They promised to win the swimming championship, but what's with this "Grand Slam" thi

Chapter 26 Reward: New Skill!
"Go Wu Jin!"

"Don't end up like me, eliminated in the group stage!"

"a ha ha ha!"

Sun Yang's first words after waking up were such hurtful, so Wu Jin naturally responded with a raised middle finger.

"It's okay, I'll be there to watch your amazing elimination!"

"hehe!"

Wu Jin was too lazy to pay attention to this guy. After washing up, she prepared to go to the competition venue to familiarize herself with the swimming pool.

Because the competition is ending tomorrow, many athletes who have already competed no longer need to train for the next round, so many people have chosen to go to the venue to watch and cheer them on.

Sun Yang, of course, also wanted to witness with his own eyes whether he was the one washing Wu Jin's underwear and socks, or... or not!
Today is their last chance, but the two of them might not even meet in the group stage.

As for the semi-finals, that's even more impossible.

The 50-meter freestyle race was quite intense.

A slight lapse in concentration could mean missing out on the finals, because this event only has one straight track, and it's all about bursts of energy.

The outcome was decided in just over 20 seconds.

Many world number one athletes often fail to reach the finals because the best and worst athletes in the preliminary and final rounds may not differ by more than 2-3 seconds; unlike in the 400 meters, where Sun Yang and Yu Cheng were a full 30 seconds apart, or half a minute.

That's enough for a 50-meter freestyle swim back and forth.

"gone!"

After brushing her teeth and washing her face, Wu Jin went straight downstairs.

After breakfast, the athletes who had competitions today were already in the lobby, ready to head to the competition venue.

They need to familiarize themselves with the pool first.

An hour before each competition, athletes are allowed to get into the water and familiarize themselves with the pool where they will compete. This is very important for the athletes; they can become familiar with the pool, temperature, depth, and current, and then get a feel for the rhythm of swimming.

Every professional swimmer develops a set of muscle memory movements through daily training, but the rhythm of these movements is crucial; if they can achieve a faster rhythm than usual, they may break many records.

If your rhythm is disrupted, even if you swim desperately, it may all be in vain.

Like the swimming pool for the future Paris Olympics, it won't be a standard 3-meter pool. A 2.3-meter pool is difficult to swim in. The more exaggerated the swimming stroke, the bigger the waves it creates, and the more it will be affected by rhythm.

For example, butterfly stroke and breaststroke.

This is actually quite easy to understand.

If a whale rolls over in the deep sea, you won't feel it at all on the surface; but if it rolls over at a depth of 100 meters, you'll be right above it, and even on the surface, it will still create a wave.

The shallower the pool, the bigger the waves, and the more undulating the breaststroke and butterfly stroke are, making them definitely the two most difficult swimming styles to swim in this pool.

Of course, this doesn't mean it has no impact on freestyle; it does, but not as drastically as it does on the other two swimming styles.

The so-called host country advantage can be seen in many places.

Even in the same 3-meter pool, the slightest error can affect a swimmer's rhythm.

Wu Jin swam two laps in the pool where the competition was to be held later and strongly felt the difference in the pool; newcomers would feel apprehensive and pressured in such situations, while veterans would try their best to adapt to the schedule.

"Whoo~~~"

Let's swim a little longer.

Wu Jin plunged down and looked up to see Xu Guoyi standing on the shore, with Yu Cheng, who had just won two gold medals in this year's championship, next to him.

In yesterday's men's 800m freestyle final, Yu Cheng once again battled against Zhang Lin, the future number one in this event. Perhaps it was Zhu Zhigen's words a few days ago that spurred him on, as Yu Cheng broke the national record for the event with a time of 8 minutes and 04.32 seconds in the final.

This is the third national record broken in this competition, and Yu Cheng has perfectly demonstrated the greatest qualities of an athlete.

To defeat me, you must not wait until I am old, but rather step over my burnt-out body.

This is the most promising generational transition in swimming.

"Wu Jin, are you adjusting well?"

Xu Guoyi called out to Wu Jin, who had swum another lap.

"good!"

Wu Jin said something, and Yu Cheng, who was next to her, squatted down.

"Apart from athletes from Tianjin and Beijing, athletes from other provinces actually wouldn't adapt!"

"It's more or less different from the swimming pools we usually swim in, because there can't be two identical swimming pools in this world!"

Wu Jin listened attentively.

