Chapter 90 Early autumn in the North, a chill has already crept in…
In early autumn in northern China, a chill has already crept into the air. Harbin, a city inextricably linked to ice and snow, is the first to welcome the new season of the Short Track Speed Skating Elite League. This is not only a selection process for the national team but also a qualifying event for the 13th National Winter Games; the importance of the two-legged competition is self-evident. National team members are all present, and elite club skaters are also eager to compete for tickets to the 13th National Winter Games.
Inside the ice training hall, the ice surface was polished smooth as a mirror, reflecting the athletes' rapid movements and the coaches' serious faces. A tense yet exciting atmosphere filled the air, and the "swish, swish" sound of the skates cutting through the ice was more frequent and sharper than usual.
Ren Xiyao stood on the sidelines, quietly warming up. Wearing the latest national team training uniform, her figure appeared even more upright and slender. This season brought an unprecedented lightness to her physique, and the physical limitations that had once held her back had also greatly improved, giving her a completely new understanding of her physical limits.
Her gaze was calm and focused, carrying an almost indifferent certainty. It was as if what was about to begin was not a fierce battle for honor and a spot, but a routine rehearsal with a predetermined outcome.
All eyes, intentionally or unintentionally, fell on her. She was the reigning World Championships all-around champion, the leading figure of the new generation in women's short track speed skating, and the athlete whose training results this summer were the most remarkable. The coaching staff had high hopes for her, while her opponents... felt unprecedented pressure.
"Xiyao, relax and just play normally." The head coach walked over, patted her on the shoulder, and his tone unconsciously carried a hint of expectation.
Ren Xiyao nodded, her expression largely unchanged: "Yes, I know."
She knew how good her condition was. The results of the summer training and the high-altitude training camp far exceeded her expectations. That feeling of perfect harmony between her body and the ice, and the seamless integration of strength and skill, gave her an unprecedented sense of comfort when gliding on the ice.
The improved efficiency of her push-off allows her to conserve energy when skating at high speeds; the enhanced core strength makes her more stable in cornering battles; and the refinement of her technique, especially her mastery of "right-angle changes of direction" and overtaking ability, gives her absolute confidence in controlling the pace of the game.
For her, domestic competitions are more like a platform to test her training results and find her competitive rhythm. She's aiming for the international stage and higher honors, but she won't underestimate any match. She will still give it her all.
First stop: Harbin
She participated in the pursuit races of the past two days—500m, 1000m, 1500m, and even the relay—and advanced smoothly in all of them without much suspense. Except for the 500m lane, which wasn't ideal, everything else went very well. She even coordinated well with her teammates; she cooperated with all the teammates and those grouped with her, hoping everyone would advance together.
On the ice rink, skaters darted about, their blades cutting through the ice with a crisp sound. The leading skaters took turns leading, attempting to control the rhythm. Ren Xiyao, however, moved with the grace of a fish, gliding effortlessly through the group. Her movements were fluid and graceful, each push-off precise and efficient, without a trace of unnecessary wobbling. Her gaze calmly swept over her opponents, observing their stamina distribution and skating routes.
Time ticked by, and six laps remained in the race. The pace quickened, and the battle for the lead intensified. Just then, Ren Xiyao, who had been lurking in the middle of the pack, made her move.
Without any warning, she simply increased the amplitude and power of her push-off as she exited the curve. But this seemingly minor change produced an astonishing effect. Her speed instantly increased to a new level, and like a bolt of lightning, she silently overtook the two skaters in front of her from the outside lane.
Her overtaking maneuver was clean and crisp, causing almost no ripples. But then, at the next corner, she exerted her power again! At the moment of entering the corner, her center of gravity was extremely low, and her skates cut into the apex of the corner at an incredible angle, almost skimming the marker block! But even at such a low angle, she did not hold onto the ice, still gliding with her hands behind her back.
"A beautiful inside pass!" the coach on the sidelines couldn't help but exclaim.
And this is just the beginning.
After taking the lead, Ren Xiyao didn't slow down; instead, she began to steadily accelerate. Her skating posture remained elegant, but each push-off was full of explosive power. The skaters behind her tried to catch up, only to find that the distance between them was widening at a visible speed.
Five meters, ten meters, fifteen meters...
With two laps to go, Ren Xiyao was already far ahead. Behind her, the other competitors were still fiercely battling for second and third place, but she seemed to have entered another arena, her speed showing no signs of slowing down.
A suppressed gasp of astonishment rippled through the stadium. What people witnessed was an absolute, overwhelming dominance.
"This...this speed is too fast!" a young team member muttered to himself.
"They don't feel like they're on the same level at all..."
