Chapter 008: Entering the Finals

Sports competition is indeed so brutal, even a college preliminary round is filled with drama and the various joys and sorrows of different teams. Perhaps this is precisely what makes competitive events so captivating

What the hell ... is Du Ke making a comeback at the last moment? Liu Chenxiao in the stands was both astonished and delighted

Dudewey repeated a sentence: "My son still has a chance. The rhythm, their rhythm is disrupted."

20 meters, Du Ke is still one position behind.

15 meters, trailing by nearly half a body length

Hu Yucheng also focused intently on the pool: "A preliminary round, competing for two spots in the finals, can be so fiercely contested. These young men are quite determined. Achieving an Olympic A standard and securing a ticket to the Olympics is no small feat, is it?"

Finally, after much anticipation, the results of the men's 400 meters freestyle preliminary heat, Group 1, were displayed on the big screen

Hu Yucheng found it somewhat amusing and also a bit surprising: "A swimming competition for college students within the province, its intensity is almost on par with the Olympics. Old Du, as long as your young master Du participates in the competition, there will always be something to watch, completely devoid of any dull moments. It was the same when he participated in youth competitions back in the day."

The stunt of 8 leg strikes increases speed by 20% within 6 seconds

At this moment, the stunt time came to an end, and Du Ke completed the final 10 meters of the sprint with the help of inertia

"Are they all students? Mainly students can attend the Universiade without paying for tickets." Du Dewey's gaze had not left Du Ke; he was pleased yet somewhat puzzled. "When did Du Ke practice high-frequency leg strikes? It seems quite effective to use high-frequency leg strikes for acceleration. Dacheng and *Tushuzi*, did you teach him?"

The time has come, perform the special skill "8 Kick Attack"!

Hu Yucheng seemed to be lost in thought: "The final stage sprint is just too intense, I didn't count carefully, but it seems Du Ke used about 8 leg strikes, and at this frequency, it must be at least 8 leg strikes. This is a technique from fifty years ago, so retro, clearly not something I taught, I am only forty-seven this year. Just go back and ask your son, and you'll find out."

A rare scene occurred in the 400-meter swimming competition, where Du Ke, Xu Wenlin, and Zhou Junwei almost touched the wall simultaneously

... ...

With less than 25 meters remaining, Du Ke is trailing Xu Wenlin and Zhou Junwei by a little more than one body length. Should he swim the final 25 meters and go home directly, or continue to swim in tomorrow's finals? Success or failure hinges on this final effort

In lane 4 is Xu Wenlin, and in lane 2 is Du Ke. Xu Wenlin was only faster than Du Ke by less than 0.1 seconds. They secured the first and second places in their group, and will advance to the finals together

In the final distance of less than 25 meters, Du Ke exerted force to sprint, reaching the wall almost simultaneously with Du, Xu, and Zhou, all within just about ten seconds

Zhou Junwei and Xu Wenlin are advancing neck and neck, difficult to distinguish between the two, leading the third place Du Ke by more than one body length

The competition has reached a critical stage at this point

Hu Yucheng nodded: "This shows that Du Ke is quite calculating. His imitation of Bolt before the start was not merely for show; he aimed to disrupt his opponents' emotions, and it seems he succeeded. As soon as Du Ke started, he sprinted, a tactic that harms others without benefiting oneself. In a 400-meter race, this is a strategy that can inflict heavy losses on both sides. He intended to disrupt his opponents' pacing rhythm, and it appears he has succeeded again"

At this moment, Du Ke, Xu Wenlin, and Zhou Junwei were still immersed in the pool, their hands resting on the buoy line and their feet treading water to keep themselves afloat. The three of them were intently watching the big screen, waiting for the results to be displayed. It was only at this point that the fourth-place competitor had just touched the wall, indicating the significant disparity in strength between the other competitors and Du, Xu, and Zhou.

Some are joyful while others are sorrowful, the victors celebrate their triumph, while the losers are filled with dejection. Zhou Junwei shakes his head and sighs, his eyes reflecting a sense of unwillingness and discontent.

It seems that the popularity of swimming in our country is becoming increasingly widespread, as evidenced by the large number of spectators at this preliminary competition. As a working swimming coach, I feel very gratified. Hu Yucheng was also inspired by the lively atmosphere at the scene

Su Yun anxiously stared at the large screen: "Why haven't the results come out yet? The last spark must not be extinguished!"

First place, Lane 4, 4 minutes 21 seconds 56

Zhou Junwei, who swam in lane 5, nearly choked in the pool upon seeing his results. He was just 0.05 seconds slower than Du Ke, finishing in third place and becoming the unfortunate one to be eliminated. 0.05 seconds, what does that mean? It is merely five hundredths of a second, a fleeting five hundredths of a second, not even enough time to blink.

The top three seem to have touched the wall simultaneously, such a scene is quite rare! Wang Qiuyue looked at the large screen displaying the results, feeling somewhat anxious: Who will take the first, second, and third places? Even if the electronic timing device can distinguish the rankings and times, the differences are likely to be very slight. It's a choice of three for two spots; I hope the unfortunate one to be eliminated is not Du Ke.

Du Ke let out a long howl towards the sky, feeling refreshed! He then climbed ashore and celebrated with a high-five with Jiang Zhigang, who was approaching him.