He knew that Yu Cheng wouldn't just come over and tell him these things.

"So, in fact, many athletes share the same thoughts as you now!"

"I was like that yesterday too!"

"Xuejuan too!"

Luo Xuejuan, the top female naval swimmer from the host country, couldn't overcome her mental hurdle, which is why she wasn't in good form.

Yu Cheng's two gold medals, achieved despite facing a formidable challenge from Zhang Lin who held a significant advantage as the host nation, demonstrate an exceptionally strong mental fortitude. "Don't think about anything!"

"I only had one thought in my mind: charge, charge to the finish line!"

"Just do it! Give it your all! Forget about championships and advancements. Just like our daily morning test, push yourself out of this pool at top speed!"

"If you surpass yourself from yesterday, you've won!"

Yu Cheng suddenly reached out and slapped the water, flicking it towards Wu Jin, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"do you understand?"

That's what I think...

Yu Cheng smiled and stood up, glancing at Xu Guoyi beside him.

"..."

Wu Jin was indeed thinking about Yu Cheng's words.

This is it.

His opponent is actually none other than himself. The moment he steps onto the field, he has only one opponent: himself.

Aside from the host country, everyone faces the same problems.

All you have to do is try to reach the top speed in a pool like this.

"I'll try!"

Wu Jin swam back to the shore, took a deep breath, and then went straight into the water to activate the level 10 basic acceleration.

He didn't think about anything else, not even the possibility of not being able to adapt. He just wanted to see what speed he could achieve in this pool by swimming with all his might.

Xu Guoyi, standing on the sidelines, instinctively pressed the stopwatch.

"Coach, how much?"

Wu Jin crossed the finish line and looked back.

Xu Guoyi stared at the stopwatch in his hand, slightly stunned. Yu Cheng next to him gave Wu Jin a thumbs up: "Awesome, just swim like that, don't think about anything else!"

Wu Jin walked breathlessly to Xu Guoyi's side, wanting to see her results, but Xu Guoyi had already turned it off: "Just focus on the competition. Just remember, this time you swam... better than any you've ever done before!"

Wu Jin: "..."

Old Xu, you're good at making empty promises.

However, Wu Jin's mood has indeed improved a lot.

Anyway, I have my own system, so I just do it.

If you're so hesitant about what kind of pool you're not comfortable with, then you might as well not compete in any future events.

Because the pool is different every time!
"Check-in complete!"

Lou Xia suddenly walked over and called out, and all the athletes who were familiar with the venue immediately stood up.

Wang Haibo and Cai Li will also participate in the 50m, and Wang Haibo defeated Zeng Qiliang of the Guangdong Provincial Team, the top breaststroke swimmer in China, for the first time in the 100m breaststroke the day before yesterday, winning a hard-won gold medal for the Zhejiang Provincial Team.

Most importantly, he ended Zeng Qiliang's absolute monopoly on the men's 100-meter breaststroke event in China.

It also belongs to the super explosive type.

So he must be in top form right now.

Wu Jin and the others followed Xu Guoyi to the check-in area, where many other top athletes from other provinces and cities who were also participating in the 50-meter race were queuing up.

In a little while, Wu Jin will be competing against these people.

Among them are Chen Zuo, who has already won 3 gold medals, and Zhou Jiawei, who won gold medals in the 100m and 200m butterfly and silver medal in the 100m freestyle!

These two should be the strongest in China at present in the 50-meter freestyle event.

Cai Li is still a bit worse than them.

After lining up and completing the check-in, Wu Jin soon learned her preliminary group for the 50-meter freestyle.

Unfortunately, whether it was because Sun Yang exerted his strength or because he kept praying for him, Wu Jin was assigned to the third lane of the first group, just like he was in the 400-meter freestyle on the first day.

Wu Jin doesn't know who's in her group yet, but there are definitely experts among them.

The coach should have a roster by now.

Ding!
Just as Wu Jin was preparing to go to the backcourt to participate in the match, the system notification sounded in her mind.

[Congratulations, host, on participating in the official competition and activating a new skill—Sprint!]

[Sprint]: Beginner level 1 (0/100), grants a 0.1-second swimming sprint boost.

Ding!
[Congratulations, host! You have unlocked an advanced quest!]

[Advanced Task]: Try to win your first championship and obtain new skill rewards.

A successful swimmer is never without honors. Try to surpass them, and take the most solid step in your life!

(End of this chapter)