Born to Run

June 4th, noon.

The Hayward Stadium at the University of Oregon, although it was just after noon, the stands were already crowded at this time. Many spectators who could not get a seat even stood directly in the temporary stands, waiting for the upcoming game.

Hayward Stadium is a stadium with a long history. Hayward Stadium hosted the USATF Championship (National Athletics Championships) in 1986, 1993, 1999 and 2001. It has also hosted many Olympic track and field trials. For a century, he has been the training home of the University of Oregon track team.

Hayward Stadium is named after the well-known track and field coach Bill Hayward, who has served as a track and field coach at the University of Oregon for 44 years and is the track and field coach of the six-time U.S. Olympic team.

After the Hayward Stadium was renovated in 2004, it is currently the only five stadiums in the world that have the IAAF first-level track certification. The entire stadium is relatively open and has more than 10,000 spectator seats. There is also a temporary stand in the corner, which can be expanded to about 20,000 seats for important rugby matches.

The entire schedule of the 2005 Prifontaine Classic is actually not long, only more than two hours, and the total number of men and women set is only 16, but it can't stop the enthusiasm of people who come to watch the game.

So far, Plyfontein has created two of the most talked-about records. One is that in 2001, Allen Weber ran a mile with a score of 3:53:43, breaking Jim Levine's record of 36. At the same time, this record is also the nation’s best performance in the mile project in the past three years.

The other is that the famous female athlete Maria Mutola has won twelve consecutive women's 800m championships since the 1993 Plifontein Classic, and this record is still going on.

Among the many spectators who went to the Hayward Stadium, it can be said that a considerable part of them wanted to see if the black female athlete from Mozambique could continue her record and reach the 13th women’s 800m championship, or perhaps Will be defeated by other players, and the pace of record breaking stops here.

"Yechin, this is the moment you are looking forward to. Let the American audience know you."

Outside the Hayward Stadium, Randy Hunter looked at Yechin, who was about to enter the field just after the warm-up, and reached out and patted his shoulder gently.

From the beginning of the winter training, Randy Hunter has gradually figured out some of the veins of his acceptance of the athlete. For the competition, Yechin has never been afraid of the game, but especially looks forward to the big scene.

As the first stop in the United States, there is no doubt that it is a moment worth looking forward to.

"Don't worry, coach, I will let the American audience remember me."

Ye Qin smiled and stretched out his hand to return an OK gesture, with a smile on his face, showing neat white teeth, but although he was smiling, he didn't care about it, or really felt relaxed. Although the same Grand Prix, the level of the Eugene Grand Prix is ​​significantly higher than that of the Osaka Grand Prix.

It's just that the competition is just around the corner, and the feeling of excitement in his body gradually fills his body, seeming to fill him with power.

"Brother Yangyu, I am ready to play!"

Ye Qin put his backpack on his back and beckoned to Liu Yangyu on the other side.

At this time, the IAAF competition still allows athletes to bring personal clothes, shoes and other items into the stadium. This rule has been cancelled in later generations. It has become that athletes must change their clothes and shoes when entering the stadium, enter directly, and cannot bring anything. .

"Come on!"

Standing on a turf clearing, Liu Yangyu shouted at Ye Qin. Behind him, coach Sun Chaosheng was doing pre-match muscle stretching for Liu Yangyu at the moment, and also nodded at Ye Qin.

Ye Qin is no stranger to muscle stretching before the game. At about this time last year, Nie Fangping took him to participate in domestic competitions, as well as the World Youth Championships. Before each game, there will be a muscle stretching. not bad.

"Stay steady and let the Yankees see the strength of our 400m athletes."

Chen Zhongzhou watched Ye Qin pack up and prepare to enter the venue for a roll call, and whispered in Ye Qin's ear.

"I understand."

Ye Qin nodded, separated from the crowd for a short time, and entered the arena first to wait for the check-in and the roll-call process afterwards.

