Chapter 34 Cheers erupted in the wooden cave's ice rink...
Cheers echoed across the wooden-bottomed ice rink, continuously pushing the atmosphere to a climax. The competition had entered its final moments. Soon to follow were the finals of the women's 3000m relay and the men's 5000m relay. Relays are one of the most exciting events in short track speed skating.
In this leg of the competition, Ren Xiyao has won a silver medal in the 1500m(A) and a gold medal in the 500m. Her form has visibly improved over the past few days. As for the relay events, starting from the second leg in Canada, the Chinese women's team has won the gold medal in the 3000m relay for two consecutive legs. The Chinese team has always been very competitive in the relay events.
For team events like this, achieving a good ranking requires more effort and a more detailed tactical plan. Every detail needs to be adjusted repeatedly. Generally, team members are strategically assigned to different legs based on their individual abilities.
The first leg is runners chosen from experienced and seasoned athletes to ensure a good start and secure a good position. The second leg features a top-tier athlete with strong competitive ability to widen the gap with the opponents and lay the foundation for the handover between the second and third legs. Most importantly, the second leg involves the final sprint, so the demands on their strength are very high. The margin for error is lower compared to the other legs. The third leg also features a strong athlete from the Chinese team to further widen the gap with the opponents and build confidence for the fourth leg. In women's relays, if one leg is relatively weak, they are usually placed in the fourth leg.
The Chinese team selected different athletes for different batting orders, not only based on the athletes' individual strengths and weaknesses, but also on the order of batting orders arranged according to the main opponents, in order to counter the opponents' tactical implementation. Therefore, before the start of the competition, the coaches of each team had already racked their brains to outline the shape of the competition tactics.
Ren Xiyao adjusted her goggles, the air around her filled with the unique chill of the ice rink and the muffled cheers from the stands. The women's 3000m relay final was about to begin, and she could already feel her heart pounding in her chest. She skated to the sidelines, took off her down jacket, and handed it to her coach.
"Xiyao, don't be nervous about the second leg this time." The head coach patted her on the shoulder. The men's team members who were going to compete in the 5000m relay also arrived and watched the competition from the sidelines, cheering them on.
Su Meng skated over and gave her a high-five, encouraging her: "Don't be nervous, just like in training." Lin Shan also pumped her fist in encouragement from a distance. This time, the women's team's batting order was: Lin Shan first, Ren Xiyao second, Su Meng third, and Wang Lu fourth. This time, the Chinese team didn't have any particularly weak batting orders. Therefore, the women's receiving team's performance this season has been consistently excellent. They've won medals at every event, which is a huge boost to their confidence.
Ren Xiyao nodded without saying anything more, simply rechecking her equipment. This was her first time skating the second leg. Being able to skate this position was a recognition of her ability by the team. It also meant that she was slowly beginning to grow into a key member of the team. A mix of nervousness and excitement filled her chest. She could feel the surge of adrenaline through her body.
The starting gun fired, and the competition began.
Ren Xiyao was the second skater, intently watching her teammates' performance. The Chinese team was temporarily in second place, with the South Korean team leading by almost a body length. The sound of the skates gliding across the ice, the occasional shouts from the audience, and the coach's yells from the sidelines all became distant and indistinct. In her world on the inner circle, all she could see were her teammates about to exit the turn, and she was judging the route for the baton exchange.
In short track speed skating relays, the exchange of batons is not done directly; instead, it is completed through body contact. Typically, the runner in front pushes the hip of the runner behind with both hands to complete the exchange. This method of exchange is designed to improve skating speed and efficiency, ensuring the team remains competitive.
"You're on the right track!"
Ren Xiyao could feel the push from her teammate behind her, and she immediately accelerated with that momentum. On the curve, her knees were almost touching the ice, her body leaning to its limit, yet she remained as steady as if rooted to the ice. Two laps later, as they exited the curve, the two teams were parallel, completing the leg exchange on the straight. Su Meng quickly accelerated, using their perfectly coordinated exchange to overtake.
When the ball was handed over to Su Meng, Ren Xiyao clearly heard the coach on the sidelines shout, "Keep it steady!"
