{"id":7071,"date":"2025-07-02T09:31:48","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:31:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/?p=7071"},"modified":"2025-07-20T18:03:50","modified_gmt":"2025-07-20T16:03:50","slug":"figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-chapter-218-vigor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/2025\/07\/02\/figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics-chapter-218-vigor\/","title":{"rendered":"Figure Skating: I’m More Suited for the Olympics – Chapter 217: Away"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

This scared Zhang Jue so much that he hurriedly turned on his computer to check if his bitcoins had been blown away by a butterfly\u2019s wings.<\/p>\r\n

Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands.<\/p>\r\n

Tens of thousands of bitcoins were still lying neatly in his account, so it was fine.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue let out a sigh of relief and genuinely felt happy for Brother Shen.<\/p>\r\n

Because he lacked expressiveness and wasn\u2019t a European or American athlete favored by judges, Shen Liu hadn\u2019t done particularly well in international competitions. But when he thought about it carefully, Shen was still an athlete capable of executing quadruple jumps. His spins and skating weren\u2019t strong, but not weak enough to be considered a shortcoming either.<\/p>\r\n

Now that he earned high scores based on his ability, as a fellow countryman and junior, congratulating him felt right.<\/p>\r\n

However, Zhang Junbao stopped Zhang Jue from making the call.<\/p>\r\n

“Don\u2019t call him. Shen Liu\u2019s mentality had always been unstable. Complimenting him now would only add pressure. Just send a text saying \u2018keep it up\u2019 and that\u2019s enough.”<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao said seriously with his baby face, \u201cTwo years ago during the World Championships, he performed perfectly in the short program. Then a bunch of people praised him, and in the free skate\u2026 it was a total disaster!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue was speechless: \u201cIf he\u2019s that fragile mentally, how did he make it to where he is now?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

His uncle replied helplessly, \u201cBecause he\u2019s the only male singles skater in the country who can do quadruple jumps.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

A single seedling in a vast field\u2014if Shen Liu wasn\u2019t the top skater, then who would be?<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao thought that, unless something unexpected happened, his eldest nephew would probably also face a similar lonely battle in the future\u2014being the only one on the international stage.<\/p>\r\n

If Zhang Jue could really skate to that point… too many talented athletes had fallen halfway due to injury on the road to the top-level competitions.<\/p>\r\n

Three days later, the Russian top skater, who had the best technical edge and excellent presentation, made mistakes in the free skate due to a recurring knee injury and came in second. The American top skater, with an error-free performance, won first place. The Japanese top skater unexpectedly performed brilliantly and took third.<\/p>\r\n

As for Shen Liu, he suffered an ankle injury right before the competition, had to get a pain-killing injection, and eventually finished fifth, just behind the French skater. However, this was already a historic achievement for Chinese men\u2019s singles in the Winter Olympics. From the national sports bureau to skating fans, everyone was thrilled and praised Brother Shen for being strong and inspiring.<\/p>\r\n

As for Zhang Jue, his task was to watch the Winter Olympics on TV while his uncle explained the technical strengths and weaknesses of the top athletes.<\/p>\r\n

For example, the American top skater who didn\u2019t have a quadruple jump\u2014he didn\u2019t rely solely on his nationality. To become an Olympic champion, he obviously had real skill.<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao watched the TV with longing for the Olympic stage, then quickly came back to his senses.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cThere’s only one reason he couldn\u2019t do a quadruple jump\u2014it\u2019s because he was too tall. At 188 cm, his high center of gravity and thicker axis made it harder for him to spin fast.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

\u201cBut his long limbs made him look graceful, and his performance was solid. His jump timing was particularly good, his technique precise, his jumps high and far, and his jump rhythm smooth and effortless. It\u2019s these qualities that put him among the top male skaters.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Some skaters struggled to land the second jump in a combination, making their moves look sluggish. Others rushed the second jump, making it look awkward.<\/p>\r\n

Leike had very strong combination jump abilities.<\/p>\r\n

Xu Dela watched for a while and asked curiously, \u201cIs this person\u2019s music filled with heavy beats?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao nodded in admiration. \u201cExactly. Leike\u2019s coaching team deliberately embedded heavy beats in his background music and trained him to jump and land on those beats. The end result, as you can see, was excellent.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

When a skater completed a jump on the beat, it was easier to engage the audience\u2019s emotions. For judges, that was a key sign of performance quality.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cWith those heavy beats, the skater could keep in rhythm more easily during the program.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Jue, having once performed on stage, naturally understood such tricks. For instance, during a previous life\u2019s talent show, his biggest rival Yun Si never danced to a song without heavy beats.<\/p>\r\n

On the other hand, even with a dynamic stage style, Zhang Jue could still deliver a deeply emotional, melancholic performance when necessary\u2014like during \u201cGrowing Up with Ten Thousand Pounds of Burden.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

He didn\u2019t expect these techniques to be present in figure skating as well.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cAll right, get up and change shoes. Warm up your joints. Do 50 jumping jacks, 30 burpees, and 500 jump rope reps. Get warmed up. Don\u2019t think you can just lie around at home during holidays. You have to train every day to maintain your form.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

