God of Sprint

Chapter 686: Olympic 400m finalists announced

As Zhao Yun left the venue after completing the competition, the last group of competitors in the men's 400m semi-finals also began to enter the venue to warm up and prepare for the competition.

"Hello, audience friends, now we are about to welcome the last match of the men's 400m semi-finals of this Olympics, which is also the match that will decide the finalists."

"Let's take a look at the roster on the field."

"The second player is the famous British player Hughes. Hughes performed very well in the group stage."

"The third player is the young player Gardner from the Bahamas. Gardner has performed very well in various international competitions in the past two years. He is also a person who is likely to compete for the top spot among the younger generation."

"The runner in lane four is Michael Norman, a talented young player from the US team. Michael Norman is also a strong contender for the title and he also ran under the 43-second mark this year."

"The fifth contestant..." Before Yang Jian's introduction came out, thunderous applause broke out in the venue.

The camera was aimed at Van Niekerk, who stood with his hands on his hips and gave a faint smile.

"We saw that the audience was very enthusiastic. The runner in lane five was the king of the 400m and the South African star Van Niekerk, who set the 400m world record."

"The runner in lane six is ​​the famous Canadian athlete Aaron Edwards. This tall athlete has a terrifying ability in the last half of the race. He is known as the Bolt of the 400 meters."

"The runner in lane seven is also from Canada, De Grasse. His strengths are 100m and 200m, but this time he also made it to the 400m semi-finals, which shows that he is very versatile."

"The player in lane eight is the veteran British player Hudson Smith."

“The last contestant is Abdu Samba from Qatar.”

After Yang Jian finished the introduction, Liu Yangyu said, "This group of players is actually the strongest among the three groups of semi-finalists. If it were the Diamond League, I would believe that all of them would make it to the finals."

"Indeed, this group of players is extremely strong." Yang Jian agreed, "Whether they are experienced veterans or up-and-coming young players, they are all capable of showing their best in this semi-final."

As the starting gun sounded, eight runners rushed out of the starting line like arrows from a bow. As the king of 400 meters, Van Niekerk did not pursue extreme speed at the start, but kept stable so as to exert force in the latter part. The two young players, Michael Norman and Gardner, went all out from the beginning, trying to establish an advantage in the first half.

In the first 200 meters, Gardner and Michael Norman were in the lead, both of them were running very fast, almost reaching their limits. However, Van Niekerk did not show any panic, he still maintained a steady rhythm, as if waiting for something.

After entering the 300-meter mark, Van Niekerk began to exert his strength. He quickened his pace and gradually narrowed the gap with the two runners in front of him. At this time, Gardner and Michael Norman had begun to feel tired and their speed began to decline.

In the last 100 meters, Van Niekerk completely exploded his speed. He rushed forward like a cheetah, quickly surpassed Gardner and Michael Norman, and launched a final sprint to the finish line. Aaron Edwards and De Grasse also began to exert their strength at this time, trying to catch up with the players in front at the last moment.

"Van Niekerk speeds up!"

"The last thirty meters!"

"The last ten meters!"

"Sprint!"

"43 seconds! Van Niekerk!"

"Oh my god! Van Niekerk broke the 44-second barrier!"

In the end, Van Niekerk crossed the finish line at an amazing speed and won the semi-final victory.

His performance not only broke the record of the competition, but also showed people his strong strength as the king of 400 meters. Gardner and Michael Norman took the second and third place respectively. Their performance was also good enough to let people see the potential and hope of young athletes.

"Van Niekerk has once again proved that he is the absolute king of the 400m!" Liu Yangyu said excitedly, "His performance is truly amazing!"

"Yes, Van Niekerk's performance was indeed outstanding." Yang Jian also praised, "But we cannot ignore the strength and potential of other players. They all showed their best in this game. I believe they will bring us more exciting games in the upcoming finals."

The final result shows:

First place, South Africa, Van Niekerk, 43 seconds

44nd place, Bahamas, Gardner, 14

Third place, Michael Norman, United States, 44 seconds

Fourth place, Canada, Aaron Edwards, 44 seconds

.......

"We saw Van Niekerk was very tired after the race and had already fallen to the ground. In this kind of weather and at this level of competition, running 43 seconds is incredible."

Van Niekerk was lying on the ground, gasping for breath. His eyes were a little confused, as if he was still immersed in the game. The coach and teammates came over and asked about his physical condition. He sat up with difficulty and shook his head to indicate that he was fine.

At this time, a reporter came over and asked, "Van Niekerk, how do you think of your performance today?" Van Niekerk took a deep breath and said slowly, "I tried my best, but this is not my best result." The reporter asked in surprise, "43 seconds is not your best result? Then what is your goal?" Van Niekerk smiled and said mysteriously, "Just wait and see, the final will give you the answer." After that, he stood up and left the stadium amid the cheers of the crowd.

After reading Van Niekerk's interview, Yang Jian said, "It seems Van Niekerk is still holding back a big move. In this semi-final, both Zhao Yun and Van Niekerk ran under 43 seconds, and their results were very close, one at 43 and the other at 85. I am looking forward to what kind of showdown he and Zhao Yun will have in the final."

"Haha! Who doesn't look forward to it! The 400-meter showdown is exciting just to think about it." Liu Yangyu said with a laugh.

"As the last group of contestants finished their competition, the list of contestants who made it to the finals was also announced."

Van Niekerk, South Africa;

Flower grower, Zhao Yun;

Makawara, Botswana;

Killarney James, Grenada;

Gardner, Bahamas;

Zambrano, Colombia;

Bloomfield, Jamaica;

Michael Norman, United States;

Michael Norman also advanced to the finals. The two players behind him were his teammates Cherry with 44 seconds and Fred Kerley with 18 seconds.