At this moment, the audience also ceased their commotion, quietly waiting with great interest for the results to be displayed.

In the final 10 meters, Du Ke was already tied with his opponents in the fourth and fifth lanes, making it difficult to distinguish between the first, second, and third places with the naked eye

The two competitors in the fourth and fifth lanes are both unaccustomed to being led, so they inadvertently surged ahead, disrupting their familiar rhythm. There are still opportunities, but what is Du Ke's capital for a comeback? I see that he is already struggling significantly.

With the enhancement of the stunts, Du Ke's kicking frequency increased, and his forward speed improved. He was visibly closing the gap on Xu Wenlin and Zhou Junwei, approaching the two opponents with every passing second.

Du Dewey: "Let’s not ask for now, he has the finals tomorrow, we will observe again tomorrow. Dachengzi, if you lose, I will say Du Ke can make it to the finals. Come on, treat me to a drink!"

Second place, Lane 2, 4 minutes 21 seconds 65

In the pool, Du Ke had completed his final turn. As industry expert Hu Yucheng noted, Du Ke was now struggling to maintain his pace. His tactical intention to take the initiative and disrupt his opponents' rhythm had largely been achieved. He could clearly feel that in the last 100 meters, the two competitors ahead were unable to accelerate, but he was also unable to catch up, as his own energy expenditure was significant.

The young university student audience watching the lively event for free was excited. The men's 400-meter freestyle preliminaries can be said to be the most intense and exciting event so far today. In the race, overtaking, counter-overtaking, and endless overtaking are undoubtedly the most thrilling scenes that the audience loves to see

In the athletes' waiting area, Jiang Zhigang crossed his arms and focused intently on the situation in the pool. In the first 300 meters, Du Ke initially took the lead but was soon overtaken. He exerted himself to reclaim second place, only to be pushed back to third again within 50 meters. Su Yun unexpectedly fell and did not make it to the finals, leaving Du Ke as the only hope for the Nankang University swimming team. It is precisely because of the hope placed in Du Ke that Jiang Zhigang felt a mix of anticipation and anxiety at this moment. Even the weakest team yearns for victory, desires honor, and strives for the legendary upset; no one wishes to be left in disgrace.

On the left side of the stands, Du Ke's mentor and his father, Du Dewey, also appeared somewhat nervous

Dudewey remarked, "There is still a chance"

Du Ke is the third to complete the sixth turn, entering the final 100 meters sprint phase, at which point he is already leading the fourth place by more than 20 meters

On the other side of the stands, Du Dewey and Hu Yucheng exchanged glances for two seconds, and they both said in unison: "High-frequency leg strikes?" Looking again at Du Ke's eyes, there was something different about them.

Third place, lane 5, 4 minutes 21 seconds 70

At this critical moment, Du Ke played his trump card that he had kept in reserve for seven turns, covering a distance of 375 meters—8 kicks.

On the right side of the stands, Su Yun and others were cheering vigorously for Du Ke. The cheers of the seven of them were drowned out by the noise of several hundred spectators in the venue, and it was uncertain whether Du Ke could hear the encouragement from his teammates while in the water

... ...

Fourth place, 6th swim and * picture * calligraphy, 4 minutes 31 seconds 83

Xu Wenlin and Zhou Junwei seemed to sense Du Ke accelerating behind them. They could no longer afford to think too much about corresponding tactics; they could only exert themselves to the fullest and sprint at full speed, striving to reach the wall and complete the race as soon as possible

Du Dewey indignantly said: "Da Chengzi, do not bolster the ambitions of others at the expense of the prestige of the Du family army! You are also considered a master uncle of Du Ke; how can you not support your disciple? I bet that Du Ke will definitely reach the finals, just as I bet on tonight's drinks!"

Swimming is different from track and field running; a leading runner can glance back to see the competitors behind them. In swimming competitions, it is relatively easier for the trailing swimmers to observe their opponents ahead, while it is not as easy for the leading swimmers to discern the situation behind them. The leading swimmers can only take a quick look at the conditions in the adjacent lanes during the moments they breathe, and most of the time, they rely on their instincts. If the lanes are too far apart, it becomes impossible; for instance, it is very difficult for a swimmer in the first lane to observe the situation in the eighth lane. The leading swimmers can only take a quick look at the conditions in the adjacent lanes during the moments they breathe, and most of the time, they rely on their instincts. If the lanes are too far apart, it becomes impossible; for instance, it is very difficult for a swimmer in the first lane to observe the situation in the eighth lane.

Jiang Zhigang clenched his fists tightly, staring intently at the large screen, thinking to himself: Du Ke, you rascal, did you really only use your self-developed kicking technique in the last twenty-odd meters? Are you playing with my heart?

The cheers of the audience have reached a fever pitch, and Su Yun and the others have not yet had the time to digest it, while Du Dewei and Hu Yucheng have not yet had the opportunity to analyze it, the top three competitors have already simultaneously touched the wall

At this moment, cheers erupted from the audience stands, as Su Yun and the others jumped and clapped vigorously, shouting in excitement. Du Ke narrowly secured a victory to advance to the finals, preserving the last shred of dignity for the Nangang University swimming team. It is not only Nangang University that has cheerleaders; the School of Physical Education also has a live cheerleading team, and they were also cheering for their own athlete, Xu Wenlin.