Chapter 196: Dawn of the Track Star
by xennovelWhen the host called out Xie Bingran’s name, the stands in section 12 erupted in cheers right away.
Besides Huang Qianqian, Wu Feifei, and the others, there were also those dozen or so of Bing Ge’s provincial team teammates.
Meanwhile, Li Rui and his group were still waving their banners, strutting around the track for a full lap.
Cameras zoomed in on Bing Ge for a close-up, projecting it onto the big screen in the stands.
She still had that icy expression, with stray hairs on her forehead slightly covering her refined features, making them seem even deeper and more intense.
In the shot, the lines of her arms and upper body looked sharper, and her facial contours appeared even clearer and more attractive than before…
So, the entire audience in the stands finally got to see what this ‘heaven-sent ice goddess who leaves no grass growing’ looked like.
“She’s just a young girl, and she looks so young…”
“Her face is so captivating!”
“Wow! She’s stunning, absolutely a feast for the eyes…”
“Why call such a beautiful girl Bing Ge?”
“Gorgeous! She really hits the spot!”
…
The on-site host seemed to catch the sudden buzz and, based on the athlete info in hand, quickly added an introduction focused on Xie Bingran:
“In lane seven, Xie Bingran, a young talent who’s just burst onto the scene this year!
In her ‘debut battle’ at the National Youth Track and Field Championships in May, she beat out two top favorites from Shanghai to claim her first gold and broke the championships record with 13.28 seconds…
Champion of the National Middle School Track and Field Championships, breaking the record with 13.30 seconds…
Xie Bingran is the top-ranked athlete under 18 in the women’s 100-meter hurdles nationwide! She’s also the youngest competitor on the track today!
Though she hasn’t broken 12 seconds yet and still lags behind the domestic elite, her future is limitless…”
Breaking into 12 seconds is a key milestone in the women’s 100-meter hurdles.
Times just over 13 seconds can snag national or even Asian event wins.
But only consistently dipping under 12 seconds offers a real shot at being Asia’s top hurdler.
In her peak years, Feng Youping had a two-thirds chance of hitting 12 seconds, solidifying her as Asia’s queen of the 100-meter hurdles…
Meanwhile, the Olympic qualifying times in past years have been between 12.90 and 13 seconds.
…
In the stands of section 12.
Director Feng Siliang turned to Teacher Chen Ming, curious, and asked:
“Teacher Chen Ming, what place do you think Xie Bingran will get? The medal’s a sure thing, right?”
Hearing Feng Siliang’s words, Huang Qianqian and Wu Feifei nearby leaned in closer.
Chen Ming smiled: “Tian Fangfang asked Bing Ge’s team coach the same question.”
Feng Siliang: “What did they say?”
Chen Ming: “The team coach, Coach Cheng, said she didn’t know.”
But Coach Cheng also asked Bing Ge’s head coach, Sun Mouping.”
Coach Sun just replied: ‘That depends on how she runs…'”
Feng Siliang shook his head: “That’s as good as saying nothing.”
Wu Feifei patted Xu Chen in the front row: “What about you?”
Xu Chen was chewing on a piece of wife cake and said casually:
“She said if I come watch, she’ll run seriously.”
It seemed… completely unrelated.
…
…
“In lane eight, representing Shanghai, Bai Miao…
Champion of the National Middle School Games, silver medalist at the National University Games, champion of the National Middle School Track and Field Championships…
In May’s National Youth Track and Field Championships, she took second place, just behind Xie Bingran in lane seven…”
After the host introduced Bai Miao, the arena saw some scattered applause.
Bai Miao pursed her lips, glanced at Bing Ge beside her, and showed a hint of grievance.
She used to be the top under-18…
Without Bing Ge, she’d be the youngest here today, and ‘a future full of potential’ would be about her.
But she quickly showed a determined look.
Today, she had almost no chance against those two seniors, but going head-to-head with Bing Ge again gave her some confidence!
Xie Bingran’s record-breaking 13.28 seconds wasn’t an unbeatable gap.
…
Li Rui, Zhao Feng, and the others had already picked up the pace.
They dragged those massive, eye-catching banners, looking smug and bold, circling the wide stands under everyone’s gaze—at least another few hundred meters—before reaching section 12.
Xu Chen laughed and said:
“Make some room!”
…
…
“The women’s 100-meter hurdles final at the 10th National Games…”
“Athletes and officials, take your positions…”
On the nine lanes, the nine competitors were all crouched down.
Over the 100-meter stretch, ten hurdles lined up on each lane.
Neat, steady, perfectly aligned.
The on-site host had muted the mic, and the audience in the stands hushed their cheers.
Several cameras aimed at the starting line from different angles.
On the big screen, the feed switched between wide shots and close-ups of the star athletes.
The camera swept over Xie Bingran’s face.
Because she looked so striking, many in the audience couldn’t help lingering on that close-up profile.
She was staring down at the track, her short hair slightly covering her face.
