The top three players of the national team performed very well, and their lead was very obvious.
However, there were still many coaches and athletes from other countries who were not optimistic that the national team could win the championship.
Fang Haiquan, who is in charge of the fourth leg, is a long jumper, which is a flaw. In a relay race, the difference between a long jumper and a professional sprinter may be only a few tenths of a second, but in this high-level competition, the difference between them is just this few tenths of a second.
The fourth leg is the final sprint, and each participating team has sent its strongest players. In comparison, Fang Haiquan, the last player of the national team, is a makeshift long jumper. There is no doubt that this is the weakest link in the national team.
This seems to be the Tian Ji horse racing again, with the superior horse facing off against the inferior horse, except this time the inferior horse has become Fang Haiquan of the national team, while the superior horse has become the fourth best player in other countries.
"We still have a chance!" Basong, the head coach of the Thai team, thought to himself. This is also the thought in the minds of the coaches of several other participating teams.
Xue Li seemed to feel that his heart was in his chest, and other members of the national team coaching staff also showed nervous expressions.
In the fourth leg, Fang Haiquan's speed increased too quickly, with no intention of seeking stability at all.
Zhao Yue, who was responsible for handing over the baton from behind, did not slow down at all and rushed directly into the relay area, preparing to pass the baton to Fang Haiquan.
"It must succeed!" Xue Li couldn't help but pray in his heart. It was too late to say anything now. He could only hope that the two players on the field could successfully hand over the baton.
I saw Zhao Yue chasing after Fang Haiquan. Without any hesitation, he directly handed the baton to Fang Haiquan's hand, and at the same time gave Fang Haiquan a signal to stop.
Fang Haiquan did not hesitate, grabbed the baton, and then sprinted forward.
The whole movement looked very smooth, and the cooperation between the two seemed to be very tacit. Fang Haiquan, in particular, performed extremely steadily and even with some ease. He didn't look like an athlete just improvising.
"Successful, no mistakes! Very smooth!" Xue Li's heart, which was about to reach his throat, suddenly calmed down.
The next second, Xue Li suddenly thought: "In the handover just now, Zhao Yue and Fang Haiquan cooperated very well. It looked like they had been training together for a long time, but they only trained together for one day. How come there is such a level of tacit understanding!"
Xue Li has been a sprint coach for decades, so he is well-informed. Xue Li has also encountered many situations where long jumpers are asked to improvise to participate in relay races. But every time, a long jumper's handover of the baton will inevitably waste a lot of time.
But today, not only was no time wasted in the last handover, but it was also very smooth. The tacit understanding shown by Zhao Yue and Fang Haiquan was completely unlike a new partner who had just been together for a day.
"How did this Xiao Li do it?" Xue Li couldn't help but glared at Dai Li again.
Not far away, Thai team coach Prasong's face turned pale.
"They succeeded, and the baton was passed very smoothly! How is this possible? Didn't the long jump champion just make up the numbers? They shouldn't have such a good understanding, but the tacit understanding they showed was like being together. It feels like I’ve been training for weeks! Why is this?”
Basong frowned and then thought: "Did this long jumper already participate in the relay race training between them? Impossible, absolutely impossible! Their coach would never have predicted that this would happen. In the situation of 'three missing one', it is even more impossible for long jumpers to participate in relay training!"
At this moment, Basong's heart is full of anxiety. The national team made no mistakes in passing the baton for the last time and continues to maintain a huge lead. The possibility of the Thai team winning the championship will also become more and more difficult as it gets closer and closer to the finish line. Got to get smaller and smaller.
At the same time, there was an exclamation from the coaching staff of the Japanese team. Their final baton pass went awry.
The fourth player stopped a little early, so the baton from the third player was not completely passed out. The two players had to pass the baton a second time to complete the entire relay process. This time, the mistake was made. , causing the Japanese team to lose at least 0.3 seconds.
Because of this mistake, the Japanese team has withdrawn from the gold medal competition, and the Thai team, relying on tacit cooperation, has surpassed the Japanese team by a relatively long distance.
However, there was no joy on the face of Thai team coach Basong. Although they are now in second place, Basong is not satisfied with being a runner-up.
The personal abilities of the sprinters of the Thai team are very poor. They basically have no way to get on the big stage like the Olympics or the World Track and Field Championships. The Asian Games is probably the highest level battlefield for them, and even at the Asian Games, they It is impossible to achieve anything in individual events. The only thing that can be relied on is the relay race.
For four years, the Thai team focused on relay training, and they were aiming for a relay championship.
This year's Asian Games relay race gave the Thai team a feeling of a "Tianhu" start. Japan, a traditional strong team, is in decline, and the previous champion Qatar has withdrawn from the competition due to attrition. Even the host country is short of three and one, and has temporarily found a long jumper to make up the number. Basong even felt that the Thai team would definitely win this time!
But this is not the case. The strength of the Thai team is the cooperation in passing the baton. Now that the last passing of the baton has ended, there is no chance for the Thai team to cooperate, and they are still in the second position.
"Mochai, it's up to you. The last athlete from the host country is a long jumper. You will definitely be faster than him!"
…
On the field, Fang Haiquan was running desperately.
He knew that as a long jumper, he might not be as good as a professional sprinter at the 100-meter sprint level.
He also knows that the fourth stick is the one that determines the outcome, which will determine the final outcome.
The national team has already led by three strokes. Niu Guohong, Yang Sijie and Zhao Yue have created enough leads for Fang Haiquan. Now all the important tasks fall on Fang Haiquan's shoulders! As a long jumper, he will determine the outcome of a relay race!
Fang Haiquan didn't want to lose, and he couldn't lose. He inherited the efforts of the three previous teammates, and he also shouldered the expectations of the entire national team.
"I'm not a sprinter, but if we compete in speed, I will never lose to you!" Fang Haiquan snorted in his heart, and his stubborn temper rushed straight to his forehead, making him move forward bravely.
A-level talent in long jump is not just about jumping far, but also a comprehensive evaluation in the long jump event, including explosive power, long jump ability, body control ability, balance ability, approach speed, etc.
Many world champion long jump athletes can easily reach the Olympic A mark in their 100-meter dash performance, not to mention the former world champion in the long jump and 100-meter dash.
Fang Haiquan's talent in the long jump event has the ability to become a world champion. He has not yet entered his peak period. If he is asked to run 100 meters, there will be a huge gap compared to world-class sprinters. But in Asia Within the range, he is considered a good player.
What's more, when the baton was passed to Fang Haiquan, the national team had already gained a huge lead. As long as Fang Haiquan is not too slower than Thailand's Mochai, he can guarantee the championship.
The audience at the scene had already begun to cheer. They didn't care that Fang Haiquan was a long jumper. They only focused on Fang Haiquan being in the first position.
"It's so fast! That long jumper is so fast too!" The final overtaking scene that Basong expected did not appear. Compared with Fang Haiquan's speed, it was not much inferior to Mochai. Judging from the gap between the two sides, The overall situation is decided!
"We won!" Although Fang Haiquan has not yet crossed the finish line, the coaching staff of the national team has already begun to cheer.
Bassong covered his face in pain. For him, he did not win the championship, and his four years of hard work were once again in vain!