"Hello, Dr. Chen."
Upon seeing Chen Yu, Sun Haiping immediately stood up and eagerly came forward to shake his hand.
Behind him, Liu Xiang also rose to his feet, looking at Chen Yu with a reserved expression.
After motioning for the two to sit, Chen Yu asked, somewhat curiously, why it had taken them so long to come to the United States.
Back in February of this year, Chen Yu had gone to China and met Liu Xiang.
He recalled Sun Haiping saying at the time that they had to prepare for the World Athletics Grand Prix in Switzerland and wouldn’t have time during the summer. But summer was long gone, and it was almost the end of the year.
A flash of embarrassment crossed Sun Haiping’s face, but he didn’t try to hide the reason.
Just like with Bolt, it was an issue of cost.
During their meal back then, Chen Yu had mentioned the treatment would cost several hundred thousand. At the time, Sun Haiping thought it was quite reasonable, considering he was one of the world’s top medical experts.
But it was only after he returned that it dawned on Sun Haiping: Chen Yu had been talking about US dollars.
Several hundred thousand US dollars—that was several million RMB.
Even if he sold Liu Xiang and himself, they wouldn’t be able to come up with that kind of money.
Later, because of what happened with Liu Yudong, Sun Haiping came to fully understand that Dr. Chen’s fees were indeed that high.
A lack of money can stump even the greatest hero. This was true even though Liu Xiang had just broken the world youth record and then immediately won the Asian Championship.
It even got to the point where Liu Xiang himself wanted to give up, feeling the treatment was just too expensive.
But Sun Haiping insisted on the treatment. He knew very well that when an athlete reaches Liu Xiang’s level—competing for world championships—the slightest disadvantage could affect their entire career.
Early detection, early treatment—that principle was never wrong.
Then, after the Asian Championship, a turning point came.
Precisely because of Liu Xiang’s outstanding performance, Nike was the first to offer a commercial endorsement deal.
It wasn’t much—five hundred thousand RMB.
Afterward, thanks to Sun Haiping’s tireless efforts, the Modu Sports Academy and the Modu Sports Bureau each contributed 1.5 million, for a total of three million.
Adding in what Liu Xiang’s family could scrape together and his competition prize money, they managed to pool four million in total.
Then there was participating in the Asian Games and getting the visas, which dragged things out until now.
"So that’s what happened," Chen Yu said, understanding now.
The current Liu Xiang was just like Bolt had been—already showing great promise, but not yet earning the big money.
If he hadn’t seen Bolt’s extraordinary talent for himself, he might not have gotten treatment either.
Fortunately, Liu Xiang had managed to gather the funds.
Of course, having Chen Yu provide the treatment for free was out of the question. ’This is money I’ve earned,’ he thought.
He instructed Liu Xiang to lie face down for the examination.
Chen Yu picked up his right foot and observed it carefully with the Eye of All-Seeing.
"Does this hurt?" Chen Yu asked, applying pressure to his calcaneus area.
Liu Xiang turned to glance at Sun Haiping, hesitated for a moment, and then shook his head.
"Really? No pain at all?" Chen Yu asked again.
Sun Haiping sensed something was off and quickly said, "Liu Xiang, Dr. Chen is asking you a question. Just be honest about what you’re feeling."
Only then did Liu Xiang say, "It hurts a tiny bit, but it feels okay."
Sun Haiping was taken aback and immediately asked, "When did it start hurting? Why didn’t you say so sooner?"
With an embarrassed look, Liu Xiang replied, "After the Asian Games, I think. It might hurt a little when I wake up in the morning, but it’s not a big deal. The pain goes away after I warm up, so I didn’t mention it."
"Oh, you!" Sun Haiping let out a long sigh.
The Asian Games ended in mid-October. That was already a month ago.
He knew all too well that Liu Xiang’s situation wasn’t unique. That was the training environment in China—for the sake of results, you don’t leave the front lines for minor injuries. If an athlete spoke up about such a minor, nagging pain, they might even be accused of being melodramatic by their coach.
"Dr. Chen, is this a problem?" Sun Haiping asked nervously.
’Obviously it’s a problem,’ Chen Yu thought.
Athletes are constantly pushing the limits of the human body. But it was just like a rubber band—if you keep stretching it to its limit, it will either adapt or snap.
