Chapter 295: Sprinting Isn't My Specialty

"Wow, amazing!"

"Dong, you're the man!"

"He wasn't just talking!"

The media outlets scrambled to report the news within minutes of Dong running under 10 seconds.

The entire nation learned that Huaxia had produced a new 'Lightning Bolt.'

Fans were well aware of Dong's speed on the basketball court, where his lightning-quick steals and fast breaks were unmatched. However, no one had expected Dong to be such a formidable sprinter.

On the first day, the preliminaries concluded, and Dong and Su Sheng advanced to the semifinals.

The World Athletics Championships, which typically received little attention, became a hot topic due to Dong's sub-10-second sprint.

...

The following afternoon, the semifinals began, and the viewership ratings were seven points higher than the preliminaries.

Viewers eagerly awaited the competition in front of their televisions.

Journalists were also prepared at the stadium, as Dong's performance in the semifinals would likely secure his spot in the finals.

Reaching the finals would be a historic moment for Dong.

In the semifinals, Dong and Su Sheng were in the same group, with Dong in lane 7 and Su Sheng in lane 2.

Dong favored the number '7' as it was his jersey number.

Before the race, Su Sheng took out a measuring tape and measured the distance between the starting blocks, then asked Dong, "Dong, do you want to measure it too?"

"Huh?"

Su Sheng's action left Dong bewildered. It was truly scientific!

However, Dong was a basketball player, not a sprinter, so he didn't pay much attention to the distance between the starting blocks.

"Dong, good luck! Bring glory to Huaxia!"

Su Sheng clenched his fist, cheering for Dong. The race was about to begin.

The viewers at home held their breath in anticipation, some even more nervous than Dong himself.

...

"On your marks, get set... Bang!"

With the sound of the starting pistol, Su Sheng burst out first.

Dong's sub-10-second sprint in the preliminaries had motivated Su Sheng, who maintained the lead for the first thirty meters. Dong was in third place.

After thirty meters, Dong began to accelerate.

By the seventy-meter mark, Dong had taken the lead.

"Whoosh!"

Dong crossed the finish line first.

He was followed by M Country's star sprinter, Justin Gatlin, and Su Sheng came in third, all three of them finishing under 10 seconds.

Dong's time was 9.87 seconds.

Gatlin's time was 9.91 seconds.

Su Sheng's time was 9.98 seconds, making him the second Asian athlete to run the 100-meter dash in under 10 seconds and setting a new personal best.

Dong broke his own Asian record, which he had set just a day earlier.

"Wow, incredible!"

The spectators were at a loss for words, overwhelmed by Dong's performance.

...

On the third day of the World Athletics Championships, it was time for the 100-meter sprint final.

After the semifinals, Dong didn't grant any interviews, as he didn't see the need for it. He had even held back a bit in the last 10 meters of the semifinals.

Dong wasn't sure how much potential he had, but one thing was certain: reaching the finals and finishing in the top three shouldn't be a problem.

The final race featured strong contenders.

Dong's biggest rivals were Usain Bolt and Justin Gatlin, both of whom were favorites to win the gold medal at the championships.

At 3 p.m., the highly anticipated 100-meter sprint final of the World Athletics Championships began.

...

"Bang!"

As the starting pistol fired, Dong and Bolt sprinted off simultaneously.

The spectators noticed that Dong and Bolt's starting positions and acceleration rhythms were almost identical.

Both Dong and Bolt maintained their sprinting pace.

It was challenging to discern who was leading and who was trailing with the naked eye.

With only 10 meters left, the spectators held their breath.

In the final 5 meters, Dong overtook Bolt and sprinted to the finish line.

"Whoosh!"

Dong crossed the finish line first.

"Terrifying!"

Bolt had never imagined that he would be defeated in his specialty by a basketball player.

Dong finished with a time of 9.67 seconds, just shy of breaking Bolt's world record in the 100-meter dash. However, Dong's victory in this race earned him the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint at the World Athletics Championships.

Bolt came in second, and Gatlin took third place.

Su Sheng once again ran under 10 seconds in the final, finishing seventh. Nonetheless, reaching the final was an impressive feat.

Su Sheng was satisfied with the result.

Without Dong's sudden appearance, just making it to the final would have garnered significant attention for Su Sheng, as it would have been a historic achievement.

As Dong crossed the finish line, volunteers immediately presented him with the national flag.

Wrapped in the national flag, Dong granted an interview.

"Congratulations on winning the gold medal in the 100-meter sprint," the reporter said.

"Thank you," Dong replied.

"Dong, please share your feelings at this moment," the reporter continued.

"I'm thrilled and excited!" Dong exclaimed.

"You've broken the black athletes' dominance in this sport. Do you have anything to say to the people of the nation?" the reporter asked.

"Everyone knows I'm a basketball player, and sprinting isn't my specialty," Dong responded.

The reporter was speechless.

When Dong stood on the podium, holding the gold medal and seeing the national flag raised while the national anthem played, he felt a sense of fulfillment. This was the moment he had been striving for when he decided to participate in the World Athletics Championships.

...

Three days later, Dong won another gold medal in the 200-meter sprint.

...

After the World Athletics Championships, Dong stayed indoors for half a month.

He had become a hero in the sports world, and his appearance in public would cause a commotion, even potentially leading to chaos.

During the off-season, NBA players had various activities. Some partied at nightclubs, some vacationed with their families, and others secretly trained to gain an edge over their peers in the upcoming season.

Dong, however, had quietly won two gold medals in the 100-meter and 200-meter sprints, becoming a world champion.

From then on, the name 'Wade Dong' would be added to the list of world-class sprinters.

...

After staying indoors for half a month, Dong received a call from Allen Iverson inviting him to play a game at the Rucker Park in New York.

Iverson had invited Carter and two other NBA players to join them.

Rucker Park was known as the mecca of street basketball in the M Country.

Arrogant streetballers believed that even NBA players would struggle there, and the court had produced numerous streetball legends.

Dong had been in the spotlight in Huaxia for some time, and since Iverson had extended the invitation, he decided to fly to New York the next day to play at Rucker Park.