"Pass the baton! Pass the baton!" the coach shouted excitedly from the sidelines.
On the track, Ren Xiyao was constantly observing his teammates' routes, as well as the routes taken by the South Korean team. As his teammates entered the corner, he followed them, sliding inside the marker block. The moment he exited the corner, he quickly got on the track, took a deep breath, felt his teammates' hands push against his body, and immediately shot off like an arrow.
Two laps. She must find an opportunity to overtake in these short two sprint laps.
On the first lap, she tried to break through from the outside, but Park Hye-yeon proved herself a veteran. Her keen intuition for the ice allowed her to quickly lock down her line. The cheers from the stands grew louder, but she couldn't hear who they were cheering for. The feeling of the skates cutting through the ice was incredibly clear; each push felt like she was using all her strength.
"Charge, Xiyao!" came the shouts from her teammates on the sidelines.
Just as she was about to complete the overtake, Park Hye-yeon's body suddenly tilted outward. Ren Xiyao clearly saw her opponent's elbow thrust backward at an unnatural angle. It was an abnormal arm swing. At the same time, she felt an external force on her ice skate.
She didn't know how she managed to make that movement the moment she fell; she only felt her palm touch something, and then everything spun around her. Her back slammed heavily against the protective pad.
A huge gasp erupted from the stands. Ren Xiyao lay on the ice, breathing heavily, her vision blurry. She saw the replay on the big screen: she had completed the relay despite falling, and now her teammates were crossing the finish line incredibly fast. Only third. Second place went to the Canadian team, who had caught up from behind.
"Xi Yao!" The coach's voice seemed to come from a great distance.
Ren Xiyao tried to sit up, but found that she couldn't put any weight on her right leg. A sharp pain made her vision go black, and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out.
The stretcher was brought in quickly. As she was lifted up, Ren Xiyao's mind was a jumbled mess, but she still instinctively kept her eyes glued to the big screen. She wanted to see if there were any penalties. The South Korean team was the first to cross the finish line; Park Hye-yeon had a bright smile on her face.
"Did the referee make a call?" Ren Xiyao asked, grabbing the team doctor's wrist.
The team doctor shook his head: "It's alright, the head coach has filed an appeal. Take care of yourself first."
Before the ambulance doors closed, Ren Xiyao overheard the head coach on the phone: "...Suspected ligament tear in her right leg, yes, the same leg as the one with the fracture last year... No, she insisted on completing the handover..."
The pain began to fade into numbness. Ren Xiyao recalled what Quan Zhilong had said during their last video call, as he watched her apply the ointment: "Do all athletes not take care of themselves?"
What was her response at the time?
"You get used to it and it doesn't hurt anymore"—how ironic. Now she's in so much pain she wants to cry, but not because of the injury on her leg.
"What was the result of the competition?" Ren Xiyao asked the translator in the car with difficulty.
The translator hesitated for a moment: "Bronze medal. The referee believes... there was no foul. But the head coach has filed an appeal."
Ren Xiyao turned her head, looking at the Seoul night view flashing past the car window. She closed her eyes, her throat tightening. Not from the pain, but from yet another missed opportunity. The long recovery period after her injury last year, the countless days and nights she gritted her teeth and persevered in the weight room, the form she had finally regained through the previous few competitions—all of it had become uncertain after this fall. When she woke up tomorrow morning, another long recovery period awaited her, another struggle starting from scratch.
The numerous tests at the hospital felt like a long, grueling ordeal. Lying inside the cold machine, listening to its strange noises, Ren Xiyao felt a mingled mix of pain in her right knee and fear in her heart. When the doctor finally brought in the results, she barely dared to breathe.
“Partial tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, with meniscus damage,” the doctor said in accented English. “I recommend stopping training immediately, for at least eight weeks.” Ren Xiyao’s nails dug into her palms. “Can I compete after eight weeks?” The doctor pushed up his glasses. “Theoretically, yes, but the risk is very high. I don’t recommend it. You athletes…” He sighed. “Always asking the same question.”
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