Chapter 255 "Arrogance"

"Hello Li Tian, ​​first of all, congratulations on your successful advance to the finals of the evening. Can you talk about your feelings about representing the Chinese team in swimming competitions for the first time?" As the most eye-catching player in the Chinese team in the morning, Li Tian, ​​who ended the competition, would certainly not be easily let go by the reporters who were waiting by the side. Not only were the vast majority of Chinese media around him, but even the American and Japanese journalists who were disdainful of his level at the beginning, rushed over.

"It feels... that's very good, haha! He was able to enter the finals of the evening as fifth in the preliminaries and met our expectations before the game. We were quite satisfied with this result." The smile on Li Tian's face was enough to show that he was in a very good mood at this moment.

"The Chinese team proposed the goal of winning the 2008 Olympic ticket for the men's freestyle relay event before the game. Judging from the state shown by the Chinese team just now, the chance of achieving this goal is quite high. So do you still have a higher goal now?" The Chinese team's preliminary results are not very different from the top four. Chinese media naturally hope that Li Tian and others can achieve greater "ambitions".

"When I just started to receive professional track and field training, my coach once told me that as long as you stand on the field as a player, the ultimate goal you pursue will always be the highest honor. I agree with this sentence very much, and I have always done this. Since swimming and track and field are competitive sports, I think the two are in common." What Li Tian said immediately attracted dissatisfaction.

"Mr. Li Tian, ​​don't you think that the Chinese team can defeat the extremely powerful American team in the finals at night, right? Don't you think what you said is a bit arrogant? Although the Chinese team's performance was pretty good in the preliminary stage, the gap is very obvious compared to the strong strength shown by the American team." The American media, which has always regarded the American swimming team as the "overlord" in the world swimming world, immediately said that the American team was more than a second faster than the Chinese team in the preliminary results, which can be said to be a very big advantage, so in their opinion, the Chinese team is not qualified to be compared with the American team.

"I don't think that establishing a lofty goal is to be arrogant. As long as you stand in the final field, for all eight teams, the chances of winning the final are equal. So why should we give up such an opportunity? If we don't even think about the goal of winning the championship, then why should we say that we should let China swim rise? The situation on the field is ever-changing, and everything can happen. If I remember correctly, at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the US team lost to the Australian team who was weaker than them in the men's 4X100m freestyle relay, and lost the Olympic gold medal in this event for the first time in history. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, South Africa unexpectedly defeated the unprecedentedly powerful US team in one fell swoop.

To win the championship, even the Dutch team came from behind and forced the American team to the third place. So the facts proved that there would never be an invincible team. Even the American team with superb strength was the same. We don’t need to be afraid of any opponents, we can only exert our strength with all our strength." Li Tian unceremoniously stabbed the opponent's pain point, but it made the opponent irrefutable. Before 2000, the American swimming team had always been in a complete monopoly position in the men's 4X100m freestyle relay event. However, in the finals of the two consecutive Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004, the American team members always performed inexplicably, and missed the championship twice in a row, which became the eternal pain for the American swimming team. At this time, Li Tian unveiled the scar again.

"Although we performed well in the preliminary round, Zhang Lin and I both swam my best results, I can feel that I and other teammates still have the potential to continue to improve. I firmly believe that in a competition environment like the World Championships, we hope that by the 2008 Beijing Olympics, our Chinese team will already have the strength to fight with a top-notch team like the United States, so it is more important to establish our self-confidence in this World Championships." The reporters present had to admire Li Tian's lofty eyes. While everyone was still happy about the successful performance in the morning, he had already considered the Olympics in two years.

"Mr. Li Tian, ​​according to our understanding, you have been very short of your time to really receive professional swimming training, but in such a short period of time, your level has already been able to compete with those swimming elites. How did you do this? Are there some special training methods?" A newcomer who has received swimming training for less than two months swam a top-notch individual score of 48.37 in the preliminaries of the relay event, surpassing Thorpe, Roland and other top experts, which of course will arouse the interest of many people.

