Eager to Do Favors

This year's Golden League event in Brussels is unique because it coincides with the 100th anniversary of the Belgian Olympic Committee. To celebrate, the Belgian government has arranged for the opening ceremony of the event to include the anniversary festivities. In addition to members of the Belgian royal family and high-ranking officials, IOC President Jacques Rogge will also attend the celebration. It's generally difficult to invite the IOC President to a national Olympic Committee's celebration, but since Rogge is Belgian, he naturally will participate.

Rogge's presence has, in a subtle way, elevated the status of the Brussels event. The Belgian government has announced that athletes breaking a world record at this event will be awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of Brussels and be given the keys to the city, along with an additional bonus of 100,000 euros. While the monetary reward is significant, the key incentive is the opportunity for those breaking a world record to attend a private dinner hosted by the Belgian royal family the following evening, where IOC President Rogge will also be present. This dinner is not just any ordinary event; attending it signifies that the athlete has gained the friendship of both the Belgian royal family and Rogge.

Gaining the friendship of the Belgian royal family can significantly enhance an athlete's commercial value, at least in Europe, where their worth is likely to increase considerably. However, the key factor remains the relationship with IOC President Rogge. Since Rogge is Belgian, breaking a world record in Brussels would be a significant gesture for Belgium and would, in turn, earn favor with Rogge. In the world of sports, few things can match the influence of a favor from the IOC President.

For an athlete, forming a connection with the IOC President can greatly smooth their future career path, especially if they decide to enter politics later on. It can provide advantages in elections for IOC membership, bidding for sports events, and more. There are many examples of this both domestically and internationally. For instance, a former champion in a national sport, who had a good relationship with the then IOC President, received several important appointments and steadily advanced in their political career.

Sponsors of star athletes are also eager to capitalize on this opportunity. The sponsor of male 3000-meter steeplechase runner Saif Saaeed Shaheen announced that if Shaheen breaks the world record, they will treat all spectators to beer. The automotive sponsor behind Yelena Isinbayeva also promised to gift a new luxury SUV if she breaks a world record.

...

Zhang Guan was resting in his hotel room when he heard a knock at the door. Upon opening it, he saw Coach Yu in front, followed by a man in a suit. Zhang recognized him as Counselor Zhu, whom he had met at the Athens Olympics.

"Zhang Guan, we meet again!" Counselor Zhu said with a smile.

"Counselor Zhu! Hello, it's been a long time! Please come in and have a seat!" Zhang Guan invited Coach Yu and Counselor Zhu into the room.

During the Athens Olympics, Counselor Zhu had conveyed an invitation from the Prince of Dubai, which led to Zhang Guan meeting Maria Sharapova at the Prince's dinner. Now, two years later, Zhang Guan was seeing Counselor Zhu again, who looked much the same, albeit slightly thinner.

As they walked in, Coach Yu said, "You shouldn't call him Counselor Zhu anymore; you should address him as Director Zhu now."

Director Zhu quickly added, "I'm no longer working at the Athens embassy. After the Athens Olympics, where I had a lot of contact with the Olympic Committee, I was transferred to the 2008 Olympic Organizing Committee. I'm now primarily based in Lausanne, Switzerland, handling some liaison work for the Olympics."

After they sat down, Zhang Guan asked, "Director Zhu, what brings you to see me?"

"It's not a command; I'm here to ask a favor," Director Zhu said, looking a bit hesitant.

"Please, feel free to ask. If it's within my ability, I'll definitely help," Zhang Guan replied.

"Alright, I'll get straight to the point," Director Zhu took a deep breath and said, "We hope you can break a world record at the Golden League event in Zurich."

"What?" Zhang Guan was surprised. He noted that Director Zhu used the term "we," indicating that this was not a personal request.

Feeling a bit awkward, Director Zhu continued, "We understand that this is a bold request and that breaking a world record requires a perfect combination of factors. But if possible, we hope you could give it a try. If not, it's okay."

After a moment's thought, Zhang Guan said, "I'll try my best in the competition. But could you tell me the reason for wanting me to break the world record?"

