Domination in America, Starting from being a Boxing Champion-Chapter 885 - 631 Shot Put Final_3

"21.05 meters!!"

"Yes!!"

"Well done!"

"Link, what a great guy."

The coaches of Li Yabing and the track team shouted excitedly from the sidelines.

Although this throw only ranked third, it was a result that no Chinese or Asian had ever achieved in the history of athletics, directly raising the Asian record for the shot put to 21 meters.

Seeing Link achieve a great result of 21 meters on his second throw, jumping from second last to third, the reporters on site quickly aimed their cameras at Link.

"Go Link!"

Chinese viewers in front of the TV, seeing Link power into the top three with a good chance to get a medal, started shouting excitedly, cheering him on.

"It's incredible, to throw a 7.26-kilogram thing 21 meters, I can only say it's awesome."

In the bar, Xia Yu glanced at his own palm and was utterly impressed by Link.

"I suddenly realize that compared to what these Olympic athletes do, our work as singers and actors seems so meaningless."

Listening to the high-pitched cheers coming from the bar, Gao Xiaosong lamented pessimistically.

"Don't be silly, athletes pursue higher, faster, and stronger, while we pursue art, creating human spiritual civilization; our work is equally important."

Gao Xiaosong said.

"How do you know what we create is spiritual civilization, not spiritual trash and fast food art?"

Gao Xiaosong retorted.

"Stop talking nonsense, watch the game! Link threw 21.05 meters in his second attempt of the first round, currently ranking third, comfortably entering the second round. In my opinion, he should skip the third attempt and conserve energy, and then try harder in the second round to see if he can achieve an even better result."

Gao Xiaosong commented while watching Link on TV.

At the venue, Coach Li Yabing also suggested that Link skip the third throw to save energy for the second round.

Link did not agree. With six chances in two rounds of the Olympic shot put event, every attempt was an opportunity. He did not believe that the power that hadn't erupted in the first three throws would perform better if saved for the latter three.

Link chose to continue with his third attempt.

Standing in the throwing area, he swung his arms, positioned the shot put on his shoulder, and stared straight ahead towards the sector, from 20 meters, to 21 meters, to 22 meters, then to 23 meters.

The current world record for men's shot put is 23.12 meters, set by the American champion Randi Barnes at the 1990 World Athletics Championships, and it remains unbeaten to this day.

And the Olympics record for men's shot put is 22.47 meters, set by the East German athlete Ulf Timmermann at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which has yet to be broken as well.

At this Olympics, the best result of the first round was 21.16 meters, still a distance from the two records.

Link's goal, however, was to break the shot put record.

So before achieving success, he needed to keep fighting hard.

After the referee signaled that he could throw, Link gritted his teeth, pressed down hard with his body, and once again gathered all his strength.

As his body's tension peaked, he let out a fierce shout and thrust his arms upwards, pushing out the shot put once more.

This time, the arc of the throw was a bit higher, and the shot put traced a smooth parabola in the air before crashing down onto the grass.

Thud!

"How much?"

The on-site referees and media reporters stared intently at the patch of grass.

"21.11 meters!"

Declared the measurer.

"21.11 meters?!!"

"Fantastic, he's overtaken the Ukrainian athlete's 21.08 meters. This result will definitely get him a medal, possibly a silver."

"An unprecedented silver medal."

The coaches exclaimed excitedly, and the leaders of the Chinese sports delegation in the audience clapped their hands and whispered to the people beside them with smiles.

Upon hearing that it was 21.11 meters, Link felt a bit disappointed. These two throws had almost reached his physical limit and the limit of his strength, yet he still had not broken through 22 meters.

It also indicated that achieving results in the shot put was indeed difficult and that he would need a few more years of training to break the record.

Fortunately, there were three more chances to throw, hoping to further progress and strive for the gold medal.

"Applause!"

After Link left the field, there was a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience, and Chinese viewers were waving red flags high, cheering Link on.

Competitors from other countries also cast admiring glances at him, with some even greeting him in broken Chinese.

Link replied a few words, sat in the waiting area, and watched the other competitors' performances.

The first round ended with Adam Nelson of the American Team still in the lead, scoring 21.16 meters, Link in second with 21.11 meters, and Ukrainian athlete Bilonog in third with 21.08 meters, with Denmark's Olsen, Australia's Klaus, and others making it into the top eight.

After a short rest, the second round continued.

Following the order of the first round, Ukrainian athlete Bilonog was the first to go.

His first throw was 20.48 meters, followed by a huge surge in his second throw, achieving a great distance of 21.16 meters, tying with the first-placed Adam Nelson, and pushing Link's result to third. If someone else catches up later, he might miss out on a medal.

"Oh no, Link is really out of luck!"

Coach Li Yabing covered his forehead and sighed.

"Come on Link!!"

When CCTV5's cameras focused on Link, viewers in front of the TV shouted loudly, hoping to support him in achieving a good result in this way.

Ukrainian athlete Bilonog's third throw was 21.02 meters, also a good result.

His best performance in the shot put at this Olympic Games was 21.16 meters, and whether he can win the gold medal depends on the performances of Adam Nelson and Link.

Adam Nelson went fourth; the two before him failed to throw over 21 meters.

Adam Nelson is a heavyset redneck with a Texas cowboy hat on before coming onto the field, presumably from the Texas region.

Nelson's first throw was 20.16 meters, which was mediocre.

His second throw was 21.06 meters, still not surpassing his first-round result.

The third throw was 19.68 meters.

Thus, his best result at this Olympic Games was 21.16 meters, with the second-highest being 21.06 meters, slightly behind the Ukrainian athlete, dropping to second place on the electronic display.

Denmark's Olsen was the sixth to compete, with his best out of three throws at 21.03 meters, not surpassing Link's result and temporarily ranking fourth.

"Link's medal is secure."

Coach Li Yabing breathed a sigh of relief.

At only 19, this is Link's first time participating in the Olympic shot put event, and winning a bronze would still be a breakthrough achievement.

The coaching team had something to report to the National Sports Bureau.

Link was the seventh to compete.

As he came on, many in the stands were shouting encouraging words, among them were many National Team athletes, including big Yao, Yi Jianlian, Tian Liang, and others.

Link took a deep breath, stepped into the throwing area, picked up the shot put from the ground, transferred it from his left hand to his right, using this method to release pressure.

The judge signaled that he could start throwing.

Link took several deep breaths, placed the shot put on his shoulder, twisted his body backward while slowly squatting, imagining himself as a tough spring, he seemed to hear the sound of his muscles rubbing, and the sound of tendons stretching and cracking.

As he squatted down, he gradually felt the limit of his body, and at that moment, he shouted fiercely, his body abruptly twisting around, changing from a backward squat into a forward lunge.

In the process, the shot put flew from his hands, tracing an arc in the air, and landed with a heavy thud on the ground.

Thump!

"It's over 21 meters!"

"May Buddha bless, it has to be over 21.16 meters."

The coaches and Chinese audience prayed.

"21.14 meters!"

The measuring official announced.

"Such a pity, just 2 centimeters short."

"Link is so unlucky, but it's okay, he's only 19. He will definitely have a chance to win gold at the next Capital City Olympics."

"Don't rush, Link still has two chances, maybe he can work a miracle."

The audience was abuzz with discussion, some disappointed, others still hopeful.

Link was also somewhat disappointed with the result, but he was not discouraged; one cannot be discouraged until all the throws are completed.

He took a deep breath, picked up the shot put from the ground again, and held it on his shoulder, gazing into the distance.