The doorbell rang, and Justin Alexander called the door, but what he saw was a face he didn't want to see.
"Sebastian, why are you here?" Alexander's tone was not friendly at all.
"When you see your old partner, why don't you invite me in?" Sebastian pointed to the room.
Alexander's expression was hesitant, but he still nodded and invited Sebastian into the room.
The two sat down in the living room. Alexander didn't even serve Sebastian a cup of coffee, but directly asked: "Sebastian, why did you come to me?"
Sebastian crossed his legs: "Justin, your suspension period is about to end, right? I'm here mainly to talk to you about your comeback. Well, count the time, just hurry up and train, You should be back in shape before the Olympic trials. So when are you planning to return to my training camp?"
"What do you mean? Do you think you haven't harmed me enough? If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been banned and stayed at home for four years. From the day I was banned, our cooperation has ended !" Alexander said angrily.
"Do you think it was me who caused you to be suspended? The reason why you were suspended was entirely your own choice. Before using that thing, I had already explained to you the possible risks, but you did not raise it. Objection, you still used those things, and you were also expecting those things to make you run faster, right? It’s because you couldn’t withstand the temptation. Shouldn’t you bear the consequences of the decisions you made yourself?” Se Bastian spoke.
"The consequence? The consequence is that I was suspended by the Anti-Doping Committee! I lost almost everything, but you had nothing, and you also won the National Track and Field Coach of the Year. Hahaha, what an irony! One for the athletes A coach who used doping actually won the Track and Field Coach of the Year!" Alexander's tone was full of ridicule and resentment.
"Is there any problem with this? Athletes who use doping naturally have to bear risks. Doping improves performance. If you are not caught, you will get praise, honors, and money. If you are caught, you will of course be banned. The world is fair. If you want to gain something, you have to give something. And you were unlucky at the time. The IAAF just upgraded the doping test and caught you."
Sebastian changed his voice and continued: "But these are not important anymore. They are all in the past. Suspension is not an earth-shattering thing. Isn't your suspension coming to an end soon? Next, you You should return to training as soon as possible, return to the game, and then restart your career."
"Yes, I will return to the field, but my partner will not be you! I will not cooperate with you anymore, and I will not use those damn things again. This time, I will rely on my strength Get the honor!" Alexander said decisively.
A contemptuous smile appeared on Sebastian's face: "I admit that you are a very capable athlete, but do you really think that you can stand out from many athletes just by relying on your own strength? You We must also be clear that this is no longer the case thirty years ago, and achievements cannot be achieved just by training the body. With the development of science and technology today, there are many other methods to assist training and improve the performance of athletes. I just want you to enjoy what technology brings Progress. Yes, I have used some products for athletes that can assist training and improve performance, but how do you know that others are not using the same method?"
Alexander was silent, and Sebastian continued to persuade: "Justin, I think you should know that many athletes are using doping, and many people are even using doping legally. Especially track and field athletes, using doping Doping is an open secret, and stimulants can indeed improve performance. Everyone else is using them, but if you don’t use them, isn’t it like tying yourself up?”
"No! I will never touch that kind of thing again!" Alexander shook his head resolutely: "I have already been banned once. If I am found guilty of doping again, I will be banned for life!"
"That possibility is not high. Don't forget, there is Franklin Laboratory behind me." Sebastian smiled confidently: "I can tell you a secret. Franklin Laboratory has launched a new generation of products. , it is almost impossible for the Doping Committee to detect it. In terms of technology, Franklin Laboratory is at least 24 months ahead of the International Olympic Organizing Committee, so you can rest assured. Believe me, as long as you are willing to continue to cooperate with me, I will let you become The fastest man in the world!"
"The fastest man in the world? If Gittel hadn't retired, how could you have the confidence to say such a thing!" Alexander snorted.
"You're right. It's because Gittel has retired that I dare to give you such a guarantee. Haven't you always dreamed of becoming the fastest man in the world? Now you have a chance to realize your dream. Now! As long as you come to my training camp, you will find that your dream is very close to you." Sebastian's voice was full of bewilderment.
"My dream is to defeat the fastest man in the world, and that person is Gittel. Yes, I have never defeated him. Every time I challenge him, I end in failure. But that does not mean I will give in!" Alexander's emotions became excited, and he continued:
"But you used those damn things on me and got me banned for four years. During these four years, I would have had the opportunity to challenge Gittel again. But now? When I return to the game By that time, Gittel had retired, leaving only a bunch of records that no one could break, and I could no longer challenge him, he had become an insurmountable mountain."