"It's no secret, so I'll be frank," Director Zhu explained. "This Golden League event in Zurich is part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the Belgian Olympic Committee, as you might know. Athletes who break a world record there will be invited to a private dinner with the Belgian royal family, where IOC President Rogge will also be present."

"You want to use me to approach Rogge?" Zhang Guan asked.

Director Zhu nodded, and Zhang Guan continued, "Do you have a specific request for him?"

Director Zhu shook his head, "It's more about public relations. Rogge is Belgian, and the Zurich event is part of the celebration of the Belgian Olympic Committee's centenary. Breaking a world record there would be a favor to Rogge. And that's the favor we need."

"After Rogge took office, he initiated reforms in the IOC, including plans to streamline Olympic events. Several events have been cut from the next Olympics. Since we won the bid to host the Olympics, we've been trying to include Wushu as a demonstration sport in the next Olympics. But there has been significant resistance, mainly due to Rogge's streamlining plan."

"Our Olympic Committee has done a lot of groundwork on this, but we haven't been able to directly approach Rogge. We hope you can bring this up with him at the royal dinner."

"Do you think Rogge will agree?" Zhang Guan asked.

"Not immediately," Director Zhu shook his head. "Our Olympic Committee has already prepared a plan. You just need to mention the topic to Rogge and get him to accept the plan. The rest of the lobbying is up to us. As long as Rogge doesn't outright oppose it, we have a good chance. We've prepared for various scenarios and will coach you on what to say and how to handle it. But first, you must break the world record to attend that dinner!"

Zhang Guan understood the significance of getting Wushu into the Olympics. It would be a major platform for introducing Chinese culture to the world. He knew that getting Wushu accepted had been a long and challenging process, often facing setbacks. The complexities of international sports politics, involving various countries and interests, were beyond Zhang Guan's reach, but he trusted that the national Olympic Committee had a plan in place.

Determined, Zhang Guan said, "Since the country needs it, I'll give my all in tomorrow's competition and aim to break one or two world records."

"One or two? He's only competing in two events," Director Zhu was taken aback by Zhang Guan's confidence.

Coach Yu, standing by, shook his head silently, thinking that Zhang Guan was about to show off again.

...

Belgium was hoping for world records to be broken at the event to add to the celebration of the 100th anniversary of their Olympic Committee. Athletes also aimed for this, as breaking a world record here promised many potential benefits. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned, and several events ended without new world records.

Russian pole vault queen Yelena Isinbayeva, after clearing 4.81 meters and securing the championship, set the bar at 5.03 meters to attempt a new world record but failed. Ethiopian long-distance runner Tirunesh Dibaba returned to competition, along with Meseret Defar, the world record holder for the 5000 meters. Dibaba finished with a time of 14:30.65 and Defar with 14:33.78, far from the world record of 14:24.53. Male middle-distance king Kenenisa Bekele also lost his race.

Qatari 3000-meter steeplechase champion Saif Saaeed Shaheen was highly anticipated and had publicly announced his intention to break the world record. However, he finished with a time of 8:04.32, falling short of his own record of 7:53.63. When Shaheen crossed the finish line first, raising his arms in celebration, the applause from the stands was sparse, with many expressing disappointment with boos. Shaheen's sponsor had promised to treat the entire audience to beer if he broke the world record, hence the crowd's disappointment.

In the VIP section, Rogge's expression was grim. Shaheen had boasted about his intentions but failed to deliver in the competition. The 70-year-old Belgian King Albert II had already left, and Crown Prince Philippe remained by Rogge's side. From Philippe's repeatedly excited yet ultimately disappointed expressions, Rogge could tell that the Crown Prince was keen for a world record to be broken in Belgium.

Feeling a sense of embarrassment, Rogge was increasingly anxious. His presence at the Brussels event was intended to boost the celebrations for the Belgian Olympic Committee's centenary, and a missing world record would dampen the occasion significantly.

As the next group of athletes entered the field, Rogge suddenly noticed Zhang Guan among them.

"It looks like we'll have to rely on that Chinese athlete to break a world record!"