucky to face Aylwin who had S-level talent.

Surely Metter can win a medal. If he performs normally, he should win the gold medal. However, Metter didn't perform well in the Olympic qualification round so he didn't pass the first round. Perhaps I need to use the state scale for him.

Dai Li put all the weights on the stability side of the state scale.

At this time, Downey said to Dai Li, "You look confident."

"Of course. I selected Metter myself," said Dai Li.

"He didn't even make it through qualifiers," said Downey.

"Muller didn't even participate in qualifiers, right? He still won a gold medal," said Dai Li.

"Muller is different from Metter. Muller didn't attend the qualifiers, but he could have won them. Metter participated in the qualifiers, but he didn't pass the first round. This means that he doesn't have the necessary ability."

Downey paused for a moment. "If there is an axe, it could be sharp or blunt before we use it. If the axe has been used to chop firewood and it doesn't work well, we can be absolutely certain that this is a blunt axe. I don't know why you are so confident with a blunt axe."

"Because I'm the woodsman who uses the axe! Whether the axe is sharp or not is just one factor in chopping firewood. The most important part is the person who swings the axe. Even with a sharp axe, a three-year-old child can't chop firewood." Dai Li smiled and said, "Do you think you could chop firewood faster than Captain America if you had a sharp axe while he had a blunt one?"

Downey didn't how to respond to this question. He couldn't chop faster than Captain America with an electric saw, let alone a sharp axe.

"This metaphor is off. Captain America is a superhero. How can an ordinary person be compared to a superhero!" said Downey, unconvinced.

"The difference between superheroes and ordinary people is that superheroes can do things that ordinary person can't. In other words, they perform miracles." Pausing for a moment, Dai Li continued. "Don't you think my putting together this team was miraculous? Besides, I can promise you, Metter isn't a blunt axe."

Downey frowned. He felt scorn for Dai Li's arrogant expression. However, God had not yet punished this arrogant person.After dinner, Williams stayed in front of the television to watch the Olympic Games.

The American team won 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal today. Naturally, he was quite satisfied with this result. Leonard had defeated two powerful competitors and won the gold medal of high jump, which gave Williams a long-lost sense of excitement.

Now came the last event, but Williams turned off the television.

"Today's events are not over yet. Aren't you going to watch it?" asked his wife.

"No, there is no need. It's getting late. I should go to bed. I'll go the bathroom first…" said Williams.

"Why don't you go to sleep after watching it? This should be the last track and field event, right? There is one American athlete," his wife continued to ask.

"Yes, there is one American athlete, but he can't win. This athlete is named Metter. However, he didn't even qualify. He was selected by Coach Li. I was shocked he even made it into the final. I don't think he has the ability to win a medal," said Williams.

"You go to the bathroom, and leave the television on. You can turn it off when you came back. That way you can know the result before you go to sleep," said his wife.

"Alright," Williams put down the remote and went to the bathroom.

In the bathroom, Williams was urinating.

He heard a burst of cheering on the television.

It looks like the competition is over, and the champion is decided. I wonder who won.

Standing in front of the toilet, Williams turned to look out of the bathroom at the television.

The next second, he froze. He didn't believe what he saw on the television.

"Isn't that a mistake?" Williams said to himself.

Suddenly, Williams felt something warm on his hands.

"Damn it! I pissed on my hands."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 528: The Final Proof

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was the final of the men's 110m hurdles.

The shot rang out and all the athletes on the track hurtled forward like arrows.

The reaction times of the athletes were immediately on the screen. The fastest was the American athlete, Ellis Metter, at 0.131 seconds.

That young man's reaction is so fast! Dai Li thought in his mind.

By this time, the athletes on the field had began to jump the first hurdle.

Of the ten hurdles in the race, the first three hurdles were the most important. Athletes must find their own rhythm in the first three hurdles or the later part of race would be greatly affected.

It would be a big mistake for the athlete to lose his own rhythm in the first three hurdles. Every athlete in the final was a top professional athlete. After so many hard trainings, nobody would make such a stupid mistake.

After the first three hurdles, all the athletes found their rhythm, and the real competition began."Reed is nearly neck and neck with Baccus." The Brazilian commentator's voice was passionate.

Actually, there were three athletes in the lead at this time: the Jamaican, Reed, the French athlete, Baccus, and the American, Metter. However, Metter hadn't attended any international games, so the commentator was not familiar with his name. Therefore, the commentator couldn't remember it while caught up in this exciting moment.

The distance between the athletes became apparent by the sixth hurdle. Reed, Baccus and Metter were obviously ahead of the rest athletes and one of them would win.

Reed started to accelerate at the seventh hurdle. For Baccus and Metter, Reed's acceleration was a distraction.

Reed raised his leg a little faster than Baccus and Metter at the eighth hurdle. However, that advantage didn't put him far enough ahead. When he stepped hit the ground after crossing the eighth hurdle, Baccus also hit the ground.

Obviously, Baccus was also starting to accelerate in the final sprint.

Reed had always kept an eye out for Baccus. He had competed with Baccus several times and Reed thought that Baccus was the biggest threat. Reed suddenly became more determined as Baccus caught up.

I'm the champion! Reed repeated this in his mind.

Jamaica was a country where sports flourished. When it came to Jamaican athletes, people first thought of sprinting. Like all the other Jamaican athletes, Reed was a sprinter and viewed Gittell, the first flying man in the world, as his idol.

However, Reed practiced the 110m hurdles, which was not the event Jamaican athletes were good at. Jamaica had not gained any medals in this event before.

This put immense pressure on Reed. In Jamaica, sprinting was irreplaceable as the favorite sport. It was no exaggeration to say that all the best athletes in Jamaica sprinted. If one athlete gave up sprinting to practice something else, it told others that he was not good enough to sprint.

It was like a battlefield. The best soldiers would fight with enemies at the front, while weak ones would stay in the back. Surely, the back was also important. However, when the war came, most soldiers wanted to fight against the enemy directly rather than stay in the back.

The situation would be better if Reed had started in the 110m hurdle. However, he had switched over from sprinting, which brought criticism from the public. Many people thought that Reed was a loser, who gave up sprinting for a less fierce competition.

"Why don't you just keep sprinting and also run the 110m hurdles?" This was the most common question Reed heard and he hated it. It was more a criticism than a question to Reed. They doubted about his ability.

Anything done by a loser would be wrong and any decision made by a loser would be doubted.

Reed didn't want to be that kind of loser. He wanted to break down that doubt, so he needed this Olympic gold medal. He wanted to prove to the world that the path he had chosen was the right one.At the ninth hurdle, French Baccus caught up with Reed.

I've been waiting eight years for this gold medal. I won't let it go! Baccus looked determined.

Compared to the other seven athletes in the final, Baccus was a veteran. Certainly, Baccus had much more experience than all the other athletes.

Baccus was called a star of 110m hurdles when he was young, and he was regarded as hope for the 110m hurdles in France, even in Europe. Baccus himself even felt that his future would be bright.

However, when he entered international competition, he finally realized how strong his opponents were. In addition to Feixiang Lin, the world record holder, there were several strong American athletes faster than him.

At that time, Baccus told that he was still young and there was a lot of time for him to improve. He would keep improving and win a gold medal eventually.

During the two years in which Feixiang Lin was injured, Baccus really rose to the occasion. He ran several times within 13 seconds. It was a performance as excellent as a world champion, and Baccus indeed won several rounds of Grand Prix held by the IAAF. However, this was not as important as the World Championship in Athletics or the Olympic Games. Only one thing could be sure: Baccus had entered his prime.

Nevertheless, Baccus wasn't lucky. In the World Championship in Athletics, when Baccus had entered his prime, Feixiang Lin came back. Faced with the world record holder, Baccus couldn't win anymore.

Baccus didn't know that all of this was because of the American head coach Dai Li. If Feixiang Lin hadn't gotten help from Dai Li, he wouldn't have come back.

When Feixiang Lin retired, Baccus was still among top athletes in the world, but American athletes were still competitive. Although American athletes were not as powerful as Feixiang Lin, they were as strong as Baccus. Moreover, America had many strong athletes. Normally, the American team could send two to three athletes who were almost equal to Baccus.

Baccus had to face several competitors of his own strength in every competition. If his opponents performed a little bit better, or he did a little bit worse than he was capable of Baccus couldn't win the championship. Sometimes, even when Baccus performed well, his opponents performed better than anyone could expect.

In fact, it was an awful experience. Just like gambling, the more people involved, the harder it is to win. If there were only two players, one would win easily if he rolled three sixes. However, if there were two hundred players, there might be one or several people who were lucky enough to roll three sixes.

If there were only two people, one just needed to knock down the other to get the whole cake. However, if there were ten people contesting for one cake, the unlucky one might not get any.

Baccus had encountered this situation several times. There was actually no obvious speed gap between him and his opponents, but they were still making it more difficult for Baccus to win the gold medal.

Year after year, as he got older, Baccus could feel his sports career coming to an end.

The media thought that Baccus was just unlucky and someone thought Baccus should retire to be a coach. However, Baccus stuck with it. He was still training to win a gold medal.

Baccus also knew that this Olympic Games might be his last chance. Maybe four years from now, he wouldn't be as strong as he was now.

Age was the biggest enemy of any athlete, an unbeatable enemy. Therefore, Baccus should seize his last chance in this competition.

During my entire career, I was overshadowed by Feixiang Lin. I couldn't defeat him because he was the world record holder. I couldn't do anything about it!

When I was in my prime, I had to compete with several strong American competitors. I couldn't defeat them because I wasn't lucky enough to overcome all of them. I couldn't do anything about that either!

But today, without Feixiang Lin and those top American opponents, how dare you,Reed, stand in my way! How dare you take the championship from me!

Baccus gave Reed a sidelong glance. He began to get angry. It was not because he looked down on the Jamaican, but because hehad gained nothing from all his persistence!

I need this gold medal. I need to prove to this world that I am able to win this.

Baccus looked determined and he wanted to prove to the others that he had been right not to retire.By the tenth hurdle, Ellis Metter was falling a bit behind Reed and Baccus.

Metter was satisfied with this situation. He hadn't even made it through the Olympic qualifiers yet he now had the chance to stand on the Olympic podium.

Reed and Baccus were fighting hard for the final championship.

In fact, a bronze medal is also a pretty good result! Thinking this, Metter looked at Reed and Baccus subconsciously.

At that moment, he saw a special energy in Reed's eyes. It was not just the eagerness for championship, but a determination!

Baccus had a similar expression on his face!

Suddenly, Metter felt inspired by the two athletes.

This is the Olympic final! At this time, Metter finally understood how important this was.

He had always gotten eliminated in competitions before he had gotten a chance to become inspired. He hadn't really cared about his races.

In the first round of the Olympic Games, he had performed well and had entered the next round easily. He still hadn't felt any difference between the Olympic Games and his usual training.

However, at this moment, he finally felt the magnitude of this moment.

I must win! I must win the championship! At last, this thought appeared in Metter's mind. It was a desire for victory.

Metter raised his leg, crossed the hurdle and stepped on the ground. He crossed the last hurdle and hurtled forward.

He caught up with Reed and Baccus in a second.

They didn't expect Metter to catch up with them and even run ahead of them.

What happened? Who is this guy! He is faster than me!

He is beyond me. Am I not destined to win this gold medal?

Reed and Baccus were startled.

Metter stretched out his head and crossed the finish line first.Dai Li raised his arms and celebrated the victory in the coaching area!

"We won!" said Downey as he ran toward Dai Li to hug him.

Dai Li, however, didn't want Downey's hug.

"You see, he's no blunt axe!" said Dai Li.

"Yes, you are right! You are Captain America!" Still excited, Downey went on, "You proved to the world once again that your insight was correct!""We won the championship! That guy didn't pass the first round of qualifiers and he could won the gold medal!" Williams rushed out of the bathroom without washing his hands.

"It was luck, right?" Williams murmured to himself.

At this time, Metter's final time was shown on the television. 12.95s.

Although it was far behind the world record and the Olympic record,it was still incredible. It was worthy of an Olympic gold medal.

It proved that Metter won the championship with his ability.

How could such an excellent young man fail the first round of qualifiers?

How could Dai Li pick him out of so many athletes?

The two questions came to Williams' mind at the same time.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 529: The Trap in the Interview

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Williams got into his own office with several newspapers. He was in a very good mood.

"Good morning, Mr. Williams." His secretary greeted him the moment she saw him.

"Good morning, Jenny." Williams smiled nicely and then said, "Go to Mr. Frey and tell him to come to my office."

"I was about to tell you that Mr. Frey is waiting in your office. He came in very early this morning," Jenny said.

"It seems like someone was even more excited than me." Shaking his head with a smile on his face, he stepped into his office.

Frey had been waiting for quite a while. He stood up when he saw Williams. He was about to speak when Williams threw the newspapers at him.

"Good job! We won four medals in one day. This is the best results we've ever gotten. Almost all of the media is talking about this. You as the COO must have done quite a lot of work behind the scenes," Williams said with compliment.