The unkindness in Sebastian's eyes flashed, and then he softened his tone and continued: "Let's not waste time on these past things, we should focus on the present. I know you are worried about being found out again If you use doping, you are worried about being banned for life, but don’t forget that you are already thirty years old. How long can you continue to run? With the technology of Franklin Laboratory, even if you are really found to be doping again, it will still be several years. What happens next, you might have retired by then."
"Furthermore, you were banned for doping four years ago, which brought you into disrepute. In the eyes of other track and field coaches, you are a troublesome guy with a criminal record. Besides me, do you think there would be any top coach who would be willing to Will they cooperate with you? Those long-established track and field coaches all cherish their own feathers. Will they accept you, an athlete with stains? In their eyes, you are more like a released prisoner than an athlete!"
"But I am different, not to mention that we have worked together for so many years before. I know you. If we work together again, there is no need to re-cultivate a tacit understanding. I will make you return to the top in the shortest possible time! Think about your age, you have already You are thirty years old, and a four-year ban has allowed you to pass your peak period. At this time, you will be replaced by a new coach. You need time to understand each other, and you need time to run in. When everything is ready, you You are already old! Can you still run?"
"Even if you hate me, for the sake of your own career, I hope you can put aside your prejudice against me. You should know that choosing to continue to cooperate with me is the best choice for you now." Seba As he spoke, Steve took out a business card from his pocket and put it on the table: "I don't know if you still have my contact information. I'll leave the business card here. If you think about it, then contact me!" "
…
Sebastian left, leaving Justin Alexander sitting alone in the living room. He lay on the sofa, turned on the TV, and then stared at the ceiling blankly, his heart full of contradictions.
He hated Sebastian because of his suspension back then, but he had to admit that what Sebastian said made sense.
As Sebastian said, coaches and athletes need time to understand each other and run in. The more top athletes, the more so. This running in period may be four or five months, or it may be one or two years. . Many track and field athletes will basically not change coaches after reaching the peak of their careers, because the running-in period caused by changing coaches will cause the athletes' performance to decline. For example, in sprint events, even if the performance only drops slightly by a few tenths of a second, It's also the athletes who can't accept things.
The career of a sprinter is relatively short, and the peak time is even shorter. The one or two years of running-in period with a new coach is time that sprinters cannot afford to waste.
What's more, Alexander is already thirty years old. Due to his suspension, he has been away from the game for four full years. Not only does he need to return to his original state, he also needs a lot of time to get back the feeling of the game. If he follows a new player As for the coach, it will take longer for him to truly return to the game.
From this point of view, continuing to cooperate with Sebastian is indeed the best choice.
But Alexander also knows what it means to continue to cooperate with Sebastian. Sebastian will not give up doping athletes.
At this moment, an exclusive interview program was played on the TV. The protagonist of the interview was Adam Holly, who had just won the gold medal in the World Championships.
"I know, since that miss in the Olympics, I've had a nickname, 'The Tragedy of the Last Shot.'" Holly's voice sounded, followed by good-natured laughter from the audience.
"However, friends who have watched my last few games must know that I have completely solved this problem." Holly continued.
"Adam, would you mind sharing with us how you solved this problem?" the host asked.
"This is because I have met a good coach! So I would like to express my special thanks to my coach Li Dai. It was his training that prevented my last shot from being inaccurate." Holly replied.
"Coach? Is he the kind of coach who trains the body? Not a psychiatrist?" The host looked surprised: "This is the first time I heard that psychological problems can also be solved through physical training."
"That's the truth! If you live in Los Angeles, you may have heard of him. He opened a physical training center and is very famous in Los Angeles. You must know 'Blade Runner' Philip. He was originally just a soldier from the battlefield in Iraq. The disabled soldiers who came back became top athletes after being trained by Coach Li. And boxing champion Kevin Taylor returned to the top after being trained by Coach Li!" Holly said with a confident expression. , looks more like an advertising promoter.
In front of the TV, Alexander had already sat up straight. He lived in Los Angeles, and as a professional athlete, he had heard of the name of Coach Li’s training center. So when he heard Dai Li’s name, he picked up the He picked up his cell phone and started searching for Dai Li’s training center.
"Coach Li's physical training center actually has several chain stores... Dai Li is actually a Chinese!" Alexander looked at Dai Li's photo, surprise flashed in his eyes.
In the United States, Chinese people have the impression that they are not good at sports, so in matters related to sports, Chinese people must do better than blacks or whites in order to gain people's favor. For example, if a school team selects basketball players and Chinese and black performers perform the same, the coach will definitely choose the black. If the Chinese want to be selected by the coach, they must do better than the black.
"As a Chinese coach, he was able to establish a foothold in Los Angeles and become quite famous. It seems that this guy is really capable." Alexander stared at the photo and remembered Dai Li's appearance.