Almighty Coach

“20 meters 42!” The referee confirmed Vince Jackson’s result. It was the best result so far in the final of the women’s shot put.

The referee checked again before recording the result. It was the first time in a very active career that he had witnessed a situation like Vince Jackson.

An athlete whose first hurl attempt was short of the 17-meter mark was able to surpass the 20-meter mark by a considerable distance on the second throw. The margin between the results was too great. It was if they were the results of two different people. If he had not personally witnessed it, it would be difficult to imagine an athlete producing such different results in the same competition.

As they saw a result that surpassed the 20-meter mark on the big screen, the live audience did not care who did it, they just gave the person a great round of applause.

Melklov was disturbed by the sudden eruption of applause. He lifted his head and looked towards the big screen. When he saw the numbers “20.42” he let out a cold exhalation.

“20.42 meters. A great result. Is that the athlete from the U.S.?”

The world record for the women’s shot put was 22.63 meters. The Olympic record was 22.41 meters. Compared to those, a 20 meters result wasn’t that big of a deal. However, those records were achieved during the 1980s, in an era where world records were constantly broken. Modern athletes could hardly throw 21 meters. This throw made her become an instant favorite to win gold.

Melklov’s face became stiff. He felt pressured. He realized that the unknown athlete from the U.S. wasn’t there to play around and that he should pay more attention to his opponents.

“Coach. That American…” Ignagave’s face filled with concern.

“Don’t worry, it’s only 20.42 meters. It’s not enough to guarantee a win. Who knows, it might only be a coincidence. That American might have just been lucky,” Melklov consoled him.

…

“That’s what I’m talking about. My luck can’t be that bad. There’s no way she’d keep being bad.” Dai Li sighed in relief.

Dai Li knew the result of 20.42 meters wasn’t enough to win a gold medal, but it was enough to get them a chance at another medal. However, what Dai Li was more concerned about was that the result was enough to cement Vince Jackson’s place in the top eight. It meant that after the first three throws, Vince Jackson could continue with the following three test throws. Three chances where she would either get lucky or unlucky.

Gambling and luck. The more times, the better.

She has four more throws. She just needs to get lucky one in four of those times,” Dai Li thought with confidence.

Vince Jackson walked off the field. She looked excited. The result was very close to her best result in training.

…

The third round was about to begin. For the four contestants ranked at the bottom, if they failed to get themselves into the top eight, they would be eliminated. As such, it was their life or death throw.

Nobody passed the 20 meter barrier after a few athletes made their attempts. Vince Jackson maintained her rank in first place.

However, Vince Jackson also knew that a result of 20.42 meters was, at best, a result that would get her a medal. It wasn’t enough to get a gold medal.

The current Vince Jackson would not be satisfied with just a medal. She wanted a gold medal. She wanted to get the first gold medal for the U.S. National Track and Field Team.

When she once again stood got into position, she was aiming for the Olympic gold medal.

With a 20.42 meter result as insurance, Vince Jackson could use relatively extreme techniques. This throw wouldn’t matter if it was bad. After all, she had four attempts left.

However, this time, lady luck seemed to be busy doing something else. She did not visit Vince Jackson.

“16.95 meters!” The referee announced the result of Vince Jackson’s third attempt.

“Awww…” The audience exclaimed in disappointment. As the athlete with the best result, everyone naturally expected Vince Jackson to throw better than that. However, she disappointed everyone. Her result was the second worst in the competition, and the worst result was also hers.

“That’s what I said. That 20.42 meters were just a coincidence!” Melklov lifted his head and looked satisfied. It was as if he had proven to the world that he was correct.

Dai Li’s expression was much calmer. It was like gambling with dice. As long as there was no cheating involved, one would sometimes win and sometimes lose. Under the effect of the state scale, the system would never cheat.

After the first three attempts, Russia’s famous Sergeyeva managed a 20.33 meters result, temporarily ranking in second place.

The bottom four athletes were eliminated. The top eight rested for three minutes and, after the referee rearranged the appearance order according to the results, the fourth shot put attempt began. As Vince Jackson was ranked first, she would throw last.

On the fourth throw, it was clear that the contestants upped their game. The first two athletes utilized relatively extreme techniques in their throws. They both fouled.

The famous New Zealander, Adams, threw 20.28 meters and Hungary’s renowned athlete, Malton, got 20.25 meters. The Russian contestant, Milkina, finally surpassed Vince Jackson with 20.43 meters, moving into first place. Later, her compatriot from Russia, the famous Sergeyeva, got 20.45 meters, temporarily moving herself into first place.

The Russians began to show their strength. These two Russians surpassed Vince Jackson, moving her into third place.

