Chapter 93 Women's 1500m (a)...
The women's 1500m (a) was Ren Xiyao's first individual final event at this station. After competing in the preliminaries and semifinals, Ren Xiyao successfully advanced to the A final. Standing on the starting line, besides her, were South Korea's Lee Eun-jung and Kim Sook-yeon, a Dutch athlete known for her tactical versatility, and the host country Canada's Rita and Sanks.
The starting gun fired! Ren Xiyao's strategy in the 1500m was to wait for an opportunity to strike, staying close behind the top three. In international competitions, the 1500m pace is faster, and everyone starts pushing earlier, making physical contact and competition for the race line more intense and covert. The lead changed hands several times, with the two South Korean skaters and the two Canadian skaters consciously coordinating with their teammates to try and control the pace of the race.
"Ren Xiyao is currently in a very comfortable following position," the commentator analyzed. "She is not rushing forward, which is very smart. In the 1500-meter race, energy distribution is crucial."
Her gaze calmly swept over her opponents ahead, while simultaneously keeping an eye on the movements behind her. Her brain worked at high speed, analyzing every possible point of overtaking and potential risk.
With seven laps remaining, the pace of the race suddenly quickened! The Dutch rider took the lead by attempting an overtake from the outside, disrupting the South Korean team's coordination. The leading group instantly spread out, and the racing lines became more complex.
Now!
Ren Xiyao, who had been patiently waiting for her opportunity, keenly spotted a slight opening on the inside of Li Enjing's ice. Before entering the turn, as if guided by a precision system, she abruptly changed lanes inwards, lowered her center of gravity, tightened her lap, and sliced into the apex of the turn at a tricky angle! It was an extremely risky yet highly efficient overtake! Simultaneously, she controlled her speed as much as possible, accelerating even earlier than Shanks at the moment of exiting the turn. By the time Shanks reacted, it was too late. She hadn't properly tightened her inside lane and was pulled further outwards by centrifugal force at the moment of exiting the turn. The resulting opening allowed Ren Xiyao to exploit and smoothly move into second place.
"Beautiful! The inside pass is clear!" A low exclamation came from the Chinese team's coaching bench on the sidelines.
Rita felt the pressure behind her, glanced back, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She hadn't expected Ren Xiyao to be following so closely, and rising so silently. She instinctively wanted to speed up and break free, but they knew each other too well.
Without pausing, Ren Xiyao immediately accelerated after exiting the bend, and with her powerful push-off and gliding efficiency, she overtook Rita as she entered the straight and took the lead!
A gasp of amazement erupted from the crowd! That overtake was clean, decisive, and brimming with power and intelligence! Those three consecutive overtakes were incredibly exhilarating, incredibly smooth, almost seamless. In just one lap, he went from 4th to 1st place.
For the next five laps, she maintained a firm lead, her rhythm as steady as a metronome. Her skating was devoid of any unnecessary movements; every push-off converted power into maximum forward speed.
But at the same time, Kim Suk-yeon, who had been in the lead and constantly facing off, also started to move. Kim Suk-yeon's skating style was very aggressive and direct. Her lines weren't as delicate as Ren Xiyao's; she relied more on her powerful stamina and ability to overtake on the outside. She conserved her energy in the first few laps, following behind. In the last four laps, she started aggressively pulling away on the outside, completing the overtakes. Her stamina reserves were incredibly abundant, giving the impression of a bottomless pit.
She and Li Enjing were the only ones who could keep up with Ren Xiyao even in the last two laps. The three of them had almost created a half-corner gap with the riders behind them. The two of them were trying to coordinate. But Ren Xiyao had locked in her line very tightly. At crucial moments, she neutralized their intentions through subtle adjustments to her line and changes in speed. Her control over distance and timing is now very mature.
On the final lap, Ren Xiyao needed to maintain a moderate speed to conserve energy for controlling the line. Her defense was like a wall, incredibly tight. Neither of them could overtake her. Ren Xiyao even had the energy to catch her breath slightly at the last corner before sprinting at full speed!
She was the first to cross the finish line! Gold medal! The first gold medal of the new World Cup season!
She clenched her fist, and a faint smile finally appeared on her face. This smile contained the joy of victory, the release of pressure, and satisfaction with her performance. She skated to the sidelines, high-fiving her coach and teammates in celebration. Spectators in the stands waved national flags and cheered for her.
With the confidence of winning gold in the 1500 meters, Ren Xiyao faced the challenge of the 1000 meters.
At the starting line of the final, the opponents were a different group. In addition to the still strong Kim Yeon-sook, there were several European athletes known for their sprinting ability. Xu Xin also made it to the A group final of the 1000m.
As the starting gun fired, Ren Xiyao's start was much more aggressive than in the 1500 meters. She quickly moved from lane three to second place, closely following a fast Dutch runner. Every lap of the 1000-meter race was a thrilling spectacle.
The first few laps were relatively calm, but the situation on the track changed rapidly in the middle stages. Riders constantly attempted to overtake from the outside, and the space on the inside lane became extremely limited. Ren Xiyao tried several times to overtake the leading Dutch skater, but was skillfully blocked each time. At the same time, she also had to constantly control her subsequent lines; sometimes overtaking from second place was fine, but if she couldn't, she was stuck there, in a very uncomfortable position.
With the race entering its penultimate lap, another overtaking attempt occurred on the outside, suddenly boosting the speed of the leading group. Ren Xiyao seized the opportunity, accelerating as she exited the corner and forcefully overtaking the Dutch driver from the outside!
But just as she secured the lead and before she could even block Ren Xiyao's movement, Jin Shuyan, who had been lurking behind her, made her move! With an extremely aggressive stance, Jin Shuyan almost grazed Ren Xiyao's skates, forcefully cutting in from the inside! This was an extremely risky move; a slight misstep could have caused both of them to fall. But this kind of overtaking was precisely the kind of method Jin Shuyan particularly liked—"fortune favors the bold." Ren Xiyao was careless here.
