In the last Olympic Games, the Jamaican team, led by the "world's number one flyer", won three gold, silver and bronze medals in the men's 200m. For the US team, this was a very shameless thing.
Before the rise of the Jamaicans, Americans had always been firmly at the top of sprinting. Even after Jamaica produced the "world's number one flyer", American sprinting was still at the top level in the world. Although I can't beat someone who is number one in the world, there is always hope for a silver medal. Even if I am less lucky, I will only get a bronze medal. At least it is a medal and a consolation prize. It is better than nothing.
But in the men's 200-meter race at the last Olympic Games, the U.S. team didn't even get a "consolation prize" bronze medal. This was a very disappointing result.
In this Olympics, Jamaica's leader and "the world's number one flyer" Gittle has retired. For the US team, their biggest opponent has left. The next men's 200m final will be an opportunity to save face.
Sean Ford stood on the starting line. Everything in front of him felt very familiar and yet strange.
The former World Championship champion once again stood on the stage of the finals of the world's top competition after many years.
None of the athletes participating in the finals around him were known to Ford, and these contestants would look at Ford with curious eyes from time to time.
After all, Ford is a person who has won the World Championships in Track and Field. Even though he has completely disappeared from the international arena in recent years, when he reappeared, he still attracted the attention and vigilance of other competitors.
In the area where the coaches are waiting on the sidelines, Fraser, the head coach of the Jamaican team, is also looking at Sean Ford.
"This Sean Ford, I haven't seen him on the court in so many years, and I haven't heard from him. I thought he retired! When I got the US team roster, I saw 'Sean Ford' The name De', I thought it was another person with the same name, but I didn't expect it was really him. I still remember his performance in the World Championships that year. I haven't seen him for so many years. Success power.”
Fraser looked very relaxed, because three more players from the Jamaican team advanced to the finals. In comparison, the American team only had Sean Ford. The Jamaican team clearly had the advantage.
Moreover, in the last Olympic Games, the Jamaican team took the top three places in the men's 200 meters. Although the champion Gittel retired, the runner-up and third runner-up at the time were still there, and they all entered the finals. Common sense says that since the first player has retired, the second player will naturally be the strongest.
Previously, the Jamaican team lost the men's 100-meter dash championship, which was something that made Fraser very depressed. However, after that, the Jamaican team won the women's 100-meter and 200-meter events one after another, which allowed the Jamaican team to regain its confidence. , and the naturally optimistic character of black people also gave Fraser once again the belief that he must win.
Frazier couldn't help but look to the other side. Not far away, Dai Li was akimbo, confidently looking at the field, looking determined to win.
"That Chinese coach, do you think you can still win! Humph!" Frazier couldn't help snorting, his expression full of dissatisfaction with Dai Li.
In fact, Frazier was a little jealous of Li Dai. He became the head coach of the U.S. track and field team at such a young age, and the results of this U.S. team were very good, making everyone impeccable.
Frazier is a legendary coach who has coached many world champions. But when he faced a coach who was younger than him, coached a better team than him, and had very good results, if he said that he was not jealous at all, It's definitely impossible.
Team leader Downey secretly glanced at Dai Li's profile. Under the reflection of the light, Dai Li's face reflected a confident light, as if Sean Ford had won the game.
Downey has long been accustomed to Dai Li's confidence, and Downey knows that Sean Ford is one of the first athletes in the US team to train with Dai Li, so Dai Li also knows Ford's situation better. .
"Coach Li, Ford should be able to defeat those three players from the Jamaican team, right?" Downey asked tentatively, and then continued: "The Jamaican team has the runner-up and third place from the previous session, and our American team was also there at that time. Lost to them.”
"McNee of the Jamaican team is a very good athlete." Li Dai gestured with his eyes and then said, "But it's a pity that he didn't meet a coach like me."
McNee, the current "big brother" of Jamaican sprinters, lost to Alexander in the 100m final not long ago. Now he has come to the men's 200m event again and is still the one most likely to win the championship. And being able to receive praise from Dai Li shows that McNee is indeed a very capable player.