"His training intensity is too high, and he hasn’t been getting proper rest. I believe he’s developed some aseptic inflammation in his Achilles tendon," Chen Yu said.
He competed in three major events in a row this year, which means he’s been preparing and maintaining his condition since February. He’s been in high-intensity training for almost the entire year. With his already prominent calcaneus, high-intensity training without rest was bound to cause problems.
Sun Haiping’s face filled with regret. He shot Liu Xiang a harsh glare for not speaking up sooner about the problem.
Liu Xiang looked helpless.
Chen Yu saw this and patted Liu Xiang on the back, gesturing for him to sit up. Then he said, "Don’t worry, it’s not a major issue. It won’t affect the surgery or his future."
Only then did Sun Haiping breathe a sigh of relief and quickly thank him.
After having someone take Liu Xiang to get his scans and go through the procedures, Sun Haiping didn’t follow. He stayed behind.
"Dr. Chen, I’d like to ask for your advice on something, if it’s not too much trouble," he asked cautiously.
"Go ahead."
Sun Haiping said, "It’s like this. Liu Xiang has had good results this year, even breaking the youth record, but I feel like he’s hit a plateau. His times aren’t improving. You see, at the World Athletics Grand Prix, he ran a 13.12, but in the subsequent Asian Championship and Asian Games, he ran a 13.56 and a 13.27, respectively. His performance is fluctuating quite a bit."
"You’re an expert in sports science, so I was hoping you could perhaps analyze the reason for me."
Chen Yu looked at Sun Haiping, feeling a bit speechless. ’This is no ordinary question.’
This was like a world champion coming up and asking why he couldn’t break the world record. Was that a question one could answer casually?
’Can you even afford the consultation fee for that?’
"That’s a very expensive question," Chen Yu said seriously.
Even more expensive than Liu Xiang’s surgery.
Sun Haiping froze, then quickly apologized.
Then Chen Yu added, "But I can take a quick look and see if I can offer some advice."
If it was just a quick look, it wasn’t a big deal. Given his Chinese heritage and his favorable impression of China, he didn’t mind taking a look.
But Chen Yu wanted to make it clear to Sun Haiping that this was a huge favor.
Sun Haiping was stunned for a moment, then hastily thanked him again.
The checkup didn’t reveal any major issues. Liu Xiang’s surgery itself wasn’t complicated; the key was how to ensure a full recovery without any loss of athletic ability.
"Follow me," Chen Yu said, getting up and leading the two to the training field.
Nelson had already arrived.
The Phoenix Suns didn’t have a game today, so he was off.
The clinic didn’t have hurdling equipment, but the sports lab did, and they could bring it over to use.
Chen Yu had called him over to help advise on the matter.
"What a professional track." Sun Haiping was astonished to see that a clinic’s sports field had such a professional track, complete with a dolly-mounted tracking camera.
These facilities were even better than their own.
Meanwhile, Liu Xiang’s gaze was fixed on a figure running on the track.
Bolt.
He had his surgery in August, three months ago, and was in the final stages of rehabilitation. He was now starting to ramp up the intensity, and only after he adapted could he move on to the next phase of training.
Mills was also there. He had arranged his family affairs and came to the United States at the end of October, still in charge of Bolt’s daily training.
The training plan, however, had been developed in consultation with Chen Yu.
When Mills saw Chen Yu approaching, he waved to Bolt in the distance, signaling him to stop.
With his long legs, Bolt came to a stop in front of the group like a gust of wind.
As if by instinct, his gaze was immediately drawn to Liu Xiang, who was wearing a National Team training uniform.
On one of the 100-meter lanes, Nelson had already set up the hurdles and was walking over to greet them.
"Go warm up," Chen Yu said to Liu Xiang.
Liu Xiang nodded and went with Sun Haiping to warm up.
As he passed Bolt, he subconsciously compared their heights. Once he was a little farther away, he asked in a low voice, "Coach, that guy’s a runner too, right?"
Sun Haiping nodded. "Looks like a long-distance runner. But I don’t recognize him."
At this point, Bolt had only just begun to make a name for himself; at least, his fame had not yet reached China.
Meanwhile, Bolt was also curiously asking about Liu Xiang.