"In addition to hard work, I can't think of any special method. There are no natural strong people in the arena, only diligent geniuses." Any achievement depends on down-to-earth diligent training. Although Li Tian's swimming training has not been long, he has put in enough effort. Moreover, whether it is swimming or track and field, what is competing is the contestant's own personal qualities. Li Tian's physical and psychological qualities have greatly grown in track and field training and competitions, which provides him with good basic conditions for rapid progress in swimming events.

Li Tian did not accept too many interviews with reporters. With the help of the staff of the event organizing committee who came over, Li Tian quickly met with the swimming team, but the brief interview caused a great shock. Among them, the American team and their own media were the ones who responded the most strongly to this were the American team and their own media. The American Sports News published on the front page - "The Chinese team was complacent, Li Tian was arrogant, and he tried to defeat the United States in the relay final!" A report titled "The American team who had read this report was even more angry. In their opinion, the American team was completely despised by a third-rate team like China, which is absolutely unforgivable. This is a provocation and insult to American swimming. A group of young American team members led by Mel made an open statement and wanted to "help" the Chinese team to re-understand their strength in the next game. The implication is self-evident.

However, the reaction of the Chinese media was completely contrary to that. They highly praised the Chinese team and Li Tian's enterprising spirit of daring to think and fight. The Sports Weekly also published a commentary article titled "China's Swimming, Rise begins here!" on the front page. The article pointed out that what China's swimming lacked in the past was the momentum and confidence of moving forward, no one else but me. Li Tian's joining just brought the strong confidence he established in the track and field field to the Chinese swimming team. Under the influence of this confidence, the Chinese swimming team is quietly changing, and the performance of the Chinese team in this World Swimming Championships was an explosion of this change.

"Haha, this kid Li Tian really dares to say anything!" In the temporary office of the Chinese swimming team station, the head coach of the swimming team, Zhao Ge, was looking at the reports about Li Tian in several newspapers that had just been published with interest.

"What? Isn't this exactly what you want to see? China Swimming has been silent for so many years, and it should be time to explode!" Team leader Yuan Jiawei also put down the newspaper in his hand with a smile on his face.

"But this kid said these words clearly in one breath, which will definitely put some pressure on other players in the team... However, only with pressure can there be motivation. If anyone can't bear this pressure, then I think we should find another person to take his position. There is not much time left for us in the 2008 Olympics." Coach Zhao Ge continued to say after a while.

"Look at Xiaotian, come and see. There are quite a lot of reports on the morning competition in the newspaper, especially the part that the American reporter interviewed you, there are detailed records on it!" In Li Tian's room in the hotel, Wu Peng came in with a few newspapers and Zhang Lin and others.

"Yes, I've always been disliked by the American team. No matter where I go, I always look like a stinking air of 'I'm the best in the world'. I really think they are invincible in the world. If you reveal their scars in public, I promise that those guys will definitely be thunderous now. It's so satisfying, haha..." Chen Zuo continued on the side.

"Don't be too happy too early! I've said it. If we don't perform well in the evening final, hehe... I don't need to say that you should be able to imagine what will happen in the newspaper tomorrow, especially the satirical and sarcasm of foreign media can definitely drown people." Another meaning of Li Tian's move is that he intends to use the pressure of the external environment to force out the potential of his teammates. Zhang Lin and Chen Zuo and others have very outstanding psychological qualities. If you can grasp your emotions and turn pressure into motivation, then the Chinese team may go further in tonight's final.

"What are you afraid of? At worst, I can fight them at night. We are barefoot and not afraid of wearing shoes. I promise that even if we die of the first blow, we won't let them open the gap!" Chen Zuo patted his chest and thudded.

"That's right, those of them are not Tintos of Ninja Turtles, we don't have to be afraid of them at all. Moreover, we also have a home advantage, and any result is possible." Zhang Lin swam 48 and 97 in the morning's preliminaries, becoming the second Asian player to break into the 49-second mark after Li Tian. He established his confidence in one fell swoop. While excited, he also looked forward to improving this record again in the finals in the evening.

At 7 o'clock in the evening, Qizhong Forest Sports City became lively again, and the second phase of the first match day continued here.
Chapter completed!