"I have been in contact with the media. The front pages of newspapers had already been decided when I talked to them and had them changed. Of course, we paid for it. I promised them that we will print some advertisements in their newspaper," Frey said.

"It's worth it. The dosing scandal inflicted us with a lot of negative attention. We really needed some good news to boost our public image," Williams said, nodding.

Frey continued, "Mr. Williams, I think we should hit the iron while it's hot and increase our publicity. I hope I can get some more funding."

"We have quite a big budget this year, right? The dosing scandal has cost us a big sum of PR expenses. We have been trying to cut the expenses recently so you need to give me a good reason," Williams said, frowning.

"Yes. We do have a bigger publicity budget this year due to the Olympics. I assure you, it is absolutely worth it to increase the budget. We did very well in the Olympics, and this will get us more sponsors. We can get twice the amount we spend now from sponsors," Frey said.

Williams nodded. Weighing the pros and cons of the whole thing, he did not speak.

Frey continued, "Mr. Williams, our track and field team has won 11 gold medals so far this Olympics. This is more than we won in the last Olympics, yet it is now only the fifth day of this one. Besides the marathon in the last day, we have four days left to get even more gold. We can win at least 15 gold medals even according to conservative estimates. With a little luck, we may even win 20 gold medals!"

"The national team of this year will be historic. This is a heaven-sent chance for us to expand our influence! We can wipe off the negative influence caused by the dosing scandal and gain more recognition from the public. It would be such a pity to miss this opportunity and we may never have a chance like this again."

Williams was finally convinced. He nodded, saying, "You are right. It is a rare opportunity, I agree with you. I'll try to persuade the board to increase the budget."

"I also want to go to Europe. So I need some PR expenses," Frey said.

"What is your plan?" Williams asked.

"I want to meet the officers of the Laureus World Sports Academy," Frey said.

"You want to lobby them?" Williams understood immediately what Frey was going to do.

Frey nodded. "The Team of the Year award should be ours. I want to see if Alwyn or Alexander can get the Comeback of the Year award. Each of them has gotten a gold medal in the Olympics, which makes them both successful comebacks."

"About Laureus, I heard some rumors that they will have three more awards this year: Action Sportsperson, Sporting Inspiration, and Coach of the Year," Williams said, unconcernedly.

Frey hesitated as he was not so sure about what Williams was trying to say. He then asked, "Mr. Williams, you mean, you want me to persuade them to give the Coach of the Year award to Dai Li?"

Williams nodded, "We hired him because we wanted him to be our scapegoat, but he saved us. Don't you think we should thank him?"

"We should," Frey lied. The Williams he knew was a person who didn't care about repaying his benefactors.

"You didn't follow," Williams said, with an expression showing full seriousness, "I want to show our faith to Dai Li through this. He has shown us sufficient coaching and leadership abilities. He has earned it. Now you see my point?"

"I got it. I'll try to persuade them and get Dai Li nominated for the award," Frey nodded immediately.

If Dai Li hadn't been as good as he was, he would've been used as a scapegoat.

Dai Li had been an excellent coach and had helped the U.S. team recover from a scandal, so they should recognize his excellence.

Dai Li had become valuable for the U.S. Track and Field Association. Dai Li proved that his coaching and leadership abilities were better than other coach's.

Only the best earns the respect of others. It is human instinct to please the more powerful ones.Winning 4 gold medals in a single day was great encouragement for the U.S. track and field team. The gold medals for the man's high jump and 110 meter hurdles especially inspired the athletes because they hadn't been supposed to win them.

Up to now, the US team had won 11 gold medals. In the last Olympics, they won in total 10 gold medals. The Olympic Games was just halfway through and they had already won more gold medals than they had in the last Olympics. In all likelihood they were going to get more medals as well. A better overall result this was already secured'.

On the sixth day of the Olympic track and field games, there were some parts of the men's decathlon. There was only one final match scheduled – the men's 3000 meter steeplechase.

The men's 3000 meter steeplechase was an extremely demanding event. In terms of energy consumption, it was more or less the same as the 5000 meter run. Furthermore, the runners had to jump every few steps to stride over the obstacles, which negatively affected the rhythm of the athletes.

The difficulty of this game showed in the results. Of the 15 runners, only ten finished the run. The tenth runner was 40 seconds later than the first one.

The "king of obstacle race," Hengelo from Kenya, won the championship. He dominated this event. Dai Li had detected him once and found that he had a S level. If everything went smoothly, no one could challenge him in the next five years.

The athlete from the U.S. team won the silver medal of the 3000-meter steeplechase. Dai Li was satisfied with this as the gold medal was unlikely with Hengelo in the game. Silver was the best result that the U.S. team could hope to get.

There were no events in the afternoon. Dai Li, however, was busy with the interview with the Sports channel of the Central TV."Coach Li, it is said that you aren't an American. So, you are the first non-American head coach in the history of the US track and field team?" the reporter chose to start the interview with this question.

"No. I don't have American citizenship and I don't intend to apply for it. I do have a green card, as I mainly work in U.S. and it is much more convenient for my work and my life," Dai Li answered.

"The U.S. track and field team was thought to be the weakest it has ever been this year. Now, you have gotten very good results. How did you achieve this?" The reporter began to ask the important questions.

Dai Li thought for a while, and then said, "The team did have some problems before I was appointed at a kind of difficult moment. The first thing I did when I began my work was change the normal rules for athlete selection. They used to select the athletes for the Olympics according to their scores in the qualifiers. I, however, didn't choose that way…"

Dai Li went on without interruption. He didn't mention anything about the training nor did he give a comment on any athlete. He only told her some non-essential things.

Dai Li was not so silly as to reveal any secret, such as the weakness of the athletes and the corresponding training he had prescribed for them. Dai Li would never make such a stupid error.

Dai Li's answer was not valuable, but the reporter thought it was sophisticated

"Coach Li, as the head coach of the US track and field team, what do you think of the Chinese track and field team? What suggestions do you have for the Chinese track and field team?" The reporter asked another question that was of some significance.

"The development of sports team is a long term endeavor, the success of which requires the efforts of several generations. It needs a long term plan and just a few pieces of advice are not be enough to improve the ability of a nation," Dai Li answered, smiling.

"Coach Li, I have an irrelevant question. Are you interested in coming back to China to be a coach on, our national team?" the reporter asked.

"Actually, I used to be a coach on our national team. For me, going back to the national team was like going back home. I surely am willing to go back if I have the opportunity. However good it feels to be abroad, it is never as good as being home," Dai Li said with a sigh.

"I have noticed that. You stayed quite a long time at the training camp of the national team when you were in China and went to the Asian Games with the national team." The reporter then asked, "Why didn't you stay in the national team after that?"

"My position was actually in the Sports Bureau of the Hanbei Province and I was temporarily transferred to the training camp of the national team, which was quite common. When the Asian Games ended, I had the opportunity to get a job on the national track and field team. As chance would have it, I came across Coach Zhizhong Gu, who recruited me onto the national pingpong team as a fitness coach. The national pingpong team was composed of the top athletes in the world. As a coach, I wanted to coach the best athletes; so I went to the national pingpong team. It was the national team, right? It just wasn't the national track and field team. It was the same for me as long as I was serving my country," Dai Li said.

"According to your resume, you went to Dingtian Football Club after you left the national pingpong team. Why did you leave the national pingpong team? Did the Dingtian football club headhunt you with higher pay? Everyone knows that Dingtian football club is always willing to spend huge money on excellent talent," the reporter said.

"About that." Dai Li hesitated but finally said, "I didn't want to leave the national pingpong team at that time. After the strike, I was transferred from the team to an intangible cultural heritage application committee for Taijiquan as a committee member. I am a coach and I don't know anything about intangible cultural heritage applications. So, I quit the job. There was a friend of mine who recommended me go to Dingtian football club. I went there to be a fitness coach."

"Intangible cultural heritage application committee for Taijiquan? It was a promotion-like demotion? It seems you were shelved," the reporter said in a joking tone. This was quite unprofessional, or seemed like some careless mistake.

Dai Li, however, believed that the reporter setting him up.

The reporters for the Olympic Games are really hard to deal with, Dai Li thought to himself.

However, Dai Li was not the ignorant young lad anymore. He would not say tell the truth although he had really been demoted and shelved.

"I am only a sports coach. I don't know about anything but leading and training my team." Dai Li shrugged his shoulders, "For me, it is good enough to do the things I'm good at. For example, I am leading a team in the Olympic games. This is what I am competent at."

The reporter was a little disappointed that Dai Li didn't answer her question on the "shelving" but she didn't show it. Retaining her professional smile, she asked another question.

"Coach Li, I heard that you are running a fitness training center in the U.S. Could you tell us something about it?" she asked.

"Sure. I prepared some documents for you to reference." Dai Li took a pile of files from his assistant and then said, "Ms. Liu, I can email you the information if you give me your email address. Now, I will tell you something about my training center. Oh, this is not advertising, right?"

"Coach Li, you are so humorous. This is an exclusive interview to learn about what it's like for you to be the head coach. This is a necessary part of this interview," the reporter said with a even bigger smile.

"OK then. I know it is not allowed to utter the words like the best, or the number 1 in a commercial, or you'll be fined by the industry and commerce bureau. Since this is not a commercial, I'll be honest and tell the truth: my fitness training center is definitely the best of its kind in the whole world."

A glittering of admiration brightened up the reporter's eyes. At that moment, Dai Li seemed to be shining with confidence.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 530: Harmony First

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

On the sixth day of the track and field events, the finals for the women's long jump, women's 200 meter, and women's 200m hurdle were scheduled.

The U.S. team had superior strength in the long jump, both men's and women's. There were two U.S. athletes in the final, Barrett, a veteran, and Seid, the record holder of women's long jump in the Indoor World Championships. They were both likely to win the gold medal.

Barrett was 31 years old, making her a real veteran. In the qualification matches in the US, Barret didn't win the qualify. However, due to the dosing scandal, the athletes ranking higher than her dropped out, which gave her a spot.

Seid was the champion in women's long jump in the last Olympics.

Seid also won the Indoor World Championship and had the record for that competition. Scores for indoor competitions were usually lower than outdoor ones. The world record was 7.52 meters, the Olympic record was 7.40 meter, while the indoor world record, held by Seid, was only 7.22 meters.

Both the world record and the Olympic record were created in the 1980s and 1990s and weren't comparable to the scores nowadays. A result of 7.22 meter would win the athlete any world championship.

In the last Olympics, Seid won the champion with a result of 7.12 meters. While to win this Olympics, the athlete would have to get better than 7.10 meters to win the gold medal and better than 7.00 meters to win a bronze medal, according to gambling companies.

It was not difficult for the two U.S. athletes to jump higher than 7 meters without the help of the state scale.

Dai Li loved this scale so much now. It was as if it was custom-made for the U.S. team because they could lock in a championship if they have one lucky maximum condition from the scale.

The competition went much as Dai Li expected. The two U.S. athletes got their higher-than-7.10 results on their fourth and fifth attempt and locked in the gold and silver medal before the match finished.

Finally, Barrett won the gold medal with 7.17 meters and Seid failed to defend her championship and won a silver medal.

Barrett was very excited about winning the championship. She had always been one of the best in the world, yet she had never won any gold medal in a world class event. Being 31 years old, she had intended to retire after this Olympics and this gold medal was the best award of her career.

With a gold medal, the US team led by Dai Li continued their show of winning at least one gold medal every day.

The next final was the women's 200 meters, which was one of U.S. team's strengths. The U.S. team would not be defeated by any opponent other than Jamaica.

The two best players on the Jamaican team won the gold and silver medals in women's 100 meters. They also dominated the women's 200 meters, winning the gold and silver medals by the same two players, leaving only the bronze medal to the U.S. team.

The last match was the final of women's 100 meter hurdle.

In this event, America's dominance was almost unchallengeable. They could win the championship in the Olympics even if they sent their second class players.

It turned out that they not only won the gold medal, but also won silver and bronze medals.

The gold medal was planned. Dai Li was not surprised. He had not expected that they also would win the silver and bronze medals.

For the second time, three U.S. flags were raised in Maracana Stadium..

Downey, standing next to Dai Li, began singing The Star-Spangled Banner along with the music. It hurt Dai Li's ears, but Dai Li could feel Downey's excitement.

The U.S. athletes and coaches were much like Downey, watching the flag raising with great joy.

This reminded Dai Li of the Asian Games he had went to several years ago. When the Chinese team won the championship, Dai Li had been exactly like Downey was now.

This is what Olympics are for! It's not only high-level competition, nor only about victory and passion. It's about the honor of the country. In times of peace, nothing can give people honor like this. Dai Li couldn't help but sigh.The reporter Ran Liu wrote a report and sent it to China immediately after she finished the interview with Dai Li. She didn't even have time for supper.

The ringing of her phone woke Ran Liu up from her dream. She checked the time, finding that it was a little past two o'clock in the morning. The caller was her section chief back in China.

Ran Liu was a little annoyed at waking up in the middle of the night. She knew, however, it was a normal time for her section chief, as it was afternoon in China. He called her for work.

This is what journalism was like. She took up the phone and said, "Hello chief. This is Ran Liu."

