May 8th, Osaka Nagai Stadium.
The ground temperature was 23 degrees Celsius. A gentle breeze at 0.8 meters per second meant there was no point in discussing headwind or tailwind.
At 1:00 PM local time, on the track in front of the main stand, the 110m hurdles final was about to begin.
The announcer was introducing the finalists.
With a passionate, rousing voice, the announcer reeled off Alan Johnson’s slightly exaggerated list of championship titles in lane three.
Many Japanese spectators in the stands responded with wild cheers.
Alan Johnson simply raised a hand in response before falling quiet. To him, that long list of titles sounded almost grating.
’If I’m number one in the world in the 110m hurdles, then why am I in lane three?’
He wasn’t satisfied with finishing third in the preliminaries.
Terence Trammell had taken second in the morning’s preliminaries.
Alan Johnson wasn’t surprised that he’d come in second. After all, the man was a perennial runner-up.
But Liu Xiang!
Alan Johnson turned his head slightly, his gaze darkening as he watched Liu Xiang in lane four, shaking his legs to loosen up.
’I was too careless.’
’It was just the prelims, so I didn’t go all out. That’s why I only ran a 13.21 and ended up in third.’
The problem was, Liu Xiang had somehow run a 13.11 in the preliminaries.
’There’s something wrong with this kid!’
Alan Johnson stared hard at Liu Xiang. They had faced off last year, and he had unexpectedly lost to him.
But he still didn’t think he was old. He still believed he was the undisputed king of the 110m hurdles.
If Liu Xiang wanted to challenge him, he’d have to wait at least another two years, until Johnson was well and truly past his prime.
But he never expected Liu Xiang to improve so much in just one year.
13.11—that was a terrifying time.
The key thing was that he’d run it in the prelims. ’Surely he didn’t treat the prelims like the final and peak too early?’
Alan Johnson knew his own condition very well. With age, his performance was declining.
A time of 13.11 was good enough to contend for an Olympic medal.
’But Liu Xiang somehow pulled it off early. So how are you planning to run in the finals? What, are you trying to break the record or something?’
’Even if you were going for the record, there’s no need to do it at a Grand Prix. It’s an Olympic year, for crying out loud. Save it for the Olympics!’
Alan Johnson couldn’t figure out what Liu Xiang was thinking, but this time, he felt a powerful threat.
Especially with the Olympics just around the corner.
This would probably be his last Olympics. In Sydney in 2000, hampered by injuries, he had crashed into every hurdle and finished fourth, failing to win any medals.
So this year was his last chance to retire with one final Olympic gold medal and make his career perfectly complete.
The announcer moved on to lane four.
Among a group of black athletes, the presence of two Asian men, Liu Xiang and Shi Dongpeng, was significant. So, the announcer graciously introduced Liu Xiang’s track record.
It was just that the response from the stands was a bit sparse.
Not many people really knew who Liu Xiang was.
Liu Xiang waved toward the stands, but his eyes remained fixed on the athletes’ preparation area.
Sun Haiping, Feng Shuyong, Yu Weili, and Chen Yu were all there.
Compared to the visible nervousness of Sun Haiping and the other two, Chen Yu was much calmer, sipping from a water bottle.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Chen Yu looked over as well.
Their eyes met across the distance. Chen Yu gave a slight nod in acknowledgment.
Liu Xiang pursed his lips and nodded back, recalling his conversation with Chen Yu from the night before.
At the end of their talk, Chen Yu had said, "You might have fewer championships, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re the best hurdler in the world. Most importantly, I believe you can get results, that you can break the world record. So, do you believe me?"
At that moment, as Chen Yu smiled and asked that final question, Liu Xiang felt—though maybe it was just an illusion—that there was a special, convincing magic about him.
So, Liu Xiang believed him.
Just as Chen Yu had been telling him for the past two years: he was the best, the strongest hurdler in the world.