A bead of sweat slid from her sculpted chin, pulled by gravity toward the dark red track below.
…
As the starting pistol pointed to the sky, time on the entire track seemed to freeze, breaths audible.
“Bang!”
The shot echoed with the heartbeat of the crowd.
Xu Chen had a piece of wife cake in his mouth, pausing mid-chew.
And just three to five seconds later, as the absolute silence behind him turned into a roaring wave, Xu Chen smiled and chewed on.
He sat steadily in his seat.
Yet he could feel the stands beneath him shake slightly with the surrounding cheers and excitement.
…
Xie Bingran crossed the finish line.
Clean, precise, right on target.
Spot-on, flawless…
So-called ‘Asian Games champions,’ ‘peak successors,’ and ‘dark horse contenders’ were all left two or three body lengths behind…
Not exactly strolling, but perfectly executed.
Just as Xu Chen had expected and hoped.
She didn’t push too hard, and she didn’t need to.
On the track,
she was the queen…
Just like that evening, when a cool breeze brushed Xie Bingran’s stray hairs.
She paused for a moment and said to Xu Chen:
“For at least the next ten years…
That track is mine.”
Bing Ge doesn’t say much.
She’s tough and keeps it short.
…
Xu Chen still sat in his seat, half a wife cake in his mouth.
He watched Xie Bingran from afar, surrounded by people, and thought to himself:
“Congratulations, you silly girl.
Your era…
has begun.”
…
…
The vast stands were lively only in section 12, a roaring ocean of noise.
When Xie Bingran’s sharp, refined face appeared on the big screen again, people still couldn’t believe what had happened.
The loudspeakers crackled, as if the host was so tense he nearly knocked over the mic.
Then, the host from the Guangdong Province sports channel announced to the entire venue in a nearly hoarse voice:
“12.62 seconds! 12.62 seconds!
Ladies and gentlemen watching live and on TV, we’ve witnessed history!
Sealed for 13 years since 1993! The National Games women’s 100-meter hurdles record has been broken today!
”
12.62 seconds surpasses the previous Asian Games gold medal time of 12.93 seconds set by the great Feng Youping!
She’s not just won the National Games title!
She’s claimed the Asian peak!
She can easily hit the Olympic qualifying line!!
Ladies and gentlemen watching live and on TV, we’ve witnessed history!
On July 29, 2006, at 11:07 AM!
Remember this moment! Remember this instant!
The prodigy from Shandong Province has burst onto the scene as an unbeatable dark horse!
The ice goddess marches forth, leaving no ground untouched!
Heaven-sent ice, born invincible!
This is an undeniable track miracle!
This is a moment etched into sprint history!
The women’s 100-meter hurdles has entered…
the Xie Bingran era!!
…
Bing Ge!!
From behind the mic and camera…
I miss you so much!!!”
…
…
Amid the host’s dramatic and exaggerated broadcast, the entire stadium finally ignited.
Waves of applause and cheers even drowned out the frenzy in section 12.
Wu Feifei and Huang Qianqian hugged each other, both girls in tears.
Xu Chen sat in his seat, looking a bit pained.
Only because Teacher Fang Jun beside him was so excited, gripping Xu Chen’s arm tightly—probably leaving a bruise…
Teacher Chen Ming stood with a dozen provincial team members, applauding hard.
Xu Zhiquan and Feng Siliang, the two middle-aged men, had their arms around each other, cigarettes in their mouths but unable to light up…
Li Rui, Zhao Feng, and Bing Ge’s buddies slumped half over the stands’ railing, still grinning foolishly.
…
…
On the big screen, the camera stayed on the finish line.
After Xie Bingran came second-place Chen Lan at 12.98 seconds.
Third was the veteran Feng Youping at 13.10 seconds…
At that moment, these two domestic sprint stars, also Xie Bingran’s seniors on the national team, rushed over and lifted her up in excitement!
Bai Miao stood nearby, crying like a drenched flower:
“Bing Ge, you’re so amazing—how can anyone else even compete?!”
…
The provincial team’s coaches applauded excitedly, turning to Xie Bingran’s team coach Cheng Hong:
“Where’s Coach Sun? How come he’s not here for Xie Bingran’s win?”
Cheng Hong looked a bit embarrassed: “Coach Sun went to the bathroom!”
“…”
Coach Sun is Xie Bingran’s head coach on the national team, Sun Mouping.
Right then, Sun Mouping strolled out from the rest area, still fastening his belt as he walked…
“Coach Sun! Xie Bingran won!”
“12.62 seconds and a record broken!”
Surrounded by coaches offering congratulations, Sun Mouping grinned dismissively and muttered:
“Making a big fuss over nothing…”
…
When asked what place Xie Bingran might get, he said…
“That depends on how she runs…”
When Xu Chen was asked the same, he said…
“If I come watch, she’ll run seriously.”
…
He showed up.
So.
She got serious.
He came.
So she took it seriously.