"Ran, I've read your article on the interview of Coach Li," her section chief said.

"Ok. Is there anything that should be revised?" Ran Liu asked, resisting her sleepiness.

"No need for revision now." He paused, and then said, "It won't be published now."

Hearing that her hard work was rejected, Ran Liu didn't feel sleepy anymore. She asked immediately, "Why?"

"There is a problem with your article. You wrote that Dai Li was transferred to the Intangible Application Committee for Taijiquan after the strike and then he resigned. This will cause a misunderstanding among the readers and they may think Dai Li was transferred to the committee because he was oppressed by someone," Ran Liu's section chief said.

"Chief, you really think that is misunderstanding?" Ran Liu snorted and then said, "Our best coach was transferred to a committee to apply for the intangible heritage status for Taijiquan. Isn't that deliberate oppression? What I have written is the unbiased truth. The readers will think as their reasoning tells them."

"Ran, it is for your own good that I reject this article. You should know that those things are really complicated. If your article was published, you would offend a lot of people. I did this to protect you," the section chief said.

You are protecting yourself, nothing more! Ran Liu thought to herself. She despised what her section chief was doing, but she didn't say it. There was nothing she could do about the article's rejection. Her hard work had been in vein.

On the telephone, her section chief continued, "Ran, we are in pursuit of harmony everywhere. We, as the media, should remember this and stop writing anything that would affect this harmony. Harmony first, right?"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 531: A Good Harvest

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was the seventh day of track and field events at the Olympics.

The American team was likely to win gold medals in the men's shot put, the men's 400m hurdles, the women's 400m hurdles, the men's decathlon, and the men's 200m dash. Additionally, the preliminary round of the 4x100m relay race was also held this day.

Considering the strength of American team, as long as they didn't drop the relay baton, they'd get through this preliminary round easily.

Actually, Dai Li was known for his practice he called continuous iron chain, which strengthened the cooperation of players on a team. Dai Li use this to successfully help the national team win the championship of the 4x100m relay race in the Asian Games.

With the aid of the continuous iron chain, the American players cooperated with each other very well and successfully advanced to the final.

After the end of the relay race, the day's first track and field final took place, the men's 400m hurdles.

Since the boom of track and field sports in the 1980s, America dominated this event and continuously won several Olympic championships in the 400m hurdles.

The American team was powerful in this event because they had a group of excellent athletes. In fact, this was a difficult event and many athletes who ran the 400m hurdles changed from the 400m dash. Therefore, sometimes athletes from the 400m hurdles could act as substitutes in 4x400m relay race.

The American team had the most 400m dash athletes as well as 400m hurdles athletes. It was known that quantity often led to success. When there were many athletes engaged in a certain sport, more of them would be talents. The average talent level of American athletes was world-class.

However, in today's final of the men's 400m dash, the person who was thought to win the gold medal was a typical American but a naturalized one."Klett, you look nervous. Guess the finals in the Olympics is different from those common events. Considering your experience, I didn't expect you would be so nervous!" said Dai Li with a smile.

"I'm sorry, coach. I'm a little nervous. I will try to adjust," said Klett. "After all, this is my first time representing the American team."

Klett was a 31-year old black athlete. He was representing the American team in the 400m hurdles.

He was born in Trinidad and Tobago, a small country along the Caribbean Sea. The people of this country loved sports and there were many excellent athletes; Klett was one of them.

At first, Klett attended events as an athlete for Trinidad and Tobago. He had many outstanding performances at the World Championship in Athletics, the IAAF Grand Prix and Diamond League, and the Olympic Games. However, at that time he was a Trinidad and Tobago athlete.

Later, he was naturalized into the U.S. and became an American athlete. This caused him to miss the last Olympic Games. According to the rules of I.O.C., after changing nationality, an athlete may not represent the state in any games for three years.

In this Olympic Games, Klett benefited from the drug scandal. In the beginning, he came in third place in the qualification trial. However, both the first place and the second place withdrew from the competition due to the drug scandal. So, the last one suddenly became the first one, shouldering the task of winning the gold medal for the American team.

Dai Li was very optimistic about Klett, who was very hard-working and self-disciplined.

Dai Li knew Klett must have worked hard to stand out as he did. The 400m hurdles was the strongest event for the American team, and he was not an American-born athlete.

Klett was different from the champion of the pole vault, Muller. Although Muller was born in Germany, he came to America with his parents when he was very young. He lived in the United States, was educated according to the country's standards, and grew up in America. He was influenced by the culture and he integrated into the United States. Besides, being Germanic, he was accepted by Americans more easily.

However, Klett was a naturalized athlete. He couldn't integrate into American culture so easily because he didn't grow up there. Above all, he was black. This part of his identity was a barrier to his acceptance in the predominantly white country.

Therefore, for Klett to achieve the success he had, he must have worked harder than any other American.

Dai Li was not an American, so he could understand Klett's eagerness to be part of America. When Dai Li wanted to run a training center in America, no one trusted him and Americans didn't believe in his ability as a coach because he was Chinese. Later, Dai Li proved himself .as he accomplished great things. Now, he had won his place in Los Angeles.

Obviously, Klett couldn't be as almighty as Dai Li. For Klett, his biggest issue was his identity. Dai Li had to untangle this knot in Klett's mind as much as he could.

Dai Li asked, "Klett, you trained according to the plans I made for you, right?"

"Of course. Coach, I finished all the training you arranged for me. I took it very seriously." Klett nodded, but he didn't understand why Dai Li had asked him this question.

"Why did you follow my instructions?" asked Dai Li.

"You are my coach!" Klett answered.

"Did you doubt my training?" Dai Li asked again.

"You are the head coach. Why should I doubt you? Besides, the training plan you arranged for me was excellent. It completely solved my problems." Klett had no idea what the coach was getting at.

"Very good." Dai Li nodded and continued, "Look, I'm the head coach of the American team and I lead the entire U.S. track and field team. All the members of this team obey me and no one opposes, or even questions, me. I am the head coach, and I lead this team with supreme authority.

"However, I am not an American. Why do you choose to obey me? It's because I have the ability to lead. I have abilities that you can trust!"

He patted Klett on his shoulder and went on. "Klett, I know what you are worried about, so I hope you understand what I'm saying. People will only accept you based on your talent. In sports, especially in the Olympic Games, people only accept that gold medal!

"Therefore, you don't have to think or worry too much. Look at the finish line. You just need to cross that line first. Get that gold medal and you are a hero of America!"

Klett nodded as he realized something. "Coach Li, I see. I know what to do."

Dai Li was satisfied with Klett, who had enough experience with competitions and enough strength, would have a high probability of winning if that mental knot in his head was untangled.

In fact, Klett didn't let Dai Li down. In the competition, he didn't perform well to start, but he got better. In the end, Klett won the men's 400m hurdles with a time of 47.70s.

After the event ended, there was the usual break in the track and field events. In the evening, the first event was the final of the men's shot put.

Both Russia and Poland were powerful in this event, but the top two men's shot-putters in the world were Americans.

America had never been short of strong men. In this Olympic Games, the shot-putters were two talented men: Divac, the winner of the World Championship in Athletics, and Luther, the best in the world at the moment.

The world record in shot put was 23.12m and the Olympic record was 22.47m. Both Divac and Luther got over 22.50m in other games, which meant that both of them had the ability to break the Olympic record.

Besides, both of them were young. Divac was 24 years old and Luther was 23. For male shot-putters, they had potential. Many sports commentators thought that one of them could break the world record.

For the American team, this gold medal was expected. Nothing happened out of the ordinary. Luther won the championship with 22.52m and broke the Olympic record, while Divac won the second prize with 22.18m.

On the seventh day of the Olympic Games, the first two gold medals went to the United States.

At the end of the men's shot put, there came the final in women's javelin. However, no American players had qualified for the final in this event.

During the women's javelin, Dai Li focused on the track, where the last event of the men's decathlon, the 1500m run, was beginning.

American players took first and the second place in this event in the last Olympic Games. After the javelins, the ninth event in the Olympics, American players held first place securely, with a score of more than 7500 points, which was 70 points more than the second place.

Therefore, in this last event, the 1500m run, they didn't have to get the first place or even rank among the top. They could win the championship if he didn't fall too much behind the second place athlete.

This American athlete didn't let Dai Li down. Although he only came in eighth place in the 1500m run, he was still number one on the scoreboard and finally won the gold medal in the men's decathlon.

The next event was the final in the women's 400m hurdles. Although the Jamaican team had three players in the final, they couldn't compete with America and Russia. At last, the American team won the gold and bronze medals, while the Russian team won the silver.

There were five gold medals in that day's track and field events so far. The American team had won four of them, which was a considerably good harvest.

Now there was only one event left that day, the men's 200m dash.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 532: When the Dream Came True

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the previous Olympic Games, the Jamaican team won all three medals in the 200m dash. They had been under the leadership of the "first flying man in the world," which was really a shame for the American team.

Before that, the American team was dominant in this event. Even after the "first flying man in the world" became famous in Jamaica, the American team was still great at the dash. At that time, the American team had hoped to win a silver medal, and it would have been acceptable to win a bronze medal if they were not lucky enough. After all, something is better than nothing.

However, in the last Olympic Games, the American team didn't even get the bronze medal in the 200m dash. It really was a failure.

Now, Gittell had retired. For the American team, their biggest rival had left and they had a good chance in the final.

Shawn Ford stood at the starting line. What he saw made him feel both nostalgic and strange.

After so many years, the previous champion of the World Championship was in the finals once again.

Ford didn't know anyone other than himself, and the other competitors looked at Ford with a curious expression.

Ford, after all, used to be a world champion. Even though he hadn't run in those international competitions during the recent years, the other competitors still took him seriously.

In the coaching area beside the field, Fraser, the Jamaican head coach, was looking Shawn Ford over.

He has not shown up to a competition in years. The public has no information about him. I thought he had retired! When I got the roster for the U.S. team and I saw Shawn Ford, I thought it was some guy with the same name. I didn't expect it to be him. His performance at that World Championship was really impressive. However, I am wondering how good he is now after so many years.

Fraser looked relaxed. Three Jamaican players were in the final, while the American team only had Shawn Ford. Now, the Jamaican team had the advantage.

Besides, the Jamaican team got all three medals in this event last Olympic Games. Although Gittell retired, both the athletes who had come in second place and third place were qualified in this final. The champion had retired, so the next best naturally became the best.

It really depressed Fraser when he lost the gold medal in the men's 100m dash. Fortunately, the Jamaican team got two gold medals for the women's 100m dash and 200m dash. They helped the Jamaican team regain confidence. Fraser hoped he had found the faith needed to win once again.

Fraser couldn't help noticing Dai Li. He was looking at the field confidently with his hands on his waist.

You think you will win again! You are just a Chinese coach! Humph! Fraser couldn't help snorting, full of dissatisfaction for Dai Li.

In fact, Fraser was jealous of Dai Li, who had become the head coach of American track and field team. This American team was excellent, nearly perfect.

As a legendary coach, Fraser had taught several world champions. However, it was natural to feel jealous of the younger coach with the better team.

Downey, the team leader, secretly looked at Dai Li. He saw confidence on Dai Li's face under the reflection of the light, as if he knew Shawn Ford would win.

Downey was used to this confidence. Downey knew that Shawn Ford was one of the first American athletes to follow Dai Li, so Dai Li knew more about Ford.

"Coach Li, Ford can defeat those three Jamaican athletes, right?" Downey asked in a low voice. "The Jamaican team has the second and third place athletes from the last Olympics."

"That Macnee is an excellent athlete." Dai Li signaled with his eyes and continued, "Unfortunately, he didn't have me for a coach."

Macnee, the best Jamaican sprinter, lost to Alexander in the final of the 100m dash, and now he was running the men's 200m dash. He was still the one projected to win the gold medal. Besides, even Dai Li spoke highly of him, so Macnee must be a powerful force.

Downey answered, lightly. "Coach Li, I have known you for a long time and you seldom praise an opponent."

"Actually, it's a trick. If we praise our opponents but beat them anyways, doesn't that make us even stronger?" Dai Li said with a big smile.

As an American, Downey didn't understand Dai Li's Chinese humor. Dai Li realized that it was a bad joke, so he changed the topic. "In fact, I think Shawn Ford could be the best 200m sprinter in the world."

"Oh, I'm relieved to hear that," Downey said.

Although Ford's talent was only an A, Ford had leg length discrepancy, which gave him a special advantage. Even players with S-level talent were not comparable to Ford in terms of bending speed. Such a physical advantage was not based on talent, but physique.

The straight was Ford's weakness, but with the help of an athlete's patch, Ford could perform like an athlete with A talent.

In this 200m dash, Ford was a little faster than those athletes with S-level talent in the bend, while he was as fast as an A-level athlete in the straight. This meant that Ford could be regarded as an S-level athlete overall. Therefore, it was quite possible for him to win the gold medal in this Olympic Games.The gunshot signaled the start of the final of the men's 200m dash.

Ford was slightly older than the other competitor and his start reaction time was 0.168s, which was the third slowest start among all the competitors.