She reacted extremely quickly, instinctively adjusting her body to avoid the collision, but the sudden impact disrupted her skating rhythm for a fraction of a second. That fraction of a second of delay caused her to lose her lead.
On the sidelines, the Chinese team's head coach stood with his arms crossed, his expression serious, his gaze fixed intently on Ren Xiyao. In international competitions, anything can happen in an instant; any small mistake could lead to utter failure.
In the second half of the race, Ren Xiyao attempted to overtake several times, using her cornering skills and straight-line speed to put pressure on Jin Shuyan. However, Jin Shuyan's defense was also watertight, firmly holding her line.
The last bend! Ren Xiyao tried to overtake again from the outside lane! The two rushed out of the bend almost side by side, making their final sprint towards the finish line!
Push off the ice! Cross the finish line!
The two crossed the finish line almost simultaneously! All eyes were on the electronic timer and high-speed camera next to the finish line.
A few seconds later, the final results and rankings were displayed on the big screen.
First place: Kim Suk-yeon.
Second place: Ren Xiyao.
The difference was a mere 0.218 seconds! The distance of a skate tip!
Ren Xiyao slowly stopped, looked at the results on the big screen, and let out a soft breath. Her face didn't show much frustration, but a hint of regret still flashed in her eyes. She swiped over to congratulate Jin Shuyan, who responded amicably.
Silver medal. While somewhat disappointing, it's also proof of her formidable strength. To fight to the very end in such a high-level, high-intensity competition is a success in itself. In international competition, a single mistake can cost a gold medal, so top athletes need a combination of skill, luck, and hard work.
Different combinations and different playing styles will produce different results. Now that the lineup is fixed, it also gives opponents a lot of information to study. No team dares to say that this lineup is the relay lineup for the Winter Olympics. They are all making adjustments.
Relay races test not only individual abilities, but also teamwork and tactical execution.
The Chinese team started in lane two. Xu Xin, the first runner, had a good start and a smooth handover, keeping the Chinese team in the second group.
The situation on the field changed rapidly, with players from each team flitting about like butterflies. Each handover was accompanied by a sudden increase in speed and fierce competition for the right line.
On lap 20, it was Ren Xiyao's turn to skate. When she took the baton, the Chinese team was slightly behind the leading South Korean and Canadian teams, ranking third. Earlier, during Wang Lu's pass to Xu Xin, a mistake occurred, allowing the Canadian team to overtake. After taking the baton, Ren Xiyao immediately demonstrated her strong individual ability; her skating speed was significantly faster than her opponents, and with a few efficient pushes, she quickly closed the gap on the leading Canadian skater.
After overtaking on a high-speed corner, Ren Xiyao moved the Chinese team up to second place! And began to challenge the leading South Korean team!
In the following legs, the Chinese team performed exceptionally well, with smooth baton exchanges, firmly holding onto second place and at one point narrowing the gap with the South Korean team to within half a lap.
With five laps to go, the atmosphere on the track was incredibly tense! The South Korean team maintained a slight lead, with the Chinese team close behind and the Canadian team also keeping a close watch.
In the final leg, it was Ren Xiyao facing off against Kim Suk-yeon from the South Korean team!
When Ren Xiyao took over the baton, she was about a third of a straight ahead of Jin Shuyan. Without any hesitation, she immediately accelerated at full speed! On the ice of Calgary, two figures chased each other like lightning!
Ren Xiyao was faster; she pedaled incredibly fast on the straightaway, gradually closing the gap with Jin Shuyan! The curve! Ren Xiyao attempted to overtake from the outside! Jin Shuyan held firm on the inside!
Exiting the bend! Only one bend left to the finish line! Ren Xiyao has almost caught up with Jin Shuyan! The two are neck and neck!
The entire audience stood up, and the shouts were deafening!
Final sprint! Cross the finish line!
They crossed the finish line almost simultaneously!
The big screen once again became the focus. The results showed: South Korea in first place, and China in second!
The gap is still very small, just a hair's breadth away. Another silver medal!
Ren Xiyao was panting heavily, sweat streaming down her face. Her teammates rushed forward and embraced her. Although they had once again missed out on the gold medal, they had given it their all, showcasing the strength and team spirit of the Chinese women's team. This silver medal was equally weighty.
One gold and two silver medals. For the first stop of the new season, the World Cup, this is a remarkable achievement. At this moment, she has earned herself a brief respite and solid confidence through her hard work and skill. Her season has only just begun.
-----------------------
Author's Note: After reading the comments, I don't think this part is particularly angsty; it's more of a problem-solving exercise. While writing it, I actually felt a sense of relief. The external events cast a shadow of dramatic change over the two of them, making them cautious and somewhat precarious. They were also trying to maintain a facade of normalcy, but these two scenes show them facing the existing problems and starting to try to solve them. Otherwise, constantly pretending would only lead to more problems. For example, a couple's ring, which implies a promise of the future, provides more security than avoiding the topic. For example, she rationally understands that now is definitely not the time to announce their relationship, but emotionally, she doesn't feel good about expressing it behind closed doors. These things need to be expressed, especially when they can't see each other. Furthermore, for top celebrities where time is a scarce resource, a carefully prepared photo album represents a very firm attitude, along with plans to meet…
However, I wasn't very precise or clear in some parts of the events in Chapter 91. The focus was on aspects I hadn't anticipated, so I've revised it. I've added about 400 words. If any teachers want to go back and review it, it might be easier to understand now. [heart emoji]
Thank you everyone, enjoy reading! [heart emoji]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