Vince Jackson was the last to make her attempt. However,, she stepped on the periphery of the hurling area with her toe, resulting in a foul. There was no score for that throw. In a few short minutes, U.S. team’s fortune had reversed.

…

“Good job, ladies. Well done!” Ignagave said, excited. It was as if the Russian national team had already won the gold medal.

In the women’s shot put event, Russia was among the top two in the world. If the U.S. national team had not been affected by the performance-enhancing drug scandal, they competition would’ve been more intense. However, with Vince Jackson as their sole contestant, the U.S. national team seemed unable to put up a fight.

“Like I said just now. The American got lucky on that 20.42 meter throw. She is definitely not that strong,” Ignagave repeated what he had already said. He then continued and said, “There are two more attempts, you’re already in the lead. No need for any reservation. Just go all out and do your best! We will take both the gold and silver medals!”

…

It was currently night time in the U.S., which was prime time. A lot of Americans sat in front of their TV, watching the Olympic Games.

In a small bar, the women’s shot put was on TV.

At that moment, the atmosphere in the bar seemed a little dull. Many people stared at the TV with a sad look on their face. They looked speechless. She had been seen as an extra, then she had been in first place, and now she was in third. It was these sorts of ups and downs that truly disappointed the American viewers.

The opponent was the mighty Russian athlete Sergeyeva. If the U.S. had a famous athlete as well, the American viewers would still have hope. However, Vince Jackson was, without a doubt, a rookie. People subconsciously felt that she wasn’t good enough to be Sergeyeva’s opponent.

“Russia has surpassed us. Not only did our athlete not fight back, she made a foul throw. Shouldn’t the coach do something right now?” Someone asked.

“Yeah, the coach should do something!” Another person concurred.

…

Dai Li knew there was nothing he could do.

He was gambling. Whether she became excellent, or if it became terrible, it was not something Dai Li could decide. It was like Texas Holdem. He was already all-in. He could now only wait to see what kind of card was dealt.

However, Dai Li still encouraged Vince Jackson.

“Vince, you don’t have to be too hard on yourself. This is your first Olympic. Getting a bronze medal is already an excellent result. Besides, your opponents include Sergeyeva and Milkina. They are both internationally renowned athletes. It’s not embarrassing if you lose. No one will blame you. There is nothing for you to lose. Now, every centimeter you gain is considered a plus. So, in the upcoming two throw attempts, don’t be nervous, but at the same time, don’t restrain yourself. Just give it your all. Even if you don’t achieve great results, you’re still a winner!” Dai Li said.

Vince Jackson nodded. Dai Li’s calm demeanor calmed her down a lot.

…

The competition between the athletes intensified further.

The athletes from Russia took both first and second place. The two of them were the strongest and the most skilled.

Although the two of them were teammates, they both wanted the gold medal. So, when it came to the real competition, none of them relaxed. They both showed their true strength.

As for the athletes from the other countries like New Zealand’s Adams, Hungary’s Malton, and China’s Xiaona Li, none of them would simply hand over the gold medal to the Russians. They began to fight for their lives.

On her fifth throw, New Zealand’s Adams got 20.42 meters, tying with Vince Jackson at third place. According to Olympic rules, the results of the shot put event are only determined by the length of the distance and the sequential order is ignored. If the both of them had the same result, they would both be ranked third. As a result, they would both get bronze medals.

This was also true of the silver medal. However, if it were a gold medal, then there could only be one. If two people tied in first, then there would be a need for extra time.

After that, the Russian athlete, Milkina, made an error and fouled. Sergeyeva on the other hand successfully increased her lead to 20.48 meters, staying in first place.

Vince Jackson was the last to make her appearance.

Dai Li’s words suddenly appeared in her mind.

“Coach Li is right. I’m already a winner after getting here. There’s nothing I can lose. Now, every centimeter I gain is a plus!”

Vince Jackson took a deep breath, calmed her emotion, and began her fifth throw.

This time, she also used a relatively extreme move. Her shot put flew steadily past the 20-meter line before landing on the ground.

The result of Vince Jackson’s fifth throw was 20.54 meters. Her extreme move reaped its rewards. She successfully surpassed Sergeyeva and regained her number one spot.

…

“Pretty decent luck! Another maximized state,” Dai Li let out a breath of relief.

The result of 20.54 meters was excellent enough. It was a result that could win the gold medal. There was only one throw left and the other contestants would feel extra pressure. Who knows, they might even falter. Vince Jackson’s chances of winning the competition just became much higher.

Dai Li couldn’t help but look towards the other coaches. At that moment, many of the coaches looked solemn. They clearly didn’t have much hope left.