Compared to the 100m dash, the start reaction time in the 200m dash was less important. 0.168s was not fast at all, but it was acceptable.

Besides, in the 200m dash, Ford was not expected to have a quick start, but to make up the difference in the bend. Because of his leg length discrepancy, he could accelerate more easily and run faster than other runners in the bend.

Although he was only a little faster than others, in sprinting such a tiny difference could determine the final winner.Fraser started to feel uneasy three seconds into the race.

Ford is really fast! Staring at the track, Fraser could tell that Ford was better than all the other athletes.

Two seconds later, Ford was running faster than ever through the bend.

He is really fast. Even Gittell, at his peak, wasn't as fast in the bend! Fraser couldn't help but wonder at Ford's speed.

One second later, Fraser realized that, if Ford kept this up, he would win the gold medal for the American team.

Macnee, come on! You can't lose! Fraser started to pray.Soon all runners were past the bend and entering the straight. Now that everyone was in the straight, it became clearer how the competitors compared to each other.

"Shawn Ford!" The commentator was shouting Ford's name. He was the first athlete in the straight.

He had a quite huge lead.

It's just a bend. Why is he so much faster than me? Looking at Ford's back, Macnee didn't even believe what he was witnessing.

Macnee attended many competitions and had a lot of experience. However, he had never seen anything like this before. Macnee had lost time due to the bend in the past, but this was the most he had ever fallen behind.

Even Gittell wasn't this much faster than me! How can I catch up with him? Macnee stared at Ford's back and was overcome with a sense of helplessness.

Will I lose to Shawn Ford?

At this moment, sadness and determination filled his heart.

Four days ago, I lost to Alexander in the 100m dash. Alexander was the second-best sprinter in the world, and his best performance was better than mine. I accepted that loss.

Shawn Ford has not appeared in an international race in years. Will I lose to him too?

Later, Macnee realized that Shawn Ford was not some nameless athlete. He had won at the World Championship in Athletics before.

Is this the strength of a world champion? He is so much faster than me in this first 100 meters! Macnee realized that he had looked down on Ford before.

In the last few years, Gittell dominated sprinting. With Gittell, the first flying man in the world, Macnee, along with the whole Jamaican team, had won all the time. With more victories, the team became increasingly confident, to the point of overconfidence. They began to look down on athletes from other countries. In their subconscious, they felt that Jamaica was the best in the world at sprinting.

Although they didn't have Gittell in this Olympic Games, Jamaican team was still so confident that they thought they'd win every sprinting event. They had taken it for granted. Even when they lost the men's 100m dash, the Jamaican team had still felt that they were still invincible.

Now, when Macnee fell so far behind Ford, he finally realized that the whole Jamaican team had made a big mistake in underestimating their opponent.

At last, Macnee realized that his opponent was incredibly powerful. The Jamaican team was not destined to win every sprinting event.Ford was in the lead, and once again he felt both like he belonged and was out of place.

He had once had a similar experience when he was the first to cross the finish line and won at the World Championship.

It was so long ago that he also felt out of place. The memory had blurred in Ford's mind.

Over the years, Ford had dreamed about the scene when his win at the World Championship many times. Now, he seemed to return to that moment years ago.

Ford couldn't even recognize whether this was reality or a dream.

If this is a dream, I am in control. I'm the one in charge, so everything that happens here will go as I want it to!

Ford was getting closer and closer to the finish line.

If this is a dream, the result will be what I have dreamt of many times. I'll be the first to cross the finish line and I'll get the gold medal. I will stand at the top of the podium!

With this thought, Ford crossed the finish line.

Ford's final time was displayed on the side of the field: 19.78s.

"Shawn Ford crossed the finish line. He's first! The past champion has come back!" The commentator yelled passionately at the microphone.

The audience began cheering and the Americans waved their American flags. Countless cameras flashed at Shawn Ford…

Ford felt this was not real. It was like the World Championship years ago and nearly the same as the dream he'd had so often.

If this is a dream, I hope I don't wake up too quickly. I want to enjoy this as much as I can!

Ford closed his eyes and raised his head. He took a deep breath, as if he wanted to keep this feeling forever.

Ford hoped time would stop and so he could stay in this moment forever. He hoped that he wouldn't wake up from this "dream."

Several athletes came over to Ford to congratulate him, but Ford kept his eyes closed and took another deep breath with his head raised. He had no intention of responding to the others.

Many journalists came to him with all sorts of cameras. He could hear was sounded like dozens of people continuously tapping keyboards. However, Ford kept his position, taking deep breaths with his eyes closed and head raised. He didn't notice the journalists around him.

The other athletes walked away awkwardly when they saw Ford didn't respond to them.

The journalists stood there and continued to film him. They thought this was Ford's unique way of celebrating, so they didn't disturb him.

"Bang!"

At last, someone hit Ford on his shoulder.

Ford woke up, opened his eyes, and turned to see Dai Li standing beside him.

"What are you thinking about? Get ready for the awards ceremony!" said Dai Li.

Ford nodded slowly and looked around. He saw the journalists, the audience, and the result on the screen.

Ford realized that this was not a dream. All of this was real!

It's real! I won…

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 533: A New Reward

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Dai Li was excited. Not only had Shawn Ford just won the gold medal of the men's 200-meter, but he had also been promoted again.

It took a while for Dai Li to make it from where he started to being a mid-level famous coach, but this process was much faster than he expected. Dai Li would have had to wait a long time to be promoted if it weren't for the Olympics.

So far, the US team had won 18 gold medals in track and field. This brought him a wealth of experience that helped him get promoted faster.

Before the awards ceremony for the men's 200-meter, Dai Li logged into the system and to see the rewards he got this time.

I hope this time I will get something useful.

Two rewards appeared in front of Dai Li. On his left was a cylinder with a lot of what looked like bamboo sticks inside. On his right was a golden badge with words on it.

Dai Li was familiar with the badge, it was a title prop. Dai Li had gotten the title of "concatenate" before, which enhanced the tacit understanding between players. Dai Li won the relay race of Asian Games with this title.

However, this time the badge was golden, so it looked more advanced than the one he had won before.

Dai Li picked up the badge and found several words on it: evenly matched.

"Evenly matched? Is this a new title? What's the function?" Dai Li asked.

"The so-called "evenly matched" tile puts your athletes on par with their opponents. It creates a close game." The system went on to explain. "For example, if your athletes are playing a table tennis game, when you wear this badge, it will be a close game. At the end of the game, a clear winner or loser cannot be distinguished."

"A close game? A match must have a result, who will be the winner or who will be the loser?" Dai Li asked questioningly.

"It depends on luck. The victory belongs to the lucky," the system answered without hesitation.

"In other words, it is possible to lose. Why would there be such a weird badge? The point of playing is to win. If I use this badge, it would be difficult for me to predict the result of the game. The badge is useless!" Dai Li complained.

"Of course it works. If your athlete is much weaker than his opponent, then at least he can compete with him. Even if he loses, it won't be too embarrassing. If he is lucky enough, he will win," the system said. "The title is different from the title you won before. 'Close game' acts on the whole game. When you use it, the other props and skills that are part of the game lose their effect until the end of the game."

"So, as long as I use it, then such things as status scale and morale booster will be useless the game is over until the end of the game, right?" Dai Li asked immediately.

"You are right, but athletes' patches and age-reduction cards stay effective because they do not directly effect on the game," the system added. "The second limitation is that this title can only be used in one-on-one sports. For example, it can be used for tennis, badminton, fencing, boxing, judo, wrestling. This title is not allowed in such sports as track and field, shooting, diving, gymnastics, and swimming."

"That is to say it can only be used in those sports where two athletes face off against each other, right?" Dai Li asked.

"It can also be used in team sports, such as basketball, football, and volleyball. In those sports, there can still be confrontations on two sides, so the 'evenly matched' can be useful," the system answered.

Li nodded, but he didn't know how to make use of this title now. If he used it to make the weaker lose respectably, just as the System had told him, it would not be that helpful.

Dai Li put the new title aside, pointed to the cylinder and asked, "What's this?"

"It's a prophecy box for drawing lots," the system answered.

Hearing the word "prophecy", Dai Li could not help but feel refreshed. He immediately thought of predicting the future.

The system went on to explain. "The prophecy box can predict the results of the decisions you make. It can tell you if the decision will result in the luckiest draw, a lucky draw, a general draw, a bad draw, or the worst draw. The luckiest draw is the best decision, while the worst draw is the worst decision.

"For example. If you are the head coach of a football team and your team isn't score, you need to substitute a player. You have to draw lots. If you get the luckiest draw and it reads replace player B with player A, then that is the best decision you can make at the time.

"If you get a general draw, and it reads replace player B with player A, then it means it is a neutral decision. If you get the worst draw, and it reads replace player B with player A, then that is the worst decision you can make."

Dai Li nodded, "I get it, it means the cylinder is useful. As long as I draw lots several times, I'm sure I will get the luckiest draw, which means I will always make the best decision."

"That's impossible. If you go to the temple to draw lots, it is impossible for you to draw lots until you get the luckiest draw. You have only one chance. Take the example I gave earlier; if you decide to change a player you've only got one draw," said the system.

Dai Li shook his head disappointedly. "As you have said, it will be useful if I get a lucky draw or the luckiest draw, but it will be useless if I get a bad draw or the worst draw. I'm not going to make a terrible change based on the worst draw.

"But if you get the worst draw, you can avoid a terrible choice," the system added. "If you already know a choice is terrible, you can avoid a wrong decision."

"You've got a point there. Just as you said, this is a useful prop." Dai Li thought of those TV quiz shows, where there was always an option to "get rid of one wrong answer." For a multiple-choice question with four alternative answers, getting rid of one wrong answer was very helpful.

In fact, in a formal game, coaches had limited options. Being able to get rid of the worst decision meant the chances of making the right decision drastically increased.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 534: Dai Li Saved U.S. Track and Field

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Shawn Ford won the men's 200-meter, which was the fifth gold medal won by the U.S. track and field team that day.

On the fifth day, the U.S. track and field team won four medals in a single day. This day was even better, as they secured five.

This was the U.S. track and field team's 18th gold medal at this Olympics. They had already broken the record for the number of track and field gold medals won by the United States.

Between the 1980s and the 1990s was the best time for the U.S. track and field team.

In 1984, a total of 19 countries and regions did not participate in the Los Angeles Olympics due to the boycott of the Soviet bloc. The Soviet Union and Germany were among those that did not participate. This made the U.S. a dominant team at that Olympics and the home team won 16 gold medals in track and field events.

At the Seoul Olympics in 1988, there was a drop in the number of U.S. gold medals as the Soviet bloc participated in the Olympics. However, the U.S. track and field team still won 13 gold medals in track and field.

At the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the U.S. track and field team won 12 gold medals. In the subsequent Olympics, the team could win about 10 gold medals each time.

Now, the US team had already won 18 gold medals in track and field, a record for the US team, and the events were not over yet.

The busiest man that night was Frey, the COO of the U.S. Track and Field Association. He was constantly on the phone and made promises to one sponsor after another. He worked until morning without a rest, but he never tired.

The next morning, a headline appeared on the front page of most newspapers in the U.S.: "How the Best U.S. Track and Field Team Came to Be!"

Eighteen gold medals was the team's new record, so it was fair to call them the best U.S. track and field team. Before the Olympics began, no one thought highly of the team. The media called them the worst team ever.

Eight days had passed and the U.S. team had completely changed. It went from being the worst team ever to the best team ever.

The recent performance-enhancing drug scandal was fading from the public's conscience. Ordinary people are always forgetful. When they saw America's good performance at the Olympics, no one paid attention to their past missteps.

Dai Li, the head coach of the U.S. team, was also in the spotlight

It was controversial when Dai Li first took over as head coach of the U.S. team. As a non-American coach, no one thought highly of Dai Li at that time. However, Dai Li trained the best U.S. team ever, so everyone's attitude towards him changed radically.

The original questions and criticisms about Dai Li were gone. On the contrary, he now got all kinds of flattery.

Just as Dai Li put it, nationality and race don't matter at all in the face of gold medals. The glory of honor will overshadow everything.

People get used to judging a person by his success or failure. This is true in competitive sports; the one wins is the hero.

Although the Olympic spirit of solidarity and fraternity was chanted at each Olympics and although the phrase "friendship first, competition second" was often mentioned, none of the athletes participated in the Olympics just with the aim of promoting friendship. If they really wanted to promote friendship, a meal at a restaurant or a drink at a bar would be far more effective than a fierce competition.James was a well-known sports commentator. He did free-lance work with many different media outlets.

Right now, James was sitting at his computer and watching the Olympics.

The phone rang and James saw it was a call from the editor of a sports magazine. Sports magazines sold well in the United States, and James had worked with this magazine before.

James didn't hesitate at all, so he muted the TV and answered the mobile phone.

"Hello, Mr. Julian. This is James speaking, I'm so glad to hear from you," said James.

"James, are you free today? I need your manuscripts and I need them today," Julian, the magazine's editor, said.

