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

Chapter 261-262

Translator: dapotaturs

Release Date: 10/11/2023

Chapter 261: Schedule for August 1st & The Role of Erha

In this particular race, the Chinese relay team achieved an impressive fifth place, thanks to the full effort of several relay team members!

Even though the initial team was composed of Zhang Ziyi, Qiu Wen, Chen Yadan, and Lin Yao, they dared not assume they could achieve such a result on the Olympic stage. The fifth place they secured tonight, even though they didn't make the top four, is already enough to make all Chinese people feel proud.

A joyful and exciting atmosphere spread between the spectators at the venue and the Chinese audience on the internet. In the broadcast on the sports channel, commentators Shao Minyi and Li Sen were generous in using terms like "making history" to describe tonight's event of the mixed-gender 4x400m relay.

Although the entire final race only lasted for a few brief minutes, the impact and resonance it brought were long-lasting.

Apart from the jubilation on the domestic internet that evening, the four members of the mixed relay team received a warm welcome and congratulations from their teammates and leaders when they returned to the Chinese athletes' area.

Lin Yao had already calmed down considerably, although her eyes were still red from her earlier emotional moment, it was evident that she had just cried. She suddenly turned to Coach Su Bai and said, "Coach, I want to try increasing my training intensity."

Su Bai looked at Lin Yao, her gaze determined, and replied seriously, "Currently, your training intensity is already close to full capacity. Adjusting the training structure would be challenging for you, and the results may not necessarily be very good. Are you sure you want to try this?"

"I'm sure!" Lin Yao answered almost impatiently.

Seeing Lin Yao's determination, Su Bai smiled and said, "Alright, I'll work with Coach Zheng to revise your training plan. Remember, once you make a choice, you have to stick with it!"

Upon hearing Su Bai's response, Lin Yao nodded vigorously and said, "Yes!"

Seeing Lin Yao taking the initiative to make this request, Chen Yadan, who was standing nearby, felt genuinely pleased.

At 28 years old, she was considered a veteran among female sprinters. In the world of women's short-distance sprinting, her age was considered relatively high. Although she wished to continue training with the national team and had even managed to secure a spot for the Tokyo Olympics this year, her age and her knowledge of the sport told her that her time as a competitive athlete was limited.

There is a harsh saying in the sports world: "You may be the world's best this year, but next year, you might not even make it through your country's qualifiers." As athletes age, the physical decline becomes inevitable. While top-tier athletes can extend their careers through various methods of physical maintenance, Chen Yadan understood that her retirement was imminent.

Furthermore, as many in the country feared, Su Bai had yet to train enough outstanding athletes for the 400m women's relay. Once she retired, neither Lin Huan nor Lin Yao had fully matured to carry the mantle. The emerging athletes like Yang Yi and Lu Xiaolu were still too young.

Chen Yadan couldn't help but feel restless when she thought about the future of the women's relay team after her retirement. Seeing Lin Yao step forward like this, she suddenly felt that, after careful observation, the position of team captain in the women's relay team might have a worthy successor.

That evening, Chinese netizens praised the members of the mixed-gender 4x400m relay team again and again. Then, someone urged everyone to rest well, as there were several important athletics events the next day. The following day, August 1st, had several key track and field events on the schedule.