CHAPTER 933: CHAPTER 654: GOLD MEDAL AND BONUS

Finland is located in northern Europe. Due to its high latitude and the impact of maritime climate, the weather is mild and damp in August and September, with an average daily temperature around 16 degrees Celsius, slightly cool.

This year, the 10th World Athletic Championship is being held in Helsinki, the capital of Finland. A total of over 1,200 athletes from 67 countries have come to participate in this event, which is the largest athletics competition outside of the Olympic Games.

All events of the championship are taking place in Helsinki’s Olympic Comprehensive Gymnasium over a span of eight days.

On the first day of the competition, Link represented the Huaxia Team in the men’s shot put event.

In the first round of throws, Link’s best result among three attempts was 21.47 meters, surpassing the 21.18 meters he achieved in last August’s Olympic shot put finals by 29 centimeters—a great result.

However, this score placed him only second in the first round.

The first-place position was held by American Team shot put athlete Adam Nelson.

In last year’s Athens Olympics, Nelson led the first round with a throw of 21.16 meters and looked promising to win the gold medal.

But in the second round, Nelson’s performance faltered and he was overtaken by Link and Ukraine’s Bilonog, eventually settling for a bronze medal.

Today, on the track field of Helsinki, the capital of Finland, Nelson excelled beyond expectations. His best score in the first round of three throws reached 21.73 meters, a full 26 centimeters ahead of Link, essentially securing victory.

After his score was announced, Nelson tore off his shirt and roared loudly to express his inner joy to the 32,000 spectators in attendance. He even pounded his chest towards Link.

Link looked at him expressionlessly and continued warming up in the rest area.

Compared to Capital City, Helsinki’s summer isn’t hot, but once you sit down motionless, waves of chills seem to pour in from all directions, as if sitting in front of a refrigerator—cold and damp.

After a brief rest, the second round of the competition began. The eight advancing contestants entered in order of their scores from low to high. Link was second-to-last, while Nelson was last.

Before them were Ukraine’s Bilonog, Dutch Team’s Rutger Smith, American Team’s three-time world championship shot put champion Godina, and Germany’s Ralf Bartels, among others.

Among the six athletes who competed before Link, Dutch Team’s Rutger Smith suddenly exploded with a career-best throw of 21.29 meters in the second round.

The remaining Bilonog and Godina underperformed, with neither achieving scores above 21 meters in their two rounds, which ruled them out of the top three.

Link was the seventh competitor to take the stage.

As he stepped onto the field, the audience fell silent, and all the shot put athletes turned their attention to him. Everyone wanted to know if he could create a miracle in this round and surpass Nelson.

Link remained calm during the competition. No matter how many people were watching him, he stuck to his planned routine.

Grip the shot, hold the shot, glide, shift positions, and finally push with maximum force.

On his first throw of the second round: 21.54 meters.

Second throw: 21.02 meters.

Many spectators sighed regretfully, while Nelson watched Link intently, clenching his fists tightly.

On the third throw, Link gripped the shot, glided, shifted positions, let out a fierce roar, and launched the shot into the air. The shot traced a long arc in the sky before landing outside the 21-meter mark, not far from the 22-meter zone.

The referee measured on-site.

"21.81 meters!"

When the score appeared, the Huaxia Team athletes cheered loudly, and the Finnish spectators also applauded enthusiastically.

Over the past year, Link had shone brightly in the sports world, and many Finnish media outlets had reported on him. Prior to the start of the championship, Finland’s commercial television channel had even produced a special program to introduce Link’s achievements across different sports.

Link was one of the biggest sporting stars in this championship, alongside America’s Gatling, Bekele, and Liu Xiang.

With a score of 21.81 meters in the second round, Link surpassed Nelson’s best score of 21.73 meters from the first round, making the competition even more exciting and suspenseful.

Spectators showed their appreciation for his dazzling performance with thunderous applause.

Link waved his hand and exited the triangular throwing area. American Team’s Adam Nelson took several deep breaths and stepped up to compete.

The audience once again fell silent, focused on his performance.

Unfortunately, Nelson underperformed again, managing only 21.08 meters as his best score from three throws. His first-round score of 21.73 meters now appeared to have been a rare stroke of brilliance.

Nevertheless, when Nelson stepped off the field, the audience still applauded for him.

"Link, you’re incredible."

Nelson, full of regret, said to Link.

"Mr. Nelson, you’re not bad yourself!"

Link bumped fists with him.

Unlike the Huaxia Team, Huaxia Team athletes had their expenses and logistics fully supported by national and regional sports departments when competing abroad. Domestic sportswear brands also provided sponsorships, so Huaxia Team athletes never had to worry about funding, food, accommodation, or other issues.

By contrast, American Team athletes often had to pay out of pocket for competitions. Nelson, without sponsorships, auctioned off his sponsorship rights on eBay before competing in Helsinki. A pharmaceutical company won the bid for $12,000, allowing him to compete here.

It was no small feat that Nelson could stand on this stage today.

With the shot put event concluded, Link represented the Huaxia Track and Field Team to secure a gold medal at the World Championship—the first World Championship shot put gold medal in Huaxia history.

Additionally, he earned a $60,000 prize from the International Association of Athletics Federations.

The runner-up Nelson received $35,000, while Rutger Smith, in third place, earned $22,000.

Other events also awarded prize money, with amounts varying based on the event’s popularity. The 100-meter sprint carried the highest prize money—around $70,000 to $80,000.