When James heard that Julian wanted his manuscripts, he was instantly refreshed because he knew he could make money. He said immediately, "Mr. Julian, of course I'm free today. If you want, I can work for you all day. What kind of manuscripts do you need?"

"I need articles about the head coach of the U.S. track and field team, Dai Li," Julian replied.

"That Chinese coach again,? I've written about him before, should I write the same things?" James asked immediately.

A month ago, James published several articles questioning Dai Li's coaching ability and his criteria for selecting athletes. James also concluded that the U.S. team would fail under Dai Li. Two of these articles were published in this sports magazine.

James' conclusion was wrong. Julian said, "Mr. James, didn't you pay attention to the news this morning? This U.S. track and field team has been named the best team in American history. Our track and field team has won 18 gold medals and they're expected to win more. Readers want to hear the good news, so we can't belittle the head coach who leads his team to consistent wins!"

"Well, Mr. Julian, what do you mean?" James asked.

"We're going to sing his praises! You need to praise him, it should be quite easy for you," Julian said.

"But I just published some articles criticizing him a month ago. Two of them were published in your magazine," said James.

"So what? Everything is changing. We are a sports magazine, so we write what readers love to read. A month ago, readers wanted to hear criticism of Dai Li, so we criticized him. Now, readers want good news. They want to see a winner, so we are going to show them Dai Li is one." Julian paused before saying, "Mr. James, you have to understand that our magazines sell well only if we publish what the readers want to read. In order for us to pay you, we need the magazines to sell well."

"I see.," James reluctantly agreed.

Being a professional sports commentator, James still wanted to be able to give his professional opinion without being interfered with, rather than acting like a buffoon. F with reality, he had to make compromises.

"You want me to compliment Dai Li? It's OK, I will do as you want. I will describe the Chinese coach as the world's top coach!"

James opened his computer indignantly, thought for a while and finally decided his title:

"Dai Li saved U.S. Track and Field!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 535: The Luckiest Draw

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

"He Saved American Track and Field!"

"Chinese Coach Becomes the Savior of the American Track and Field!"

"From Weakest to Strongest, He Made the American Track and Field Team Comeback!"

Looking at the titles of articles, James realized that he was actually a man of principles compared to these sports reporters. At least his article was not as exaggerated.

Generally speaking, it was normal for American reporters to use a flashy title to attract readers' attention. Sometimes, the content had nothing to do with the title at all.

James sighed helplessly. He was a professional sport commentator and he wanted to provide readers with a more professional analysis. Unfortunately, he had to yield to the market to survive. Therefore, he wrote the article that readers wanted to read, rather than those that he wanted to write.

When can I end this kind of life? Feeling depressed, James stood up and opened a bottle of whiskey, hoping alcohol could make him feel better.

Meanwhile, Dai Li was speaking to American journalists in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Today was the eighth day of track and field events, and only two events were scheduled for the day: the men's 5km and the women's 20km heel-and-toe walking race. These two events were not held in Maracana Stadium. The American team was not like to win the gold medal in these two events, so they didn't have their hopes up. Dai Li had no real competitions all the day, so he had time to do interviews.

The journalist this time was arranged by U.S. Track and Field Association. The company the journalist worked for got several great advertising contracts from the association, so the journalist was going to report something that benefited the association.

Because of this, the questions the journalist asked were favorable to the team. He actually tried to stay away from any unpleasant information about the American team.

"Coach Li, as of yesterday, our team has won 18 gold medals. This is the best result in the history of American track and field team at the Olympic Games. There are three days left until the end of the Olympics so, may I ask you, how many gold medals do you think your team will win by the end?" This was the journalist's last question.

"As of right now, we won't have a problem getting 20 gold medals. We are still favored in the relay race. However, I am not setting my target at 20." Dai Li paused for a while and said, "I want my team to win more than 25 gold medals by the end."

"25!" The journalist was astonished. He said, "Coach Li, you see, on the last day, the marathon is the only track and field event. Therefore, track and field events are only tonight and tomorrow. That means that your team has to win at least 7 gold medals in those two days."

"It's a little difficult, but not impossible. I have faith," said Dai Li confidently.

The journalist nodded. He took his recording pen and put it into his pocket. He asked, "Coach Li, your answer to my last question may be controversial. Should I make some modification or just report it as you said?"

Dai Li immediately understood the journalist, who was afraid that Dai Li would come across too braggy.

It's normal to talk big before a game in American culture. Why doesn't it work for me? Dai Li complained in his head. Out loud, he said, "It doesn't matter. Just report it as I said. You'll hear the good news by tomorrow night.""Interview with Dai Li, the Head Coach of Track and Field Team: His goal is 25 gold medals"

In the afternoon, this headline was all over America.

A conversation could be heard in the coach lounge of the University of Oregon.

"25 gold medals? How dare he say that!" A bearded coach said angrily, pointing to the tablet computer in his hand. "There are only 13 track and field events that have not yet been decided. If he wants to win 25 gold medals, he has to win 7 from the remaining 13 events. It's impossible!"

"Take it easy," Coach Logan waved his hand to motion the man to calm down. "Young men are always arrogant after success. Even if he can't win 25 gold medals, he can surely win 20, which is still a record. Could any of you do that?"

"Dai Li is just lucky. These achievements belong to the powerful athletes!" said a coach angrily.

"Do you think that he is just lucky? Would you have let Muller on our team without tryouts? Would you have the guts?" Logan snorted and went on, "I told you before, every successful person has quality and merit that others don't. If you were the same quality, you would as successful as him."

"Well, I know I'm not as good as him. I just can't stand his arrogance! He's a mean guy," the bearded coach said.

"If he were an American coach, would you think so?" Logan said indifferently. "We American people have thought of ourselves as the best for too long, and we naively think that the other countries are inferior to us. When countries less advanced than us make progress, our first reaction is to deny it and say it's fake. In fact, sometimes our subjective judgment is totally opposed to reality. We always believe what is most appealing. Maybe we need to lose badly so we realize that we aren't as great as we think we are."After seeing the journalist off, Dai Li started to consider the competitions that night.

In that night's field, there were only two preliminary events, the men's and women's 4x400m relay races. Considering strong the American team was in 400m events, it would be fairly easy to win these two gold medals. Dai Li didn't have to worry about these two preliminary games.

Other than the relay races, the other events were finals. That night was the women's pole vault, the men's weight throw, the women's 5000m running, the men's and women's 4x100m relay race.

No American athlete qualified for the final of men's weight throw. With Kenya and Ethiopia in the competition, it was nearly impossible for other countries to win the gold medal in women's 5000m running. As for the women's pole vault, many strong European athletes were qualified in the final so it might be hard for American athletes to win the gold medal. However, it was possible for them to win one medal.

Dai Li mainly focused on men's and women's 4x100m relay race.

This event had been viewed with respect for a long time. It was seen as a way to measure a country's overall sprinting ability.

Before the rise of the Jamaicans, the American team had always been dominant in both the men's and women's 4x100m relay race. The American team always won the championship as long as they didn't make any mistakes.

However, the Jamaican team had overshadowed the American team in sprinting events recently, and they had won the gold medal for the 4100 relay race for two consecutive years. Many people regarded Jamaica as the largest sprinting power in the world.

The Jamaican team doesn't have Gittell in the men's relay race, so they are much weaker than before. Our team has Alexander and Ford. This time the Jamaican team is not better than the American team.

It will be harder for the women's team. In the 100m dash and the 200m dash, there were two Jamaican females that were competitive. The women on my team can't be compared to them, even with the help of my title "continuous iron chain". Our probability of winning is just 50-50.

I need to find a way to increase our chance of winning. Li thought for a while and remembered the new prop he received recently.

Should I try that prophecy box? Maybe it can help me. Thinking this, Dai Li entered the system and took out that prophecy box.

He shook it a few times and one bamboo stick came out from the box.

Dai Li took up the stick and saw two words on it: the luckiest.

The luckiest draw! I'm lucky. Dai Li couldn't help looking down and he saw a few words appeared on the stick:

"Let Halyna Bob be the third runner."

"Let Halyna Bob be the third runner? Is this the luckiest draw? Really? How can it be the luckiest draw? I think it's more like the worst draw. I must have read it wrong," Dai Li talked to himself.

Halyna Bob was only 19 years old. She was the worst among the four athletes in the relay race and she had the least experience. If the American team had not been affected by the drug scandal, she would not have had the chance to even be in the relay race because more famous sprinters would have been available.

In the relay race, the weakest runner was always the first runner. The one strong at sprinting went second, the one with the best overall ability went third, and the most powerful went fourth.

Generally, the third and the fourth runner were the most significant. The third runner was an important link and, therefore, was often the most trusted by the coach.

On the American team, Halyna Bob was the first runner.

Dai Li dared not expect too much of her. She was not fast enough and was too young. However, she was youthfulness gave her a quick reaction time. This qualified her to be the first runner.

Nevertheless, the luckiest draw said that Halyna should be the important third runner. It really was the worst decision Dai Li could think of.

"How can I put Halyna in such an important position? She is not the fastest, most able, most stable, or most experienced. More importantly, she just learned how to pass the baton and she never learned how to receive the baton at all! Maybe the luckiest draw is wrong," said Dai Li.

A difference between the first runner and the third was that the first one only had to pass the baton, while the third runner not only had to pass the baton but also had to receive the baton. This made being the third runner more complicated.

The transfer of the baton in the relay was not simple. The runner who received the baton should run slowly at first before receiving the baton. Given the speed of the athletes, the transfer of baton was not easy work.

Besides, it would be a foul if the athletes didn't complete the transfer within the passing zone. The passing zone was only 20 meters long. It was a quite long distance, but it only took 10s for athletes to finish 100m. Therefore, the athletes only had two seconds to complete the transfer of the baton. Neither side could make any mistakes or they would lose the whole competition.

As Halyna Bob was the first runner, she didn't need to receive the baton. She just practiced passing without practicing receiving. Without regarding her ability or experience, how dare Dai Li let the athlete who hadn't practiced receiving the baton be the third runner.

At this time, the system in Dai Li's head said, "Don't doubt the prophecy box. The power of the prophecy box is not telling you which decision is the best or the worst but it's telling you its prophecy."

"I see. You mean that the decision of the prophecy box must be correct." Dai Li nodded, but he was still hesitating whether he should believe the words of the luckiest draw.

Then the system spoke again, "You humans are always afraid of the unknown. How much are you willing to pay to know the future?"

Dai Li was still hesitant but he didn't know how to respond to that question.

"I don't know," Dai Li shook his head. "I don't know how much it will cost."

"You think that any cost is too high for the ability of prophecy, right?" asked the system.

"You are trying to remind me of the value of prophecy?" asked Dai Li.

The system didn't say anything, and Dai Li knew what to do.

"Well, I'll let Halyna Bob be the third runner just as the luckiest draw indicated I should!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 536: Drop the Baton

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The first event of the night was the final of the women's pole vault.

Just as Dai Li expected, although the American athlete tried her best and she got the perfect state twice with the help of Dai Li's prop, she came in third place.

The Russian queen of pole vault had dominated this event for more than ten years. She must have been a S-level athlete. Although she was 32 years old now, she was still in excellent shape. As long as she was in the competition, the gold medal was hers.

Next was the final of the men's weight throw. Since no American athletes were qualified for this final, they just watched the game for fun. The next event was the final of the women's 5000m running, which was actually a competition between Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes. The other countries had no opportunity to win any medals at all.

In this event, the American athlete was expected to run 15.08s, while the Kenyan athletes could finish the race within 14.30s. It might be a gap of more than 40s, which was like two different races. Compared with the two African giants, even American athletes fell behind. The other countries had no chance of winning at all.

After the end of women's 5000m running, five gold medals had been decided in the eighth day, including the two gold medals of the heel-and-toe walking race. The American team only got one bronze medal, which was much worse than the previous days.

The last two events of the day were the women's 4x100m relay and the men's 4x100m relay. The two superpowers of sprinting, America and Jamaica, would confront each other once again.The head coach of Jamaica, Fraser, was confident in his female athletes.

In the two previous sprinting events, the 100m dash and 200m dash, the Jamaican male athletes were defeated by the American athletes. Alexander and Ford won the two gold medals. In women's events, two powerful Jamaican female athletes dominated. They had won the gold medal and the silver medal respectively. So, in this Olympic Games, the Jamaican female athletes performed better than the male ones.

Those two Jamaican female athletes were really powerful. They were ranked number one and the number two in the world now, while American athletes were ranked third and fourth. However, affected by the drug scandal, those two American athletes didn't participate in this Olympics.

The relay race was a group sport involving four athletes. Since the best American athletes were not there and most of the best Jamaican athletes attended the game, the advantage the Jamaican team had was obvious.

Beyond that, the Jamaican team had won the gold medal for the 4x100m relay the last two Olympic Games. This proved that Coach Fraser was proficient in relay training. Without a doubt, Fraser helped those two Jamaican female athletes perform better.

Fraser was determined to win the gold medal for the women's 41x00m relay. In fact, he knew that, with the Jamaican team's strength, they certainly could win as long as they didn't make any mistakes. Therefore, Fraser tried to be steady in his strategy. He would rather waste time in the baton transfer than make any unnecessary mistakes.