Downey responded weakly: "Coach Li, I've known you for so long, and I rarely see you praising your opponents."
"This is actually a trick. First we praise our opponent to be more powerful, and then defeat him. Doesn't this make us look stronger?" Dai Li replied with a smile.
Downey, a Yankee, didn't understand Dai Li's humor and looked confused. Dai Li also felt a little embarrassed for telling a cold joke, so he changed his tone and continued: "Actually, I think Sean Ford should He is currently the most talented and strongest 200m athlete in the world."
"Oh, with your words, I feel relieved." Danny nodded.
Although Ford's talent is only A+ and has not yet reached S level, Ford's right length and short legs give him an extra advantage in corners. In terms of corner speed alone, players with S level talent may not be able to match him. Guo Fu, this kind of advantage in physical hardware cannot be brought about by talent.
As for the straight area, it was originally an area where Ford was lacking, but with the addition of athlete patches, Ford was able to display his A+ talent.
In the 200-meter event, Ford's curves in the front are slightly faster than those of S-level athletes, while the straights in the back are at the level of A-level athletes. Overall, Ford's current curve can barely reach the level of an S-level athlete. level. At this level, the possibility of winning the Olympics is very high.
…
The starter pressed the button, and with the sound of a gunshot, the final of the men's 200-meter dash officially began.
After all, Ford is too old. His starting reaction time is 0.168 seconds, ranking third from the bottom among all contestants.
Compared with the 100 meters, the importance of reaction time at the start of the 200 meters has been reduced. Although 0.168 seconds is not fast, it is still an acceptable result.
Moreover, what Ford is good at in the 200-meter race is not the starting reaction, but the curve in the first 100 meters. Due to his long and short legs, it is easier for him to accelerate in the curve than other athletes with normal body. The speed of extreme running is also a little faster than other athletes.
Although it is only a little faster, the difference in sprint competition is just this point, and the difference between the final champion and runner-up is only a little bit.
…
Just three seconds after the start, Jamaican coach Fraser felt an uneasy feeling in his heart.
"Ford's speed seems a bit fast!" Fraser stared at the track. As a professional sprint coach, he immediately judged that compared with other contestants, Ford was better.
After another two seconds, Ford had completed his speed increase in the corner. At this time, Ford's extreme speed in the corner was fully displayed.
"It's so fast. Even Gittel at his peak didn't have such a fast cornering speed." Frazier couldn't help but marvel in his heart.
The next second, Fraser suddenly realized that if Ford had maintained such a fast speed, the 200-meter gold medal would have been won by the United States team again.
"McNee, come on, you must not lose again!" Frazier couldn't help but start praying.
…
In just a few breaths, the athletes had completed the curve in front and were about to enter the straight behind. And when everyone enters the straight track, the ranking of the athletes will be very clearly displayed in front of everyone.
"Sean Ford!" the on-site commentator shouted Ford's name. Obviously after entering the straight, he was the first in line.
And the lead is still huge.
"It's just a corner, why are you so much faster than me!" McNee looked at Ford in front of him, he couldn't believe what was happening in front of him.
McNee is also a player who has participated in many competitions and has extremely rich competition experience, but this situation is something McNee has never encountered in a game. In past 200-meter races, McNee had fallen behind in corners before, but this was the first time McNee had fallen behind so much.
"Even Gittel back then couldn't have left me so far behind in the first 100 meters of the bend! How could he catch up with such a big gap?" McNee looked at Ford's back and suddenly had a thought. A feeling of powerlessness.
"Am I going to lose to Sean Ford in this game?"
At this moment, a sense of grievance and unwillingness occupied McNee's heart.
"Four days ago, I lost to Alexander in the 100-meter final. Alexander was also the 'second fastest in the world' back then, and his peak performance was indeed better than mine. If I lost to him, I would have nothing to say."
"But today, I am facing Sean Ford, who has not appeared in the international arena for many years. Am I going to lose to him too!"
Then, McNee suddenly realized that Sean Ford was not an ordinary athlete with no reputation. He had also won the World Track and Field Championships.
