After Leaving the Sports Circle, I Became a Cooking God (Completed BL)

Chapter 223-224

Translator: dapotaturs

Release Date: 10/08/2023

Chapter 223: Unexpected Challenges

At the same time, it was 7:20 in the evening in Doha, and the semifinal round of the men's 110m hurdles was about to begin. Leading the way was Lu Mengfan, who belonged to the first group of the semifinals.

The semifinals of the 110m hurdles, as usual, consisted of only three groups. The only difference was that three athletes could advance from each group, taking the top three positions among the remaining competitors.

In the evening's semifinal line-up, Cui Luoheng's group was not as competitive as the tough battles he faced in the heats. Simply looking at the list of athletes, Cui Luoheng's group in the semifinals seemed to offer some hope of advancing.

On the other hand, Lu Mengfan's luck wasn't as good. In his group, not only was Vladimir present, but also French star Fabregas, Barbadian athlete Aubrey, and the American competitor Jagger.

Surrounded by such strong opponents, Lu Mengfan seemed to be in a more precarious position.

On the track, the athletes from the first semifinal group were already lined up, and all eight of them were ready to compete for a spot in the final.

Lu Mengfan was among them. He crouched down on the starting blocks, adjusting them to the angle that suited him best. Then, he leaned forward, ready to start on this track and find his optimal condition.

Beside him, the other seven athletes were either stretching or relaxing their bodies. Faced with this final hurdle before the final, none of the athletes were taking it lightly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the live broadcast is currently showing the competition of the first group of the men's 110m hurdles semifinals at the Doha World Championships. As we can see, the athletes are prepared at the starting line, and the tense semifinal is about to begin!"

Commentators Shao Minyi and Li Sen were providing commentary on the current situation of the race.

"Tonight's semifinal presents Lu Mengfan with strong opponents, but we still hope that he can maintain a calm mindset and give his best to showcase his strength and talent!"

Even though Cui Luoheng had emerged, seemingly overshadowing Lu Mengfan's once-glowing reputation, Lu Mengfan had maintained a positive mindset throughout. He didn't succumb to despair because Cui Luoheng had taken his place.

Over the past year, Lu Mengfan's performance had steadily improved. However, similar to Cui Luoheng's situation, his improvements in performance couldn't match the memories that track and field enthusiasts held of the era when he was the reigning champion. In the current climate, where even Cui Luoheng's 13.17-second performance failed to amaze, Lu Mengfan's slight improvements were easily overlooked by track and field enthusiasts.

This situation was largely a result of the interplay between the era of the former hurdles champion and the subsequent period marked by a lack of talent, which had made track and field enthusiasts in the country sensitive to the performance levels in the 110m hurdles. They often found themselves in a state of confusion.

On the race track, Lu Mengfan had already focused his attention on the task at hand. Performance and qualification were not at the forefront of his mind. What concerned him more was the performance he could deliver on this particular track today.

As the live camera focused on the starting line, the race was about to begin. The eight athletes on the track crouched at their starting blocks, their hands on the ground. Their gaze was fixed on the narrow stretch of track in front of them.