Orc Undead Sports Warrior

Chapter 159 Arrival in Valencia

In mid-March, the Chinese Athletics Team embarked on another international competition journey, this time participating in the 13th Athletics Championships held in Valencia. The Chinese delegation consisted of 11 athletes, coaches, team doctors, and administrative staff, totaling only 30 people, making it a relatively small team.

The Indoor Athletics Championships actually began in the 1980s, with Paris, France, hosting the first competition. It has been held every two years since then, and by the beginning of this century, it had reached a considerable scale and gained attention from countries around the world.

However, because the World Indoor Athletics Championships and the World Outdoor Championships coincided in the same year, and there were no major competitions in even-numbered years, the IAAF decided to hold two consecutive competitions in 2003 and 2004, and then hold the competitions every two years thereafter.

This ensures that there are world-class track and field competitions that attract widespread attention every year.

As the plane entered the Iberian Peninsula and passed over Valencia, Lu Wei looked out the window and saw vast expanses of lush greenery on the outskirts of Valencia. Only when the plane drew closer did he realize that the low, rounded green vegetation was actually all orange trees.

As the largest orange producer in Europe, Valencia truly lives up to its reputation as the "City of Oranges."

After getting off the plane, Shen Liang was so excited he felt like he could fly: "Wow, this is amazing! It feels like I've entered another world!"

He was already excited when he saw Valencia from the plane, and when he got off the plane and saw the buildings outside the airport, he was full of praise: "Wow! The more I look at these buildings, the more they look like ancient castles, it feels like I've stepped into the Middle Ages!"

Not only Shen Liang, but also Lu Wei, Wang Qiao, and other coaches and players who were visiting Valencia for the first time had their eyes shining with excitement.

"That domed building complex is the central square of Valencia. Because the soil in this city is suitable for growing high-quality oranges, the central square is full of orange trees. When they are almost ripe, the staff will use ladders to pick the ripe oranges to prevent the ripe fruit from hitting passers-by. It's quite interesting!"

Liu Fei was also very happy. The temperature here was even higher than at the Haigeng base during the day. The average daytime temperature was around 15 to 20 degrees Celsius, and he even saw people wearing short sleeves walking around the city.

After arriving at a hotel near the stadium and making some adjustments, the track and field team members quickly went to the Louis Pugh Stadium, an indoor stadium near the hotel. The indoor space of this stadium felt very spacious and it is said to be able to accommodate more than 6500 spectators. It seems that the stadium is used very frequently, otherwise there would not be so many spectator seats.

This period is still the national team training period, and the national teams of various sports are conducting closed training. Although they can come out to compete and change their feeling, these 11 athletes have entered into active preparation without anyone having to urge them.

The purpose of the indoor championships is to help athletes quickly get into the competition mode for the new year. Track and field competitions usually end after October each year, and athletes make adjustments at the end of the year and then continue training in the second year.

At the beginning of the year, the team members' physical condition was low, and it was difficult to arouse their excitement.

No one deliberately reduced their training volume. As long as they had enough physical strength and condition for the competition, they didn't intentionally reduce their training volume.

"When the leaders informed me that my name was on the competition roster, I felt that going abroad to compete at this time would be quite troublesome. The round trip would waste time and affect the training rhythm. But I didn't expect that it would be so good after I came here!"

Shot putter Li Meiju was talking to her coach during a break in practice, a smile always on her face. You could tell that everyone was quite excited after arriving at the new competition venue.

Although the scenery at Haigeng is quite nice, after staying in one place for several months, even the most beautiful scenery can become aesthetically tiring.

Indoor track and field competitions also use a combination of the previous year's results and an invitation system to attract athletes. Because of the difference between indoor and outdoor competitions, many top outdoor athletes in long and short running events do not choose to participate in this competition.

The outdoor track, which used to be 400 meters per lap, has been changed to a 200-meter track, requiring many technical maneuvers to be modified during the competition.

For example, many sprinters who excel in the later stages of a race are unwilling to participate in the indoor championships, while some athletes with good starts are more interested in indoor competitions.

Recently, Lu Wei and Shen Liang have returned to a fierce competition. The coach has focused their short-distance training on a distance of 30 meters, which makes it very difficult for Lu Wei to beat Shen Liang. Of course, it is impossible for Shen Liang to completely dominate Lu Wei now.

However, Lu Wei's chances of winning against Shen Liang are at a disadvantage, and Shen Liang has become arrogant again these past two days.

"Lu Wei, you need to work harder! I've already taken two steps, and you haven't even taken your first step yet. I'm getting anxious for you!"

Shen Liang stood with his hands in his pockets, frowning, looking like a veteran player instructing a new player.

"Nonsense! Your two little legs together aren't even as long as one of my legs, of course you can move faster!" Lu Wei heard Shen Liang's words, turned around and walked over with a cold smile. This smile always made Shen Liang feel a chill down his spine.

Before Lu Wei got close, he quickly took his hands off his waist and turned to run when Lu Wei approached.

Such scenes occur frequently, each time bringing laughter to the athletes training on the field. Later, when athletes from other countries arrived, the way the two communicated remained unchanged.

"Ouch! That hurts! Lu Wei, be gentle! The competition is tomorrow. If I get injured, you'll be responsible for the consequences!"

While Shen Liang was watching the foreign female athlete on the field, he was caught off guard and Lu Wei grabbed him by the neck.

"I'll see what kind of consequences this will bring!"

As Lu Wei spoke, a mocking expression appeared on his face. He grabbed Shen Liang's face and dragged him away like a pillar.

"With so many foreigners here, what you're doing is really bad for my image. You need to consciously protect our international image!"

Seeing that Shen Liang was still arguing, Lu Wei spread his legs apart, pressed them against the pillar, and rotated them around the pillar like a millstone.

"Lu Wei, I'm the only son in generations. If you hurt my lower body, you'll be held responsible for it!"

Seeing that Shen Liang was still like a dead duck in a pot, rotten all over but not rotten at the mouth, Lu Wei started to spin him faster.

The entire audience could hear Shen Liang's pleas for mercy and screams of agony!

Jiang Jianjun shook his head helplessly at this moment: "It seems I'm really getting old. I understand these kids less and less!"

"The fact that the players can still joke around before the world championship shows that they have good mental qualities before the competition. As for the type of game, it's a bit vulgar, but it's also quite fun!" Coach Sun smiled as he looked at the two of them, and then at Liu Feiren, who was still doing stretching exercises.

"Sometimes it's a good thing not to be aware of the pressure!"