Liu Xiang silently exhaled, cleared his mind, and felt the latent power within his body. He knew he was ready.
’Alright, let’s begin!’
The race began.
Everyone got ready at the starting line. Liu Xiang lifted his head slightly. Ahead of him, the overlapping hurdles stretched out like a set of stairs.
Ten hurdles. The things he had spent a lifetime clearing.
The "set" call rang out.
At that moment, Liu Xiang slowed his breathing and began counting silently in his mind.
BANG! Liu Xiang shot forward.
’Perfect timing. Absolutely flawless!’
Liu Xiang felt his start time was definitely around 0.11 seconds.
’No doubt about it, this is my best form.’
But the next instant, a sharp beep sounded.
A false start!
Liu Xiang slowed to a stop, a stunned look on his face.
In the prep area, Sun Haiping shot to his feet, staring intently at the starting line.
Chen Yu was also taken aback for a moment. ’Alan Johnson?’
’If I’m not mistaken, it was Alan Johnson who false started.’
’Was he too nervous?’
’No way!’
This was Alan Johnson. A 33-year-old veteran who’d debuted in ’89 and competed in hurdles for 15 years. After countless top-tier competitions, how could he lose his composure and commit such an obvious false start?
Chen Yu narrowed his eyes, focusing on Alan Johnson, who was now turning and walking back after the false start.
His expression was surprisingly calm, with no trace of frustration on his face.
’Something’s wrong!’
Chen Yu’s heart leaped. ’The guy did it on purpose.’
’And the target was, most likely, Liu Xiang.’
An accidental false start might have affected his own rhythm, but if it was intentional, he would be mentally prepared and his own composure wouldn’t be affected at all.
In that case, it was the other racers who would be affected.
Especially Liu Xiang, right next to him.
When you’re completely focused, your concentration at its peak, ready to pour everything into one go, a sudden interruption forces you to restart. Your mindset and physical state are bound to be affected.
Worse still, under the current World Athletics rules, the first false start results in a warning, but anyone who false starts a second time is immediately disqualified.
So when the race restarted, standing at the starting line, you would also have to worry about false starting yourself and getting thrown out.
That was another huge source of pressure.
Chen Yu couldn’t help but frown.
Alan Johnson’s tactic was certainly underhanded, but it was within the rules—a clever exploitation of them.
But that’s racing. All sorts of unexpected things can happen, and you just have to accept them and try to overcome them.
The key was whether Liu Xiang could get past this mental hurdle without being affected.
On the track, Liu Xiang walked back slowly, but he couldn’t stop himself from glancing toward the prep area.
His composure was shaken. His mind was buzzing and blank, and he couldn’t fully calm down.
Sun Haiping looked anxious, Feng Shuyong was visibly frustrated, and Yu Weili’s brows were tightly furrowed.
That made Liu Xiang even more flustered.
He had set such a high goal before the race. If he failed, or even just didn’t win the gold, ordinary people wouldn’t care if it was because a false start had affected his performance and caused him to lose.
A win is a win, a loss is a loss. There are only ever two outcomes, and nobody cares about the process.
But just then, Liu Xiang saw Chen Yu.
Chen Yu was still standing there, watching from a distance. He suddenly smiled, raised his right hand, and gave Liu Xiang a thumbs-up.
Then, Chen Yu pointed at Alan Johnson next to Liu Xiang, and with a fierce look in his eyes, he drew his hand across his own throat in a "finish him" gesture.
Liu Xiang froze for a second. The confusion and nervousness in his heart slowly began to fade.
’That’s right. I’m the best, and I still have an opponent to take down!’
Liu Xiang took a deep breath, his mind calming. He quickly shook out his limbs for one last stretch.
Everyone was back at the starting line.
Alan Johnson turned his head slightly, trying to catch a glimpse of panic on Liu Xiang’s face out of the corner of his eye.
Unfortunately for him, there was nothing.