When all eight teams and 32 athletes were on the field, the track seemed to be bustling.

Fraser looked to the American team, and suddenly he felt so astonished.

"What's going on? Is the third runner Halyna Bob?" Fraser couldn't help asking his assistant next to him.

The assistant took out his phone. After careful checking the roster, the assistant finally gave Fraser an answer. "Coach, you are right. The third runner is indeed Halyna Bob."

"In the preliminary, Halyna was the first runner, right? According to our information, she is the worst athlete of the American team, with low ability and little experience. How could such kind of athlete be put as the third runner! What's wrong with that Chinese coach?" Fraser couldn't help looking at Dai Li, who was just staring at the track.

What is he trying to do? Fraser became alert.

In fact, Dai Li was not confident now. He had never used the prophecy box before and he didn't know what the luckiest draw would bring him. According to Dai Li's professional judgment, it was really a bad decision to let Halyna be the third runner.

Dai Li was nervous but, as the head coach of the American team, he had to pretend to be calm so others would feel confident and optimistic.

Next to Dai Li, Downey wanted to say something several times but he couldn't decide what to say.

Downey was also confused about this arrangement. He knew that Halyna was the weakest among the four athletes and she shouldn't be the third runner. He wanted to ask Dai Li why he had arranged it this way and whether he had any secrets that Downey didn't know about.

However, Downey knew that every time when he doubted Dai Li, Dai Li appeared confident and determined. This meant to Downey that Dai Li always thought he was doing what was best. Additionally, every time so far, Dai Li had been right.

Downey didn't want to see Dai Li's arrogant face or to embarrass himself, so this time he didn't ask Dai Li.

Halyna Bob herself was also nervous.

Both in her daily training and in the preliminary match for the Olympic Games, she was the first runner. In relay races, the easiest part was first and there was less pressure on the first athlete, so young Halyna didn't feel nervous at all when she thought she was running first.

Now, Halyna was running the most important part in the final of the Olympic Games, which really made Halyna confused and nervous.

Halyna knew how to receive the baton, but hadn't practiced it at all recently. It was completely different for athletes who hadn't trained. Psychologically, the athletes were not confident if they hadn't practiced.In the athletes' lounge of Maracana Stadium, the athletes running the men's 4x100m relay were preparing for the match. The TV screen on the wall of the lounge was displaying the live match.

"Coach Li changed his line-up!" Alexander pointed at the screen. "Halyna Bob is the third runner. Am I seeing this?"

"It's her. Why did Coach Li make her the third runner?" Shawn Ford was also confused.

In the men's relay race, Shawn Ford was arranged as the third runner, which proved that Dai Li trusted him. In fact, Ford's leg length discrepancy made him the best one for the bend. No one was faster than Ford in the bend. After all, no other world-class athlete had leg length discrepancy.

Ford knew the significance of the third runner. In Ford's opinion, it was obviously a mistake to let young Halyna be the third runner. She was bad in technique and had little experience.

Alexander frowned as he said, "If someone is hurt and a substitute comes in, it's acceptable to adjust the order of the four athletes. There's no substitute, though. I really don't understand the adjustment."

"Coach Li must have his reasons. We can't understand it because we are not good enough to understand Coach Li's strategy," Ford seemed confident. "Maybe we won't know his reason until Halyna gets passed the baton."

"You're probably right," Alexander nodded.

The two started to praise Dai Li, while the other athletes, especially those from other countries, became more confused after hearing their conversation.

Both of them were champions of the Olympic Games. One was the winner of the men's 100m dash and the other the winner of the men's 200m dash. They were the two strongest athletes in the world and both of them said they didn't understand Dai Li's strategy at all. They couldn't understand why they put so much faith in him.

Only the two other American athletes understood. They knew that both Alexander and Ford were trained by Dai Li. They were his fans. They never missed a chance to boast about Dai Li.The referee signaled all the first runners to the starting line. When all of them were prepared, the women's 4x100m relay race began.

All the first runners started smoothly. The start reaction time of American athlete was 0.151s, while the Jamaican athlete was 0.160s. Obviously, the Jamaican athletes were following their coach's strategy. Considering their advantage, they tried to perform steadily, so they didn't want to pursue the fastest starting speed.

The athlete with the fastest start reaction was English, and it was 0.113s. Apparently, she didn't start after hearing the gunshot but beat the gun. She nearly got a false start.

Generally, the first runner wasn't often the strongest on the team, and many teams let a weak athlete be the first runner.

However, the American team arranged Halyna as the third one, while the third runner was put first, which made the American team have an advantage in the beginning. The American team had a powerful athlete as the first runner, while the other teams just fine ones. Therefore, the gap became obvious very soon. The American team was in the lead after the first changeover.

The American athlete's changeover is quite smooth. The head coach of the Jamaican team, Fraser, realized that the American team's first changeover was faster than the Jamaican team's.

That Chinese coach seems to know that the American team is inferior to us in terms of strength. Therefore, they focused on the changeover, hoping to save time in the process. It's a good idea, but it's too naive, Fraser thought with a disdainful smile on his face.

Although the Jamaican team fell behind the American team, Fraser was not worried at all. The last two athletes on the Jamaican relay team were their best. They had won the gold medal in the women's 100m dash and 200m dash respectively. Having them both on the same team was like having double insurance.

According to Fraser's plan, if both of the women performed well, the Jamaican team would win the championship easily. If only one of them performed well, the Jamaican team still might win the championship. If neither of them performed well, and the Americans did, it might be possible that the Jamaican team loses the gold medal.

The second runner was almost finished and Fraser was still smiling.

In the 4x100m relay, the second runner ran the shortest distance. Runners completed the changeover in the process of running, so the runner should start running before the passing of the baton. While the passing zone was set in the joint part between the bend and the straight, the runner who ran the straight would run a little farther. Therefore, the second runner would run a little shorter distance.

The second runner was responsible for the sprinting part in the straight. Therefore, the most powerful athlete would not be sent as the second runner. Besides, since the distance for the second runner was quite short, so it was difficult to widen the gap.

After the second runner was done, the American team was still in the lead.

However, the American team's third runner was Halyna Bob. She was not a strong athlete, while the other teams all put their best athletes in third. The Jamaican team had one of their two strongest, a really powerful runner.

When the third runner started to run and was prepared for the changeover, Dai Li began to be nervous.

It's time to see whether the luckiest draw was correct or wrong. Dai Li stared at the field, holding his breath.

Athletes began to enter the passing zone, and the second changeover was about to begin.

Halyna has not practiced receiving the baton. I hope she can make it.

Halyna reached back with one hand, and the second runner put the baton directly in Halyna's hand and she grasped it tightly.

She made it! Dai Li was relieved to see this.

Halyna caught the baton. Her hand holding the baton naturally swung from behind her to in front of her. However, when her hand moved forward, the baton flew out of her hand.

She dropped the baton! Li watched the baton fly out of Halyna's hand and to the front.

Dai Li couldn't remain calm anymore. He knew they were going to fail now.

The baton was dropped! How the hell is that the luckiest draw! Dai Li cursed in his head.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 537: The Power of the Luckiest Draw

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Halyna threw the relay baton into the sky.

Surprised shouts arose in the crowd.

Dai Li couldn't control his anger and nearly shouted out.

Frazer smirk, very pleased.

Halyna was the one to blame.

During the changeover process, there was no mistake at all. It was perfect until Halyna held the relay baton in her hand.

It went so well, of course, because Dai Li who had the "continuous iron chain" title. He never worried about the changeover.

When Halyna took the relay baton, she didn't hold it tight and let it fly out of her hand, a huge and terrible mistake.

Before the contest, Halyna had never been trained to take the relay baton, only trained to hand over it. This was one of the reasons for her terrible mistake, but another was that she was under a lot of pressure. The third runner is so critical that Halyna, a young athlete, was shouldering too much of the burden. That was the fundamental reason for her fault.

The U.S. team has lost!

Almost everyone who was there, Dai Li included, thought this and couldn't bear to watch.

The relay baton flew away towards the front of the race.

The two athletes from Jamaica were making their second changeover in that direction.

Jamaica was in the lane beside the U.S. team, and they were in their passing zone. The U.S. team had accumulated a lead in the first round, which meant that when Halyna threw the relay baton away, the Jamaican team was still passing the baton.

At that moment, the two Jamaicans noticed her fault and the relay baton flying towards them.

When she lost the relay baton, Bob realized that she had made an unforgivable mistake that could destroy the U.S. team's chance to win.

She tried to do something instinctively, bending forward and reaching her hand to grab the relay baton. She did it! Of course, she almost dropped it but it didn't fly off the track thanks to her flexibility.

Halyna, moving like an acrobat, pulled the U.S. team back from defeat.

Thanks to her young body, she could move quickly enough to grab the relay baton again. Had she been an older athlete at that moment, they would have lost the game already.

"Woo!" Dai Li breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank god! Not losing the relay baton is a lucky turn of events. Dai Li comforted himself with this thought.

Dai Li knew that, although Halyna didn't lose it, at least 0.3s were wasted because of the loss of momentum. This was considerable in a race like the 4100m.

Halyna was just a common athlete who had made a mistake and lost some time, so Dai Li had expected them to lose to the Jamaicans.

However, at that moment, something unbelievable happened: The Jamaican athletes slowed down. They almost stopped, to be exact.

The Jamaican team stopped at the edge of the passing zone.

What was more shocking was that the relay baton hadn't been passed.

Their changeover failed! Dai Li realized at once.

Next to Dai Li, Fraser's expression froze instantly.

The passing zone in the 4100m was only 20m. Actually, before taking over the relay baton, one must start running. Therefore, when they received the baton, they were going as fast as they could. That meant that it took no more than two seconds for top athletes to run out of the passing zone. In other words, the changeover must be finished within two seconds.

You only got one chance for a changeover in two seconds. If the changeover is completed within two seconds, the athletes have to slow down, or even stop running, in order to get the baton in the passing zone. Only then could they start running again without breaking the rules and getting an invalid result.

Obviously, the Jamaican team made such a mistake.

They had to stop to pass the relay baton and speed up again. It was a disaster in a race like this. When such things happened they could just give up. They had lost seconds.

As expected, the third runner of the Jamaican team stopped first, took the relay baton and started running again. Eventually, the Jamaican runner was behind 7 runners. Compared to the U.S. athlete, she was behind by two seconds.

What on the earth happened just now? Why did they make such a horrible fault? Dai Li was confused. Halyna had all his attention at that moment, so he didn't notice how they made that mistake.

Most other people watching had been paying attention to Halyna too, so most people didn't realize that the Jamaican runners failed at the changeover until the Jamaican runner stopped on the verge of the passing zone.

The female sprinter tried her best to catch up, but she could do little now, although she was much faster than the other athletes. Even though two of the fastest runners fastest runners in the world were on the Jamaican team, making up for two seconds was impossible.

Meanwhile, the third runner, Halyna, was trying her best to run hard.

Halyna knew that she had made an unforgivable mistake. Although she hadn't lost the relay baton, she had still wasted some time. She wanted to make up for what she had lost.

Actually, her mentality changed after her mistake. Before, she had been worried about how she would negatively affect the team. After the mistake, the pressure was off. It was like a wealthy man who lived in fear of losing everything had just been robbed. Now that he had nothing, he was fearless.

After unloading her burden, she was fearless and courageous.

Halyna was brave and her shame led her to a nearly flawless performance. Compared with the other third runners, she did much better than she was expected to

Eventually, she rushed into the passing zone and handed the relay baton over to the fourth runner.

The fourth runner from the U.S. ran out of the passing zone while the Jamaican team was still in the process of passing the baton.

Although the Jamaican team was very powerful, they could do nothing about a two-second gap.

Without the threat of the Jamaican team, the U.S. team was the most powerful contender.

After entering into the last leg of the race, the U.S. team acquired a huge lead. They were nearly half a second ahead of the team in second.

"We did it!" Dai Li was relieved and, eventually, looked at the Jamaican team.

The champion of the hundred-meters dash was in last, but she didn't give up and still exerted herself in an attempt to catch up, despite knowing it was useless.

What happened in their second changeover? Dai Li wondered.

The U.S. team whose speed was 41.36s was the first to break the tape and if Halyna hadn't made such a mistake, it might have been 41′. The mistake cost 0.3 seconds.

The Jamaican team, which had been most likely to win, came in last.

When the U.S. athletes hugged to celebrate their victory, the big screen showed a replay of Halyna making her mistake. Then, it showed what happened in the Jamaican team's changeover.

The replay showed that the relay baton was flying towards the Jamaica athletes when they were passing the baton. To take back the relay baton, Halyna bent forward to grab it, right in the direction of the Jamaican athletes.

The two Jamaican athletes were in their changeover when Halyna seemed to run towards them so they dodged instinctively, missing their best chance at the changeover.

The two experienced athletes realized it immediately and they decided to do baton exchange again. They didn't cooperate with each other well, and the runner about to receive baton reached her hand back but the runner behind her didn't hand it over in time. Then, when the one handing over the baton was ready, the runner ahead didn't open her hand.

