In the athlete's lounge, Shawn Ford seemed withdrawn. He changed his outfit while seated in the corner. The athletes around him were chit-chatting with each other without noticing his existence.
He used to be the champion of the track and field world championship. He had been one of the best 200m sprinters in the world, but now, he had long left the glories of the world championship behind. Ever since that world championship tournament, he had never achieved a decent result again, and he couldn't even make it through the domestic trial tournaments in the US.
The tan flower appears only briefly. That was people's general assessment of Shawn Ford. Looking across the sports industry, there were many athletes like that. Ford wasn't the first, and he wouldn't be the last. However, athletes like Ford who stood at the peak of the world and then immediately fell from grace were few and far between.