CHAPTER 934: CHAPTER 654: GOLD MEDAL AND BONUS_2

Resting for half a day.

The next morning, Link participated in the 1500-meter preliminary round at the multi-purpose sports complex.

His preliminary result was 3 minutes 38.28 seconds, ranking third in the second group and ultimately advancing to the final with the tenth-best overall result.

In the afternoon, he continued with the men’s javelin competition.

In the first round, of his three throws, the best result was 88.23 meters, surpassing the best score of 86.02 meters from last year’s Athens Olympics by over 2 meters, and taking the first-round lead.

In the second round, among the seven athletes who threw before him, the best result was 87.17 meters by Estonian Republic athlete Vanik, followed by Russian athlete Makarov at 86.18 meters.

No one broke the record Link set in the first round.

In his three throws during the second round, Link’s best result was 88.61 meters, breaking his personal record and earning a round of applause from the audience.

Link also claimed his second gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics, marking the first shot put championship for the Huaxia Track and Field Team at the World Championships.

He also received a $60,000 cash prize awarded by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

On the fourth day, during the 5000-meter preliminary round, Link clocked in at 13 minutes 25.96 seconds, advancing to the final with a seventh-place finish.

In the men’s 3000-meter steeplechase held in the afternoon, Link performed below his usual level, finishing third with a time of 8 minutes 15.22 seconds, earning only a bronze medal. This was also the first medal for the Huaxia Team at the World Championships.

On the fifth morning, during the men’s 1500-meter final, Link performed outstandingly. With incredible endurance and physical strength, he stayed ahead through the race and ultimately won the championship with a time of 3 minutes 37.77 seconds.

He also became the first Huaxia athlete to break the 3:40-minute barrier in this event.

He rested for the afternoon and watched the men’s 110-meter hurdles final on-site.

After a fierce competition, Liu Xiang took second place with a time of 13.08 seconds, just 0.01 seconds behind French athlete Du Kulei, who took first place. Nonetheless, Liu also set a new personal best for male Huaxia athletes in this event.

Third place went to Liu Xiang’s long-time rival, Alan Johnson from the American Team, with a time of 13.10 seconds—quite close among all three.

On the sixth day of the World Championships, during the men’s 5000-meter final, Link faced a tight surround and deliberate targeting by several athletes from Ethiopia and Kenya.

In the second-to-last lap, Ethiopian athlete Dejene Berhanu repeatedly bumped into Link from the side. Although Link successfully avoided the clashes, he lost a few seconds in the process, dropping from first to fifth place.

In the final lap, Link sprinted with all his might.

He ultimately finished second with a time of 13 minutes 32.71 seconds, just 0.16 seconds behind Kenyan athlete Limo, who took first place.

After the race, Ethiopian athlete Dejene Berhanu’s results were voided, and he received a warning from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

On the seventh day of the World Championships, Link took part in the final event on the track and field schedule: the men’s 10,000-meter race.

After a grueling race lasting over thirty minutes, Link relied on his exceptional physical strength, endurance, stamina, and explosive power to shake off the interference of two Ethiopian athletes in the final lap and surged ahead to cross the finish line.

With a time of 26 minutes 59.43 seconds, he claimed first place, becoming the first Huaxia athlete to break the 26-minute barrier in the 10,000-meter race. He also set a new championship record in this event.

Ethiopian athlete Bekele took second place with a time of 27 minutes 01.33 seconds, while Bekele’s teammate Sisene finished third with a time of 27 minutes 06.82 seconds.

After the 10,000-meter race, Link had completed all six events he participated in at this World Championships. He achieved gold medals in the shot put, javelin, 1500 meters, and 10,000 meters; a silver medal in the 5000 meters; and a bronze medal in the 3000-meter steeplechase.

He earned a total of 4 golds, 1 silver, and 1 bronze.

Due to the generally average performance by the men’s Huaxia Track and Field Team at the World Championships, the six medals Link secured all represented personal bests for Huaxia athletes across different events at the World Championships.

On August 16th, the tenth World Championships in Athletics concluded successfully.

The American Team ranked first with 13 golds, 9 silvers, and 3 bronzes—25 medals in total.

The Russian Team ranked second with 7 golds, 8 silvers, and 5 bronzes—20 medals in total.

The Huaxia Team ranked third with 4 golds, 2 silvers, and 1 bronze—7 medals in total.

Of the 36 athletes represented by the Huaxia Team at this World Championships, only Link and Liu Xiang managed to bring home medals; the others regrettably fell short.

Nonetheless, the 7 medals marked a historical best for the Huaxia Track and Field Team at the World Championships.

For the first time, the Huaxia Track and Field Team achieved a top-three ranking in an international athletics event.

The future looks promising.

Link not only earned six medals at this World Championships but also received $288,000 in prize money—a rewarding trip.

"Link, you’re incredible! Tell us, how do you train? Teach us a thing or two,"

asked Liu Xiang, leaning in, during their flight home.

"It’s hard to explain. After my injury in 2002, I spent over a year recovering. Later, my physical strength kept improving, and I could master anything I tried. The bureau conducted a full medical examination on me but couldn’t find any explanations. The doctors said I probably had some sort of epiphany."

Link replied.

"Epiphany? Could it be the legendary opening of the Ren and Du meridians?"

asked Shi Dongpeng, a member of the 110-meter hurdles team.

"Shall we give it a try too?"

"How would we try? Break our own legs and see if it works?"

"Stop messing around! Link’s strength is innate; it’s like Xiang Yu or Li Yuanba’s power from ancient legends. Regular people could never compete."

"Li Yuanba was a fictional character...."

The group began chatting noisily about historical figures.

Although a significant amount of coverage from foreign media emerged after Link’s victories, speculating that he might have used banned substances, there were few doubts among the National Team. After all, if such drugs truly existed, they wouldn’t have been exclusively given to Link.