"Whoa, he broke a world record? That’s awesome!" Bolt exclaimed.
Mills was also surprised and looked toward Liu Xiang on the track.
Although it wasn’t the same event as Bolt’s, a world youth record was still very prestigious.
Chen Yu smiled and clapped Bolt on the shoulder. "Then you’ll have to work hard too and break a world record."
Bolt nodded vigorously.
Ten minutes later, Liu Xiang finished his warm-up and stood at the starting line.
Everything was professional grade, and he felt completely comfortable.
Chen Yu glanced at the climate data on the side: ground temperature 27°C, light breeze. It was a suitable environment.
The electronic starting pistol fired, and Liu Xiang shot out of the blocks.
Like a gust of wind, he quickly crossed the finish line.
His time appeared on the electronic screen almost instantly.
13.51 seconds!
To be able to run a time like that without any long-term preparation, on such short notice, was already very impressive.
Everyone began to applaud.
Liu Xiang looked a little sheepish, seeming disappointed with his time.
It was a far cry from his world-record-breaking performance.
Sun Haiping also sighed. Just as he was about to ask Liu Xiang for his thoughts, he noticed Chen Yu and Nelson approaching.
Only then did he notice that a rest area had been set up nearby. It looked like a canopy but was more like a control room, filled with various equipment. A television screen hung on the wall, and to his surprise, footage of Liu Xiang’s run was already playing on it.
Sun Haiping was, of course, familiar with video playback equipment, but he was still amazed that a clinic would have such a professional setup.
The tracking camera had recorded Liu Xiang’s run from a parallel angle. In addition, there were also front and wide-angle shots. Chen Yu crossed his arms and watched the replay several times before asking, "Could it be athletic fatigue?"
From the World Athletics Grand Prix to the Asian Championship and the Asian Games, he’s competed in quite a few events this year. It would be normal for his performance to fluctuate.
Sun Haiping shook his head. "That’s part of it, but I still think he’s hit a plateau and his times aren’t improving."
It was as if he had reached his limit, and no amount of training could push him further.
Chen Yu glanced at Liu Xiang. At 19, he should be in his golden years, a critical period for achieving results and improving.
Getting stuck at this stage could also mean his natural talent just wasn’t enough.
His build was fairly well-proportioned, and his height of 189 cm was suitable for hurdling, but compared to Bolt, his physical gifts were far inferior.
It wasn’t a matter of discrimination or anything, but there were genuine physical differences between different races.
Take the Achilles tendon, for example. Bolt’s is a shocking 42 cm long. As for Liu Xiang, though he hadn’t measured it precisely, it was probably just over 25 cm at best. For his height, that was only about average.
"In that case, Coach Sun, what do you think is the cause?" Chen Yu tossed the question back to him.
Sun Haiping thought for a moment and said, "At first, I thought it was strength, so I intentionally added a lot more strength and explosive power training, but the improvement was very limited. I think it might be a problem with our training methods, which is why I’m asking for your guidance."
Domestic training methods in China were still a bit behind those in the United States. Sun Haiping had sensed this gap when Chen Yu visited China last time.
Chen Yu didn’t say anything and continued to watch the video.
’Come to think of it, this guy’s technique is really good.’
’His balance is truly excellent.’
Watching the recording, Liu Xiang’s stride wasn’t particularly large, but his upper body, especially his shoulders, swayed very little from side to side. It was almost as if only his legs were moving.
In contrast, Bolt, who was of a similar height, looked like a Weeble when he ran.
And this, presumably, was a physical advantage of East Asians.
After a moment of thought, Chen Yu said, "In my personal opinion, if he wants to improve further, increasing his explosive power is one aspect. However, improvements there are limited by his natural physical talent, so the returns might be relatively small. Instead, perhaps he could focus his efforts on his technique."
Chen Yu felt that Liu Xiang’s situation was similar to Little Curry’s. His physical attributes weren’t top-tier, but his talents in skill-based areas—like body control, balance, and reaction time—were exceptional.
The fact that he could break a world record meant that his physical condition was undoubtedly good enough, and he possessed outstanding talent.
But to reach the absolute pinnacle and break human limits, physical talent alone might not be enough. He would need to dig deeper into his other talents and put in the hard work.

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