Melklov’s previous satisfaction was nowhere to be seen. The throw had not doomed him but it made his job a lot tougher.

He looked at Sergeyeva and nodded.

By then, Melklov had to put his faith in Sergeyeva.

The athletes began the last round. The first to appear felt immense pressure and her throw failed. The following athlete was unable to hit her target distance. At that moment, every athlete that finished increased Vince’s chances of winning.

Hungary’s Malton and China’s Xiaona Li made their attempts consecutively. Their final throws didn’t even reach the 20-meter mark. They did not pose any threat to Vince Jackson.

It was now New Zealand’s Adams’ turn. She was a 32-year-old veteran. Her body was no longer at its peak, but her technique and experience made up for that. It helped her remain among the best in the world.

It was also her last Olympic Games. As such, she was desperately hoping to win the gold medal, but any medal would be great.

At that crucial moment, her wealth of experience helped her. She did not panic. She calmly stepped into the hurling area and executed a perfect shot put technique.

“20.44 meters!” The referee announced Adams’ result.

She passed Milkina and moved into third place. This was the most she could have hoped for. With that throw, her Olympic career had come to a complete end.

Milkina was extremely anxious. After the fourth throw, she had been in second place and she had a chance at first place. However, she was now in fourth place, not even eligible for any medal. There was only one throw attempt left.

She was a very experienced athlete. At such crucial moments, she forced herself to calm down and walked towards the hurling area.

*”I can do this. I can definitely do this!” Milkina knew that the only thing she could believe in was her strength.

The shot put left Milkina’s hand and easily flew past the 20-meter mark. With the naked eye, it seemed as if it fell in the 20.50-meter range. It had to be measured to see if it passed Jackson’s throw though.

Milkina looked at the surveyor expectantly. A few seconds later, the referee finally revealed an answer.

“20.51 meters!” The referee announced the final result.

Milkina looked heartbroken. She had not managed to surpass Vince Jackson’s 20.54 meters.

Adams was even more sorrowful. She was once again in fourth place. She couldn’t even manage to get a bronze medal.

By then, the only one who could outperform Vince Jackson was the famous Russian athlete, Sergeyeva. If Sergeyeva could not throw farther than 20.54 meters, then the shot put gold medal would belong to Vince Jackson.

…

Sergeyeva had been ranked in the top three shot put athletes for the past 2 years. There were even a few occasions where she would take the first place seat.

Whether it was strength, experience or technique, Sergeyeva was at the peak of her career. She feared no one in the world and the only thing that could prevent her from winning was luck.

Sergeyeva walked towards the hurling area with a solemn expression. She looked as if she was a little nervous, but the head coach of the Russia national team, Melklov, knew it wasn’t nerves. She was serious.

On her final throw, Sergeyeva felt unbelievable pressure, which she used as motivation to improve her concentration and focus.

Finally, Sergeyeva released her final throw of the current Olympic Games.

The shot put hit the ground. The mark left behind was clearly a distance past the 20.50-meter mark.

“Woooaaahhhhhh!” Sergeyeva shouted passionately. Although the referee had not announced the result, she knew that it was definitely over 20.54 meters.

“20.63 meters!” After checking several times, the referee announced the result.

A round of applause erupted from the stands of the stadium. They were congratulating Sergeyeva, as if they thought she had already won.

Melklov embraced his deputy, Ignagave. He lifted both his arms in the air and waved to the audience behind him, as if he had won the gold medal himself.

The TV camera switched from Sergeyeva, to Melklov, to Vince Jackson, and then to Dai Li. Perhaps the broadcasters wanted to capture the sad expression of the head coach of the U.S. team.

However, Dai Li only furrowed his brows a little before returning to his calm demeanor.

For Dai Li, winning the gold medal was the goal, but a silver medal wasn’t unacceptable. After all, in the women’s shot put event winning wasn’t guaranteed. The silver medal would have exceeded the target of the U.S. team before the drug scandal.

Besides, Dai Li still had one more chance to gamble. Vince Jackson might still win.

Vince Jackson stood atop the arena. All focus was on her. The shot put championship title depended on this final toss.

The one who was most nervous was, without a doubt, Sergeyeva. She felt that, although she was in the powerful position, there was nothing she could do anymore.

“Don’t worry. That American can’t beat you. Her results are too unstable. There were two times she didn’t even pass the 17-meter mark,” Melklov attempted to console his apprentice. In truth, he was also very nervous.

As soon as Melklov finished his sentence, Vince Jackson released her grip on the shot put.

Bang! The shot put hit the ground with great force.

Everyone looked towards the point of impact.

“I had a feeling. I knew that lady luck was on my side!” Dai Li was the first to smile.