It was similar to how when a car and pedestrian come to a crosswalk at the same time and they both stop to let the other go. Then, both attempt to go at the same time.

After missing the best chance at the changeover, both of them wanted to compromise with the other. They hadn't been able to complete the changeover by the end of the passing zone.

The big screen showed the scene again and again and Dai Li finally figured out to the Jamaican team.

"That's it? Unbelievable!" Dai Li said, filled with surprise.

Suddenly, Dai Li realized that without Halyna's fault, the Jamaican team wouldn't have been interrupted. They might have finished the changeover instead of making such a fatal mistake.

If the Jamaican team had avoided the fault, it would have been hard to predict whether the Jamaican team or the U.S. team would have one.

It was Halyna's fault that interrupted the Jamaican team, which led to their defeat.

Dai Li shook his head and the "Luckiest Draw" came back into his mind. He finally realized why the prediction box said Halyna Bob was the most suitable one to be the third runner.

"Without their mistake, we really don't know if we would have won or not. Halyna being the third runner was really the best choice!"

Donny looked at the big screen, astonished.

He had always thought the U.S. team could win, but he had never thought they would win in this way.

Mr. Li put Halyna in third, what a wonderful result it is! Donny looked at Dai Li and it occurred to him that the coach might have arranged it in advance.

"It can't be a tactic designed in advance. If the opponent hadn't been interrupted and Halyna did lose the baton, it would've been a disaster. No coach would have such a risky strategy."

In the athletes' lounge, Alexander and Ford watched the TV, amazed.

"I can't believe a team can win like this! Was it arranged in advance?" Alexander mumbled to himself.

"It couldn't have been arranged in advance! How could it be possible to arrange for an athlete to lose her baton," Ford said.

"If that wasn't arranged in advance, then why did Coach Li put Halyna in third? She did make a mistake, wasn't it a terrible idea?" Alexander replied.

"How could it be possible? Coach Li does not make bad decisions. His choices are always the best!" Ford shook his head.

"So I guess it was planned in advance. Maybe the Jamaicans' mistake was part of his plan as well," Alexander muttered.

The athletes beside Alexander looked at him and wondered what was wrong with this new hundred-meter champion.

What kind of idiot would believe a coach would purposely put in an athlete planning for them to make a mistake?

Everyone in Jamaica was deeply upset.

Losing in this way was difficult for them to accept.

Jamaica was supposed to get the gold medal, but they didn't even get any medal.

Seeing the picture slowed down on the big screen, Fraser couldn't control his emotions anymore and got angry.

"That is U.S. athlete ruined the race. Our two athletes can't be interrupted! I have a complaint. I am about to file it to the IOC, the U.S. team meant to do that!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 538: 20 Gold Medals

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

The U.S. team was celebrating their gold medal when a steward came from afar towards Dai Li.

"Mr. Li, we have just received complaints from the Jamaican head coach, Fraser. He believes that what your athlete did interrupted the Jamaican athletes' performances and led to their fault in the changeover," the steward said.

"Nonsense! We nearly lost our relay baton," Dai Li replied, the smile on his face disappeared.

"Mr. Li, according to regulations, if someone files a complaint, we have to follow up. Please cooperate and come with us, we need to ask you several questions." The steward had a cold expression on his face.

"All right, I will cooperate. Let's go." Dai Li said. He glared at the Jamaican team.

Dai Li didn't see Fraser in their group, so he must have gone to file his complaint.

"Fraser is such a sore loser." Dai Li curled his lip.

Following the steward, Dai Li went into an office. Fraser was there too. Other than them, a referee, his two assistants, and three other stewards were in the office.

"Everybody is set," the chief steward said. "Both of you please present your arguments. Mr. Fraser, you filed the complaint, so you go first."

Fraser nodded and said, "I believe the U.S. team broke regulations when they purposely interrupted our athletes, which led to a mistake in our changeover. It is very unfair to leave the situation like this, I request a rematch!"

The steward turned around to face Dai Li and said, "Mr. Li, is there anything you wish to say?"

"Mr. Frazer's complaint is unreasonable. Our athlete didn't mean to interrupt anyone." Dai Li continued, "I bet all of you have watched the replay that showed our athlete make a mistake and nearly lose the relay baton. Thanks to her quick response, she grabbed it again. We still lost time. Is there a coach who would formulate a strategy that involved wasting time?"

Then Dai Li turned around to face Fraser and asked, "Mr. Fraser, if you were me, would you arrange such idiot tactics to interrupt your rival?"

Fraser snorted and Dai Li continued. "What's more, if our athlete lost control of the relay baton, we would have lost the race. In addition, if you had succeeded in the changeover, then we would have wasted our time for nothing. Is that reasonable?"

The stewards nodded, discussed it together, then said, "We have listened to both of your statements. We discussed it and we believe that, in this case, the U.S. team did not mean to interrupt the Jamaican team. It was an accident. Mr. Fraser, if you refuse to accept our judgement, you can continue to initiate an arbitration with the IOC after the Olympics."

Fraser knew that there were no grounds for his complaint. Dai Li was right, no coach would formulate such a foolish tactic.

Fraser was not willing to admit defeat, so he replied immediately. "Even though the U.S. team didn't mean to interrupt our athlete, they did. This is unfair to us and violates the principle of fair competition in the Olympic Games. We should get reparations. Even if we can't get a rematch we should get a chance to run again. If our time is better than theirs, you should make the U.S. team give us back the gold medal."

"Give back?" Dai Li sneered and said, "Mr. Fraser, do you mean that the gold medal belongs to your team? I believe there isn't a regulation that stipulates that the gold medal in the women's 4100m belongs to Jamaica?"

Fraser didn't care about his mockery. He wanted to get the chance to get back the gold medal.

Those stewards discussed again, going over what Frazer presented.

Dai Li knew that he had to do something right now to prevent those stewards from making a foolish decision.

Dai Li said, "Stewards, referee, if my memory serves me right, the IAAF states "an athlete has to run through the whole course with the relay baton in their hand. If one drops his baton, he can leave the track to pick it up, and if he doesn't affect other athletes, he doesn't break regulation." Am I right?"

"It is true." The referee nodded.

"According to the replay and this rule, it can be easily estimated that our athletes didn't break regulations, right?" Dai Li asked.

"Yes, all the technique movements are finished in her own track." The referee confirmed that.

"The regulation makes it plain that leaving one's own track to pick relay baton up without interrupting other athletes doesn't break regulation. If all movements are finished in one's own track, how can he interrupt others?" Dai Li said.

"Why can't it be regarded as a foul if all movements are finished in one's own track?" he retorted.

"If that is counted as illegal, then I can also file a complaint that the Jamaicans broke regulations. In the previous women's 100m, the Jamaican stared at our athlete so intensely it affected our athletes' ability." Dai Li replied.

Fraser snorted again. He didn't retort, even though he wanted to, because there was no ground for him to stand on.

Dai Li continued. "I don't deny that the Jamaican athlete made their mistake after our mistake and that there might be a causal relationship between them. That doesn't mean that we're responsible. In a relay race, it is very common to make mistakes. It is an integral part of the whole competition, we cannot replay whenever a fault happens, right?

"In conclusion, they should bear the responsibility for their own mistake. So I ask that the Competition Committee reject Mr. Fraser's unreasonable request."

In the end, the committee didn't approve Fraser's request because they knew it was unreasonable.

After that episode, the competition went on. The last event of the day was the final of the men's 4x100m.

In this event, the U.S. team was undoubtedly favored. They had, Alexander and Ford, two new Olympic champions, so they were most likely win gold.

What's more, the women's team had won with average athletes. With two champions is men's team, why shouldn't they win the gold medal in the 4100m?

Faced with the U.S. team, the Jamaican team, the two-time defending champion, lost their spirit. In the men's 100m and the men's 200m, they were beaten by the U.S. team, which made people question their ability to defend their championship.

What's worse was that the women's relay race team was beaten by U.S. team as well. They didn't even win a medal, which was a big shock to them.

In team sports, the athletes' morale is one of the most important factors. Racing when you're confident and racing when you think you're going to lose are two very different experiences.

The way in which women's team was beaten put extra pressure on men's team because now the men were worried about making the same mistake.

People always worry that unlucky accidents will recur, but athletes worry more than most people. If an athlete is injured due to a certain movement, when he recovers he is afraid to do that movement again.

Now, the Jamaican men's team was worried. The women's team had planted a dark seed in their hearts, which germinated and grew gradually. Afterwards, they would hesitate to do the right movements in their changeover, worrying about bad fortune could come again in men's team.

How could the Jamaican team compete with the powerful and confident U.S. team?

When Shawn Ford handed the relay baton over to Alexander, the U.S had such a lead it was clear they had won.

"20 gold medals! We got the 20th gold medal!" Donny was very excited.

This was not the first time for him he had participated in the Olympics with U.S. team and it was the second time he was in charge of the track team. He had never been a part of such a big win. It set him up for a chance of promotion at the U.S. Track and Field Association, a bright career waiting for him when he got home.

The best of all was that he was there to witness the moment when the U.S. was at its most powerful, which was quite an honor.

American journalists were also excited, they had thought of the title in tomorrow's news: "The U.S. Team Back on Top after Waiting 10 Years!"

On the bus back to the hotel, all the athletes on the U.S. team were excited. Dai Li was lost in thought, a file in his hand.

The file contained information about the race.

Tomorrow would be the second-to-last day of the Olympics.

On the last day of the Olympic Games, the closing ceremony would be held at Maracana Stadium. That meant that there wouldn't be any competition on the last day, so tomorrow would be the last day to win events.

There were still another eight events left. The men's marathon was actually held on the last day because it was held outside and they did not need Maracana Stadium. All of the other seven programs would be held on tomorrow.

They were all finals: the women's high jump, the men's javelin throw, the men's 1500m, the women's 800m, the men's 5000m, the women's 4400m, and the men's 4400m. According to the schedule, all seven programs were going to be held at night.

For the U.S. team, the good news was that there were talented U.S. athletes in all of the finals.

There were two 4400m relay races that the U.S. team was favored to win. The U.S. team's domination of the 400m race was suspected to cross over into the 4x400m relay. It might be said that those two gold medals had already been won by the U.S. team.

The women's high jump was a European sport and all but two of the finalists were European. However, the European players were from Spain, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Croatia, Bulgaria, Sweden, Poland, Ukraine, and Russia; one player from each country made it into the final. This meant that the competition was very intense and no country dared to say that they were definitely going to win the women's high jump project.

The men's javelin was similar to the women's long jump. There were a large number of European athletes entering the final. Generally speaking, there wasn't a big difference between the strengths of the athletes. Everyone was likely to stumble, so it was hard to say who was going to win.

In both the women's high jump and the men's javelin, the state scale could play a role. Every athlete had the opportunity to try many times and one good attempt could make them the champion.

In these two sports, where there was not too much difference in the athletes' talents, it was easier to use the state scale to fish in troubled waters. A good mental state could win an athlete the competition. If there was a big gap in talent, it would be hard for the U.S. to win a gold medal even they had good mental states every time.

Two relay races, the women's high jump, and the men's javelin throw, that's four gold medals in total. That is one gold medal away from my goal of 25. Dai Li frowned and looked at the three other programs.

The men's 5,000-meter race had traditionally been won by a pair of athletes from Africa, one from Ethiopia and one from Kenya. Although all three of the American team's competitors had qualified, it would still be difficult to win the gold medal.

There was good news about the men's 5,000m. The first round went badly wrong and no one from Kenya team made it to the final. So, the U.S. team would only have to face one of Africa's top teams.

The competition was very fierce in the women's 800m and the men's 1500m middle-distance races. In addition to Russia, Africa, South Africa, Kenya, and Uganda, Algeria also had a world-class middle-distance runner who was in the final. All of the athletes were basically at the same level, so it was hard to say who would win.

I've observed all of the athletes in these two events and I haven't found any S level or even A athletes. That is very rare in high-level sports. There will be fierce competition tomorrow!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 539: A Great Day of Miracles (Part One)

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

It was another Sunday, the second-to-last day of the Olympics.

The final for the women's high jump was starting on the field.

Two American players had advanced to the finals. One was an experienced 32-year-old athlete named Jennifer and the other was a young athlete named Ayman.

The older athlete was too old, while the younger was too young. This was thought of the entirety of the U.S. team in this Olympic Games. Influenced by the scandal of doping, the most of the American track and field team had not shown up. Therefore, it had to rely on its old athletes who were no longer in their prime and freshmen who were far from being mature.

However, the team had acquired 20 gold medals, a record for the American team.

Normally, athletes past their prime were not well regarded. However, today was different; everyone feared the older athlete because she was American

Those 20 gold medals really were scary! It showed the power of the American team. The U.S. team had brought many dark horses into competitions this year. There were veteran athletes returning to their primes and young sportsmen winning huge upsets. No one dared to doubt the team might make other miracles happen.

Dai Li was quite relaxed because all of the women were evenly matched, so the State Scale would play a big part in deciding the winner.

There were 17 athletes in that day's final. Normally there would only be 12 players in the final, but six of the women tied in the qualifier.