Randy Hunter and Chen Zhongzhou who were accompanying them also entered the stands next to Hayward Stadium after Yeqin left.

Because it is a grand prix, it is relatively open, and there is no particularly complicated procedure. Only the baffle blocks some onlookers and prevents them from entering the arena.

At 13:30 in the afternoon, Yeqin passed the identity check, and the person had already appeared in the stadium.

This time there are not many events in the Prifontein Classic. A total of 16 events were completed in two hours. After his men’s 400 meters race, it was women’s 100 meters, women’s high jump, women’s 100 meters hurdles, and then men’s 110. In the Milan project, the time between competing with Liu Yangyu was only twenty minutes.

Standing in front of the men’s 400-meter starting line, Ye Qin glanced at the side stand. Apart from many American spectators, he saw his coach Randy Hunter and others without much effort. In addition, he was still at the finish line. Near the line, I saw a tall figure far beyond ordinary people.

Even in a crowded crowd, the figure is like a crowd of chickens, and it is difficult for people to think about it without paying attention as long as one looks at it.

As if he noticed Ye Qin's gaze, the other party raised his hands high with a smile, clapped lightly, and made a cheering gesture.

At this time, real cheers and applause rang from the audience stand of the Hayward Stadium. The scene was towering high on the big screen at one end of the stadium. The contestants of the men's 400-meter Plyfontein Classic appeared in the audience. In front of everyone.

The first one, Ye Qin, China;

Second, Michael Blackwood, Jamaica;

The third way, Andrew Luke, the United States;

Fourth, Brandon Simpson, Jamaica;

Fifth Road, Derek Keith, United States;

The sixth way, Lawn Merritt, United States;

Seventh Road, Terry Washington, United States;

Eighth Road, Alain Francia, Grenada;

The Plyfontein Classic, as one of the IAAF Grand Prix, is also one of many American athletes. However, compared with the previous Osaka Grand Prix, there are still a lot of athletes from various countries participating in the Eugene Grand Prix. Generally speaking, the overall level of American athletes who can participate in the men's 400m race is much higher than in Osaka.

In this group of men's 400m races, Raun Merritt had known each other in the World Youth Championship last year. He was the men's 400m champion in the World Youth Championship, and Yeqin was runner-up at the time.

In addition, like Alain Francia, the two had just played against each other in the Japanese Grand Prix. Ye Chin won each other in the Osaka Grand Prix. It can be said that there are problems with the opponent's care and status, but his strength should not be underestimated.

The best results of this group of athletes that I saw before Yeqin's game this season, except for Yeqin, almost everyone ran for 45 seconds.

Like the second Jamaican player, Michael Blackwood, was the champion of the IAAF Finals in 2003 and 2004, and the silver medalist in the World Championships in 2001 and 2003. His personal best time reached 44.60 seconds. .

The third Andrew Luke was a member of the American men's 4×400m in the 2004 Athens Olympics~www.wuxiaspot.com~ helped the US team win the men's 4×400m championship, in the American men's 400m Ranked 7th among athletes.

The fourth track, Brandon Simpson, won the fifth place in the 400m final at the Athens Olympics last year.

The fifth line, Derek Keith, was also a member of the American men's 4×400 meters in the Athens Olympics last year.

Sixth, Raun Merritt, the champion of last year's World Youth Championship, Ye Chin's best result this year was almost equal to his winning result last year.

The seventh track, Terry Washington, had a personal best time of 20.09 in the 200 meters in 1999, and a personal best time of 44.28 in the 400 meters in 2001.

It can be said that this group is the strongest athlete Ye Qin has encountered since he practiced 400 meters. Even in the preliminaries for the Athens Olympics last year, the overall level is far from as good.

In terms of competition level, experience, and personal honor, Ye Qin is considered to be the bottom position, but being able to stand on such a stage and compete with many top 400m athletes is what Ye Qin dreams of.