"Is this the strength of a world championship champion? He is so much faster than me in the first 100 meters!" McNee vaguely understood that he had underestimated the world's heroes before.
In the past many years, sprinting has been dominated by Gittel. It is said that it is easy to enjoy the shade under the big tree. With Gittel, the "world's number one flying man", McNee and even the entire Jamaican team have been enjoying victory. of fruit. With more and more wins, the entire Jamaican team has become more and more confident, and it can even be said that it has become arrogant. They began to look down on athletes from other countries. They subconsciously had the idea that in sprint events, Jamaica is the best in the world.
Although the Jamaican team lost Gittel in this Olympics, the coaches and athletes of the Jamaican team are still as arrogant as before. They still believe that the six Olympic sprint gold medals have long been in the possession of the Jamaican team. This kind of thinking has been deeply ingrained. Even when the men lost gold in the 100 meters before, the Jamaican team still had a mentality of "I am the best in the world."
In today's 200-meter final, when McNee was lagging behind Ford by a large margin, he finally discovered that he had made a mistake of underestimating his opponent, or that the entire Jamaican team had made a mistake of underestimating his opponent.
It was important for McNee to understand that his opponent was not weak, not only not weak, but also very strong! Jamaica is not a sure winner in sprint events.
…
Ford was in the lead, and he had that familiar yet unfamiliar feeling again.
The reason why he is familiar with it is because he has had a similar experience. In the World Championships that year, he was in the lead after entering the straight, and then crossed the finish line first and won the gold medal. .
And the reason why it was strange was because it happened a long time ago, and Ford's memory of that period had even become blurry.
In the past few years, Ford has dreamed of the scene when he won the World Championships countless times. Today, at this moment, he seems to have returned to that moment.
The current merit is somewhat unclear, whether this is reality or a dream.
"If this is a dream, this is my world, and I am the master here. Everything that happens here will proceed according to my wishes!"
When this idea popped into Ford's mind, he was getting closer and closer to the finish line.
"If this is a dream, then the next step will be the result I have dreamed of countless times. I will be the first to cross the finish line, I will achieve the final victory, I will get the gold medal, and I will stand on the podium. The highest point!"
Ford crossed the finish line with this idea in mind.
A number of 19.78 appeared on the courtside timer, which was Ford's final score.
"Sean Ford, first across the finish line, first place! The former World Championship 200m champion is back!" the commentator roared passionately into the microphone.
In the audience, people began to cheer. Many American spectators took out American flags with their sights ready and waved them constantly. Countless flashlights were aimed at Sean Ford...
Ford felt more and more unreal, all of this was very much like the World Championships that year, and the same as what he had experienced countless times in dreams.
"If this is a dream, I hope I won't wake up so quickly this time and let me enjoy this feeling of victory more!"
Ford closed his eyes, raised his head, and breathed in hard. He wanted to absorb all the smell of victory into his body.
Ford hopes that time can stop, he hopes that he can stay at this moment forever, and he hopes that this "dream" will never wake up.
Some athletes came up and congratulated Ford, but Ford still looked like he had his eyes closed, his head tilted up, and he took a deep breath, not intending to talk to others at all.
Reporters gathered around and took pictures with various "long guns and short cannons". The sound of pressing the shutter sounded like dozens of people typing on the keyboard. But Ford still closed his eyes, raised his head, took a deep breath, and ignored the reporters around him.
The athletes who came to congratulate Ford saw that Ford ignored him and walked away in embarrassment.
The reporters stood there and continued filming. They thought this was Ford's unique celebration gesture, so no one disturbed him.
"Snapped!"
Finally, someone slapped Ford hard from behind.
Fud was awakened. He opened his eyes, turned around and saw Dai Li standing beside him.
"What are you standing here wondering about? Why don't we prepare for the award ceremony soon!" Li Dai said.
Ford nodded subconsciously, and then looked around. He saw the reporters, the audience, and the results displayed on the big screen.
Ford suddenly realized that he was not dreaming that familiar dream, everything in front of him was reality!
"This time it's true! I won..."