Chapter 184: Catch Up from Behind
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Sijie Yang finally caught up with Yue Zhao in the last ten meters, and was now running alongside him.
All the onlookers on the sidelines began to excitedly converse with each other. In the 100m sprint, if the winner was still not clear in the last ten meters, the final result of the match could only be determined at the moment the athletes crossed the finish line.
"His explosive force in the second half of match is very impressive! Who is this guy?"
"This athletes is also from Tsinghua University. I totally neglected him before."
"He must be a newbie. I haven't seen him before.
"No wonder he is from Tsinghua University. They really have a variety of talents. This new guy is even faster than Guohong Niu."
With different ideas in their minds, all the wide-eyed onlookers were staring at the track, waiting for the judges to determine the winner.
Clenching his fists, Dai Li started gettign nervous.
Sijie Yang has outdone himself! He is catching up! Dai Li couldn't resist the feeling of ecstasy in his heart.
Dai Li could clearly see once again the power of A-level ability. Sijie Yang's technique was not as good as Yue Zhao's, yet he was neck-and-neck with Yue Zhao, and was even in a position where he could pass Yue Zhao.
When highly gifted athletes outdid themselves, they were unstoppable.
Dai Li couldn't help remembering a series of so-called "godlike" moments, which had all been had by genius athletes. For example, Tracy McGrady, an NBA all-star, had once scored 13 points in 35 seconds, which was considered impossible for the average player, even if they were given the same opportunity.
Ability is essential for sports. Especially during high level competitions, they may be even more important than effort. Effort can be acquired, but ability is something you're born with. Mediocre athletes can change the results of a match by outdoing themselves; genius athletes, on the other hand, are invincible if they outdo themselves.
As this idea flashed in Dai Li's mind, the runners on the track reached the finish line.
Stretching his head out fiercely, Yue Zhao couldn't help glancing at Sijie Yang. He wanted to determine whether Sijie Yang had beaten him or not.
However, it seemed like Sijie Yang did not care about Yue Zhao's standing. The finish line was the only thing he could see. Sijie Yang bent over and went for the tape.
"They have crossed the finish line. Who is the winner?"
"I didn't see it clearly, what about you?"
"No, they were too fast. I really couldn't tell which one was the first to cross the line."
"It seems they reached the tape simultaneously, and that the result could not be determined with the naked eye. Let's wait for the electronic timer results."
After crossing the finish line, Sijie Yang and Yue Zhao stopped. They also did not know who had won, so they looked to the referees.
The referees were quite busy. Several referees were walking back and forth and discussing what had happened. They looked like worker bees collecting honey. None of the referees stopped for even a second.
"What are the referees talking about?"
"Here come the results. It is 10.42 seconds!"
"10.42 seconds? This is definitely the level of first-class athletes. Even during the National University Games, athletes can reach 10.42 seconds! It is very impressive."
"Whose result is 10.42 seconds? Is it Yue Zhao or the athlete from Tsinghua University?"
"It looks like both of them got 10.42 seconds!"
"So their results are identical!"
"Now the referees are watching the replay of the moment they crossed the finish line to determine who will win the championship."
The electronic timer could time things down to 0.001 second; however, the referees had to check the results personally because it would determine the winner of the championship.
Everyone was waiting with bated breath. Sijie Yang and Yue Zhao grew even more nervous. While Yue Zhao was waiting for the results, he began to look at Sijie Yang carefully.
He is so young. It seems that he is only twenty, yet he was able to get a time of 10.42 seconds. His potential is boundless! Yue Zhao couldn't help but think about his younger self. His eyes were dimmed.
At this moment, with a piece of paper in hand, the chief referee stood up in the referee's seat. Everybody knew it was the time to announce the final result.
"The officiating team has determined the results of the top two players as follows: No. 3821, Yue Zhao, has a final time of 10.423 seconds!" The chief referee then paused deliberately.
The furrowed brow of Yue Zhao vanished immediately. It was a very good score, and fell in the range of 10.42 seconds.
The pressure had now transferred to Sijie Yang.
The chief referee then continued, "No. 2670, Sijie Yang, has a final time of 10.420 seconds!"
"Victory! I won!" Sijie Yang was quite quick; before a lot of people knew what had happened, he had raised his hands in the air immediately and rushed over to Dai Li, cheering.
I lost. Yue Zhao's heart suddenly dropped. A flash of desolation rose slowly from deep inside, and then engulfed his entire body instantly.
Sijie Yang has defeated Yue Zhao! Guohong Niu looked at Sijie Yang with a startled look on his face. More than three months ago, Sijie Yang had been the weakest runner on Tsinghua University's sprinting team. But now, he had defeated Yue Zhao, and had become the strongest athlete on the team.
Tsinghua University won! Tsinghua University won the match!
No wonder they won, it is Tsinghua University! Their reputation is incomparable. The championship finally belongs to Tsinghua University!
Who is this new champion? I haven't seen him before. Tsinghua University is indeed a place with filled with talented athletes.
The coaches of other teams looked at the Tsinghua team with envious eyes.
The Tsinghua University name carried with it a good reputation, which could make the result understandable for the coaches and athletes from other universities.
After congratulating Sijie Yang, Dai Li walked to Yue Zhao. According to sports etiquette, coaches and athletes should congratulate athletes who had won a medal.
"Congratulations!" Dai Li stretched his hand out to Yue Zhao.
Yue Zhao hesitated a bit, but eventually gave a polite reply to Dai Li's praise. However, his handshake was quite weak, which embodied his reluctance to shake hands.
Dai Li thought Yue Zhao had a grudge because of his failure in the race; therefore, Dai Li smiled and said, "Yue Zhao, do you still remember me?"
"You are a coach for the national team, right?" Yue Zhao snorted coldly, "As an expendable, I managed to return to the track. Are you surprised? Or are you going to check and see why my leg is still not amputated?"
Dai Li's brain was full of questions. Except for the first sentence, he could not understand what Yue Zhao was talking about at all.
Yue Zhao said I am a coach from the national team, but I was only temporarily transferred to the Beikou Training Center at that time. My job there was similar to a handyman's, and could not be considered a coaching job at all. Yue Zhao should know this already, right? Yue Zhao must not have recognized me, or he took me for somebody else.
As he thought of this, Dai Li said immediately, "Yue Zhao, you remember it differently. I am not a coach for the national team. I am a coach of the Hanbei Province's Track and Field Team."
"You are from Hanbei Province? You are not a coach from the national team?" Yue Zhao paused a bit, then said, "Then how did you become a coach for Tsinghua University?"
"I was transferred to Tsinghua University temporarily," Dai Li said.
Yue Zhao immediately looked very embarrassed. With an apologetic look on his face, he said, "I am sorry, I made a mistake. Your face looked so familiar. I thought you were a coach for the national team."
Yue Zhao's attitude was completely changed. He reached out and shook hands with Dai Li, smiling.
Now that he knows I am not a coach for the national team, Yue Zhao has become friendly towards me all of a sudden. Is it possible that Yue Zhao has a problem with the national team? Dai Li was now very curious.