Liu Xiang stared straight ahead, seeing only a chiseled profile as sharp as if carved by a knife.
There was no time for more thoughts. As the "set" call came, Alan Johnson also immediately readjusted his mindset and prepared for the start.
’I’ve done all I can. Now, it’s all down to skill.’
BANG! All the runners burst from the blocks.
’Faster, faster, faster!’
In that instant, Liu Xiang was like a yellow bolt of lightning on the track. He chased the wind, soaring over one high hurdle after another, his eyes seeing nothing but the finish line.
Chen Yu unconsciously held his breath, his gaze following Liu Xiang.
’His form over the hurdles is good, his stride is steady...’
From running neck and neck at the start, he gradually pulled ahead, until he was the first to clear the final hurdle, leaving Alan Johnson a full body length behind.
WHOOSH! Liu Xiang was the first to cross the finish line.
’He won!’
Only then did Chen Yu’s tense heart finally relax. He unclenched the fist he had been gripping unconsciously.
At the same time, Sun Haiping and the other two immediately looked toward the big screen.
Soon, the results appeared.
First place, Liu Xiang from China, 12.93 seconds.
Second place, Alan Johnson from the United States, 13.01 seconds!
"He... he broke the record!" Sun Haiping’s eyes were as wide as saucers. He had barely gotten the words out before an ecstatic Feng Shuyong grabbed him in a fierce hug.
The two middle-aged men were jumping up and down with excitement like little kids.
12.93! He had broken the Olympic record and was now just 0.02 seconds shy of the world record.
"Dr. Chen, he really broke it!"
Yu Weili instinctively wanted to hug Chen Yu. He opened his arms but then, mindful of Chen Yu’s status, he just extended a hand, his face twitching with excitement.
Chen Yu also felt the urge to burst out laughing.
’Two years of hard work have finally borne fruit.’
"That’s right, he broke it!"
Chen Yu took the initiative, opening his arms and embracing Yu Weili.
Watching Liu Xiang on the track, who had fallen to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably with emotion, Chen Yu felt a pang of bittersweet sentiment.
’All those years of hard work have finally paid off.’
’Like the first ray of light that pierces the dawn, from this day forward, your name will resonate around the world!’
「Meanwhile, back in China.」
Because it was being broadcast live across the United States, the third game of the second round series between the Phoenix Suns and the Wolves had started at 10:00 PM. So, even though it was past midnight on the sports channel, the game wasn’t over yet.
But it was close.
"A three from Hardaway! It’s good! Cassell’s defense was excellent, but what can you do? That’s what superstars do—they make those impossible shots," guest commentator Zhang Weiping remarked with a sigh.
Next to him, Su Jun said, "That shot was crucial. There’s less than a minute left in the game. With that basket, the lead is now 7 points. The Wolves are in real trouble. If they go down 0-3, a comeback will be nearly impossible."
Just then, the broadcast suddenly cut back to the studio.
Zhang Weiping and Su Jun looked at Yang Jian with some surprise, not knowing what had happened.
Yang Jian was silent, apparently listening to instructions from the director in his earpiece.
The next moment, he suddenly sat up straight and announced with a serious expression, "Friends in the audience, we have a breaking news bulletin. Just moments ago, in the 110m hurdles final at the World Athletics Grand Prix in Osaka, Japan, our country’s own hurdler, Liu Xiang, broke the 110m hurdles Olympic record with a time of 12.93 seconds."
"This is a historic victory. It is a new Chapter in the history of China’s track and field, the first since Zhu Jianhua, a miracle that belongs solely to the Flying Man of China."
"We will bring you on-site reports after the conclusion of this game’s broadcast."
Zhang Weiping and Su Jun exchanged a look, both still completely stunned.
The only reason either of them knew Liu Xiang’s name was because Chen Yu was personally training him. Before that, who had ever heard of Liu Xiang?
But now, Liu Xiang had just broken the Olympic record!
Track and field, of all things!

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