As she crossed the finish line, Ren Xiyao led the second-place runner by a full bend. The cameras couldn't even fit her in the same frame as the runners behind her. In a top-level 1500-meter race, this distance is almost a hopeless gap. She even had time to glance back to confirm her lead before easily crossing the finish line.
Without any excessive celebration, she simply skated slowly to the sidelines, nodded to her coach and teammates, her face still bearing that calm expression. It was as if she had just completed an ordinary training session.
The upcoming 500-meter race will be a bit tougher. Because she was assigned to the outermost lane, she calculated her points before starting. She glanced at Lin Shan in lane two and Xu Xin in lane one, and the three of them exchanged glances, finalizing their strategy for the race.
Ren Xiyao stood on the starting line, her eyes sharp as an eagle's. The moment the starting gun fired, she was like a spring compressed to its limit, suddenly released! Her powerful explosive force propelled her from the outermost lane to fourth place. Currently, Xu Xin is in first place, Lin Shan is in second, and Xu Ran from the Lan Hai Club is in third.
Xu Ran is also a very competitive athlete in the 500m, but she's only among the top 500m runners, so she usually plays as a substitute for the national team. However, their training team consistently produces top talent in the 500m. So even though this season's focus is on long distances, Ren Xiyao is definitely not weak in short distances.
Accelerating on the straightaway, she pulled up to the outside lane just before the turn. Pulling up to the outside lane in the 500m is uncommon, but Ren Xiyao chose this forceful approach because the speed in the 500m is extremely high, and forcibly choosing the inside lane to overtake could easily lead to controversial penalties. Her current pedaling efficiency was more than sufficient, so unsurprisingly, she smoothly overtook Xu Ran within two turns, moving into third place and locking down the line. At the finish line, Xu Xin was first, Lin Shan second, and Ren Xiyao third. The three high-fived each other in celebration.
"They're too strong... there's no comparison at all..." A coach from a newly established club shook his head helplessly. But the Korean coach from the Blue Ocean Club on the other side didn't look so good.
The final event was the individual race, the 1000 meters. The final round consisted of Ren Xiyao and Xu Xin. Xu Xin was in lane two, and Ren Xiyao was in lane four.
This time, Ren Xiyao didn't wait like she did in the 1500 meters. After the start, she seized a favorable position to follow closely behind the leading skater, Chen Qiuyu from the Zhanqing Club.
Halfway through the match, the situation remained tight. Several top athletes were locked in a stalemate, constantly trying to overtake and counter-overtake. Ren Xiyao, however, remained exceptionally calm, like a seasoned hunter patiently waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
With the third-to-last lap, a skater on the outside attempted to accelerate and overtake. The leading skater immediately sped up to defend. Just as the two were locked in a close battle and their speeds fluctuated slightly, Ren Xiyao, who had been closely following behind, made her move!
She didn't choose to force her way over from the outside, nor did she risk cutting into the inside. Instead, she used the tiny gap left by the previous two fighters' struggle to slip between them like a ghost! This overtaking maneuver required extremely strong control, precise judgment, and perfect mastery of speed and distance!
A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd!
"My God! You can even beat them like that?!"
After this stroke of genius, Ren Xiyao instantly took the lead. This overtake seemed to completely disrupt the rhythm and mindset of her opponents behind her. Seizing the opportunity, she once again demonstrated her terrifying ability to continuously change speed. After gaining momentum, she instantly suppressed her speed, causing the already rapid pace in the final lap to slow down in an instant, completely disrupting the rhythm of the competitors behind her. At the same time, Xu Xin, who was in fourth place, also overtook her from the outside lane and took the lead.
The final two laps were a battle between her and Xu Xin. The change in her line at the exit of the penultimate corner made Xu Xin think she was going to overtake from the outside. Ren Xiyao's controlled outward movement revealed the inside lane, which, to her, was a mistake by Xu Xin, even though she had lured her in. This opening was enough for her to overtake on the inside lane. Her extremely high pedaling efficiency was on full display at that moment, ultimately allowing her to cross the finish line first with an indisputable advantage!
With two gold and one bronze medal in individual events, Ren Xiyao secured a resounding victory in her first competition, delivering a near-perfect and overwhelming performance that declared her absolute dominance in the domestic arena this season! The women's relay is another source of confidence for Ren Xiyao, as her team includes Xu Xin, Lin Shan, and Ren Xiyao—all regulars in international competitions. The addition of veteran Han Muxue, who has competed in Vancouver, further solidified their success. It was practically a foregone conclusion that they would win their first competition.
While Ren Xiyao hasn't quite reached the level of her captain yet, at least domestically, in certain stages of competitions, she has indeed left her opponents far behind, as if there were a bend in the road between them. This visual impact and the gap in skill have made everyone acutely aware of this.
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