The initial height was 1.88 meters, which was quite easy for the women in the final. All of them made it over.

The second height was 1.93 meters, which stopped six jumpers from continuing.

Then, the height reached 1.97 meters. Ayman was knocked out here and, in the end, only five athletes were promoted: Jennifer and athletes from Spain, Bulgaria, Russia, and Italy.

Unexpectedly, the five remaining all failed to jump over the next height, which was two meters.

It was quite disappointing that, in the Olympics, none of the women could jump over two meters. The world record for this event was 2.09 meters and the Olympic record was 2.06 meters. In recent Olympics, the gold medal would be gotten by someone who jumped 2.03 meters or higher.

This being the case, the height was lowered by one centimeter, making it 1.99 meters.

Jennifer was the first to try this jump. For her, 1.99m should not be too difficult, she could easily jump it when she was young. Even though she was 32 now, it was not that hard.

She took a deep breath, ran up, jumped into the sky before and crossed over the bar quite gracefully.

1.99 meters! Her first try had been a success!

The coaches of the American team roared with joy. This successful jump had meant Jennifer should win.

This event's tiebreaker worked similarly to the way overtime does in some sports. Because Jennifer had cleared the bar on her first try, everyone else only got one try to make it as well.

For example, if Jennifer succeeded in her first attempt, other athletes would be out of the running if they failed on their first try. If someone else succeeded on their first attempt, the height would be increased for the successful players and it continued until the winner was decided.

Now, the other four players needed to succeed in their first jump if they wanted to jump for the next height as Jennifer had been successful on her first try.

As a result, the pressure on the athletes left to go increased. Their three tries had just turned into one.

Affected by the pressure, the Italian and Croatian athletes failed and were kicked out, putting more pressure on the other two players.

The Russian jumper followed also failed, meaning that she, together with the failed Italian and Croatian players, would earn bronze medals at least.

The high jump permits multiple people to win bronze and silver medals, but the gold medal is only given to one.

So, the eliminated hoped that the still-untested Spanish athlete also failed. If she failed, the four of them would be tied for second place and they would all get silver medals instead of bronze ones.

Their wishes came true. The Spanish athlete bumped the bar down and then failed. The four of them all got the silver medals.

The gold medal was Jennifer's."21 gold medals now!" Downey had a huge smile on his face. "With the last 4400 meters relay races, we will get 23 gold medals!

"23 gold medals aren't enough. As I said before, we are aiming 25 gold medals," Dai Li told him.

"Haven't you given up on that yet? 25 gold medals, that's quite difficult. We are still two away from that goal. Getting 23 gold medals is excellent. There are 47 gold medals in total for track and field events and we got half of them. Isn't that satisfying? No team in track and field history has ever been able to get 23 gold medals in just one year!" Downey said.

"Well, we may be witnessing a 24th winner soon enough." As Dai Li said this, he pointed at the javelin competition.

The final of the men's javelin was about to begin.

"The javelin?" Downey shook his head and said, "That has never been our strength."

"The men's pole vault was not our strength, either," Li answered with a smile.

"In the pole vault, Muller was quite competent, but we can't expect every event to have a Muller. Marcus Allen is in the final of the javelin throw. I don't believe he has the strength of Muller," Downey said.

Dai Li shook his head and explained: "In the pole vault, Muller was strong, but his opponents were also not bad. That is different from this event. Marcus Allen is not as competent, but his rivals are of similar strength. The one earning the gold medal may not be the strongest athlete as long as he overcomes the others. That means either he has to be strong or his opponents must be weak. Now that we know he isn't strong, why not pray for the weakness of his rivals?"20 minutes later, Downey had forgotten how he had questioned Li. He celebrated more than anyone else.

The American Marcus Allen had acquired the gold medal with a throw of 85.38 meters. The German player who came in second, threw for 85.32 meters, so the American team won by just six centimeters.

In the javelin event, six centimeters is a very small difference. When looked at as part of the bigger picture, six centimeter was equal to 7/10000 of the total distance. It was quite a pity for the German team to lose because of 7/10000 of the total distance. However, it was thrilling for the American team.

This win was also the worst one in the recent Olympic Games. The world record for the men's javelin was 98.48 meters and the record at the Olympics was 90.57 meters. The winners' results at the last several Olympic Games were all over 88 meters.

This echoed what Dai Li said before the event, the participants had not been very strong. As an athlete, if one wants to win, there are only two possibilities: be strong enough to overcome the others or don't be as weak as the others.

If you want to be strong, you have to work at it. If you want others to be weaker than you, it is tough to make your competition weaker. In sports, the competition is rather fair. As an athlete, it is basically impossible to weaken the competitor. The only real thing an athlete can do is become stronger and defeat his opponents on the field.On the track, the men's 1500m was about to start.

The American athlete, Lamon, was in the final of this event. Lamon was 25 years old this year. He had participated in many international competitions and won the IAAF Super Grand Prix. Being experienced and competitive, he was one of the few athletes who did not fall prey to the performance-enhancing drug scandal.

Lamon was likely to win the championship, but he was going to be challenged. Algeria, Uganda, Kenya and other African countries all had strong runners.

This was another event in which competitors were similar in terms of strength. Unlike the high jump or the javelin throw, the athlete couldn't try multiple times, so the State Scale didn't work.

It all depends on Lamon now. Dai Li took a deep breath, hoping that Lamon would pleasantly surprise him.

At the moment, Lamon was standing on the track. His mind was not on the race, however, but the awards ceremony for the men's javelin.

Lamon had arrived in Rio de Janeiro with the U.S. team 10 days ago. In the eight days of competition, he had witnessed American athletes win championships and gold medals one by one.

Among them, there was Jimmy Elvin, who had dominated an era; Justin Alexander, an athlete who had made remarkable comeback after his suspension; Shawn Ford, who many had thought had passed his prime; Elis Meter, who hadn't been supposed to make it past the first round; and Franz Muller, who hadn't even qualified. They had all won gold medals.

Just that day, he had seen the experienced Jennifer and the mediocre Marcus Allen win championships. He was in turmoil.

Lamon could win this event. He had come in first at the domestic qualifier. The doping scandal didn't affect him at all.

In comparison to Elvin, Alexander and Ford, he was young. 25 was the prime of an athlete's career.

He was more experienced than Meter and Muller. He had won the IAAF Super Grand Prix.

Compared with Jennifer and Marcus Allen, who had just won their championships, he was more talented. He wasn't a common athlete, he was the best in his event.

They can get the gold medal, so can I! When Lamon thought of winning a gold medal, he got excited and felt more confident.

In the eight days of track and field race, he had envied so many times. Every day he could see several teammates showing off their gold medals. And today, he would fight for his own gold medal.Dai Li looked at his timer.

"The runners are going a bit slow. If it continues at this speed, the final time will be more than 3 minutes and 50 seconds." He said, talking to himself.

The men's 1500m was not a split run, so the speed of the runners depended on the speed of the athletes in the front. Now, the front-runner was not very fast, so others were going more slowly.

The world record for this event was 3 minutes and 26 seconds, and the Olympic record reached 3 minutes 32 seconds. A final time of 3 minutes and 50 seconds would not be satisfying.

"The runners are slower and more energetic. The final lap will be fierce, " Downey said, standing next to Li.

"That is where Lamon's strength lies. He is not great at allocating his energy and retaining his stamina, but he is great in the final sprint," Dai Li said.

As the head coach, he was well-acquainted with the strengths and weaknesses of his athletes.

Sure enough, after entering the final lap, Lamon's pace picked up and, in the final 100 meters, he was in the lead.

"This race will be ours." Dai Li passed his own judgment.

"Will we really get 25 gold medals?" Downey suddenly realized that it was possible.

Lamon began his final sprint, crossing the finish line in first and getting exactly 3 minutes and 50 seconds, as Dai Li had expected.

Unexpectedly, the American track and field team had won 3 gold medals.

With the 4400 meters relays, the team would get 5 medals of gold.

Adding to the previous 20 gold medals, the American track and field team had actually won 25 gold medals at this Olympics.

Dai Li had been correct at his interview yesterday!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter

Chapter 540: This Time It Was the Worst Draw

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

Williams had never thought the U.S. track and field team could win 25 gold medals at the Olympics. When Lamon won the championship, he was so excited that he opened a bottle of whiskey he had kept it hidden for many years.

As long as they don't make any mistakes in the relays, they will surely win 25 gold medals. Williams smiled, then picked up his glass and took a gulp. The pungency of the wine entered his throat, but Williams closed his eyes in enjoyment.

The alcohol made Williams a bit sleepy, and his consciousness gradually blurred. Williams was so faint that he saw himself sitting in his office with lots of sponsors coming to him and putting their sponsorship contracts in front of him. Williams couldn't help laughing.

At that moment, the national anthem of the United States suddenly rang out. Williams, who had fallen asleep, woke up quickly. Then, he opened his eyes and looked at the screen of the television.

A star-spangled banner was rising slowly on the TV screen.

Isn't the award ceremony done? Williams thought. He had just been watching the awards ceremony for Lamon and had had a drink to celebrate.

Suddenly, Williams saw a female athlete standing on the podium and looking into the sky with tears, a gold medal hanging around her neck.

"That is not Lamon! Who is she? She looks familiar." Williams was surprised and he looked at the female athlete carefully until he recognized her.

"She is Serena Jones! She's an athlete in the women's 800-meter!" Williams screamed.

He realized that the women's 800-meter was held after the men's 1500-meter.

"I fell asleep, did the U.S. team win another gold medal?"Serena Jones was the only American athlete who had advanced to the finals of women's 800-meter. Still, she had gotten another gold medal for the U.S. team.

The competition had been thrilling. At the beginning of the competition, Serena had been lagging behind others. She was even last until the second half of the last lap.

In the middle of the second lap, Serena's started to pass people. In the final 100-meter sprint, she reached the top three. It wasn't until the final 30 meters that she overtook her two other rivals and won the championship.

This gold medal went beyond Dai Li's expectation. He had not expected that Serena Jones would win the gold medal.

The unpredictability is part of what makes sports so fun! Dai Li sighed and began to prepare for the next event.

The U.S. track and field team had won four gold medals in a row, including the gold medal for women's 800-meter. Now, it may not be able to win the gold medal in the men's 5000-meter.

There was an athlete that dominated the men's 5000-meter. His name was Ramsey, "the king of long-distance running," and he was from Ethiopia.

Ethiopia was the world-famous kingdom of long-distance running. Many long-distance running champions came from there. For most Ethiopians, long-distance running was seen as a way to escape poverty, so many Ethiopians had practiced long-distance running since childhood. When they became a professional athlete, they went to various countries to participate in competitions to earn bonuses.

This was the story of Ramsey. He had been born into a poverty-stricken family and later had changed his life through long-distance running. Ramsey, "the king of long-distance running," had won the championship of the men's 5000-meter and the men's 10000-meter at both the World Championship and the Olympics. In addition, he had also won numerous awards at the IAAF Grand Prix and the IAAF Diamond League. Since he had started his career, he had won almost every long-distance running competition he had entered.

There was no doubt that Ramsey was an S level athlete or that he absolutely dominated men's long-distance running. Therefore, it would be extremely difficult for other athletes to beat him and win the gold medal.

Dai Li knew that it was almost impossible for his American athletes to beat Ramsey and win the championship. Apart from Ramsey, there were two more Ethiopian runners that had advanced to the finals. Ethiopia was very good at using alternating the lead in long-distance running to control the race's pace. When Ethiopia used this tactic, they manipulated the other runners into exerting too much energy and gave themselves a big advantage.

The only country that could compete with Ethiopia in long-distance running was Kenya, another powerhouse in long-distance running. However, the Kenyan athletes had done poorly in the preliminaries, so none of them had advanced to the finals. For the athletes from other countries, they had lost a strong competitor. For the Ethiopian athletes, they had lost their only competition.

Without the competition from Kenya, Ethiopia planned to win all three medals.Dai Li scratched his head and couldn't figure out a way to snatch the gold medal from Ramsey, "the king of long-distance running."

Dai Li really wanted to win, but he couldn't. It was a terrible feeling.

The other coaches must feel the same way about the 4400 relays!

The U.S. team had a trump card in the men's 400-meter. Aylwin, "the king of men's 400-meter," dominated the event. Aylwin was seen as invincible to coaches from other countries.

How about drawing lots again? Dai Li thought of the prophecy box.

Dai Li logged in the system and began to use the box.

I hope I can get the luckiest draw so that I can snatch the gold medal from Ramsey, Dai Li thought. A bamboo stick fell from the box to the ground, and this time he thought it was "the luckiest draw" again.

The luckiest draw again? Dai Li was delighted, but he saw that the bamboo stick had fallen to the ground in the opposite direction. In other words, it was the worst draw.

It's the worst draw! Dai Li became glum.

The worst draw means the worst choice. I want to win, not lose, so drawing lots was useless. Dai Li shook his head helplessly, but he still looked at the stick.

There was a small line of words that read "let the athletes follow the pace set by the others."

Is this the worst draw? That's what I was planning on doing!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know report chapter so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report chapter