After Zhang Jue finished warming up, Zhang Junbao had already cleaned up the snacks and fruit from the coffee table and threw him two 4-pound dumbbells.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cStep on the table with one foot, push off with the other. As you rise, bring your knee to touch your elbow. Do 50 reps for each side. Then do 30 Bulgarian split squats per leg, 50 standard squats, and 25 flamingo squats per leg.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

As Zhang Jue panted through his workout, Zhang Junbao explained to Xu Dela, \u201cThese exercises strengthen the glutes, legs, and hip joints. Once those are strong, his jumping ability will improve.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Currently, Zhang Jue\u2019s jump height for a triple jump was around 30 cm, which was low for a male singles skater. Zhang Junbao thought he still needed more strength training.<\/p>\r\n

If\u2014and it was a big if\u2014Zhang Jue ever reached the international stage, the quadruple jump would be essential. The minimum jump height for a male skater to complete a quadruple jump was 50 cm, or half a meter.<\/p>\r\n

To improve Zhang Jue\u2019s sense of rhythm, his uncle even played music during training, telling him to keep pace while jumping.<\/p>\r\n

After a while, Zhang Junbao laid out an agility ladder in the hallway and had Zhang Jue continue hopping. The final drill was crawling like an alligator around the entire building.<\/p>\r\n

This training load wasn\u2019t that high for an athlete\u2014it was just enough to prevent the body from getting sluggish due to long rest. After finishing, Zhang Jue still had the energy to play in the snow outside.<\/p>\r\n

Snowflakes fell in a flurry. Zhang Jue looked up at the grey sky with a wide smile. Endorphins from the workout lifted his mood.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cI once had nothing. But time flowing backward brought back everything I lost.\u201d
He sometimes questioned if this world was real, or if he was still 24, lying in bed with wires all over his body, eyes closed, living in a dream as a comatose patient.<\/p>\r\n

But the heat of his sweat and soreness of his muscles told him it was all real. He was alive in 2010, and so was everyone else.<\/p>\r\n

The boy took a deep breath and dashed to the thickest snow. He did a one-handed cartwheel, then a right-side roll, a front flip, tumbling several times. Then he grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it up, turning back to shout at Xu Dela, who was leaning on the windowsill.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cEr-De, I\u2019m done training. Wanna come out for a snowball fight?\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xu Dela, bundled up like a bear and clutching a hot water bottle, was dumbfounded.<\/p>\r\n

This\u2026 this was an athlete? Their stamina and energy were unreal. They didn\u2019t even seem human!<\/p>\r\n

But for Zhang Jue, the hardest part wasn\u2019t the training\u2014it was the stretching and massage afterward.<\/p>\r\n

Proper stretching after intense training relieved sore muscles and prevented injuries, but Zhang Junbao\u2019s brutal stretching technique was unbearable.<\/p>\r\n

If an outsider walked into Zhang Jue\u2019s home at that moment, they could hear his howls through the door.<\/p>\r\n

The background music was Tchaikovsky\u2019s Swan Lake, and Zhang Jue howled rhythmically along with the melody.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cAhh! My tendons are being torn! My ligaments too!\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Zhang Junbao bent his thigh and pushed the child\u2019s toes toward the back of his head, expressionless: \u201cStop yelling. I\u2019m going easy on you.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

To have a strong body, all you needed were seven words: Eat well, sleep well, train a lot.<\/p>\r\n

Training and sleep were things an athlete could manage, but eating\u2014well, that required family support.<\/p>\r\n

In the early morning, Xu Yan shivered as he stepped out. Anyone who knew northeastern China\u2019s winters understood how cold it got\u2014breathing out white mist was the norm, and even car tires froze stiff and wouldn\u2019t move.<\/p>\r\n

Left with no choice, he walked forward step by step through the snow. When he got to the market, barely any stalls were open.<\/p>\r\n

He ran to the only meat stall, pointed at a piece of front leg beef, didn\u2019t even ask the price, and said, \u201cThis one. Weigh it.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

The stall was manned by a teenage boy, probably a middle schooler, who put down his workbook, grabbed the beef, and tossed it on the scale.<\/p>\r\n

\u201cEighty yuan.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

After buying meat, vegetables, and fruit, Xu Yan returned home with both hands full of groceries. The first thing he did was wash the beef, salt it, and toss it into the pressure cooker.<\/p>\r\n

By the time Zhang Jue finished training, the beef was tender. Xu Yan added marinade and simmered it further until it thickened, then sliced it into thick chunks.<\/p>\r\n

Xu Dela said, \u201cDad, cut some more.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

Xu Yan didn\u2019t even look up: \u201cI\u2019ve already cut plenty. Any more and your brother won\u2019t have room for rice and vegetables.\u201d<\/p>\r\n

For Zhang Jue\u2019s sake, the whole family stopped eating white rice and ate multigrain rice and steamed corn buns instead.<\/p>\r\n

A jar of chicken soup was simmering\u2014the broth was golden, and its rich aroma filled the house. Xu Yan and Zhang Qingyan had killed the chicken together the day before. The blood and offal were stir-fried for dinner. The two kids loved it.<\/p>\r\n

Xu Yan picked out a drumstick, scraped the skin off with a knife, and handed the skin to Xu Dela, who stuffed it into his mouth. Then he plated the shredded chicken, a peeled boiled egg, broccoli, purple cabbage, and a corn bun all together.<\/p>\r\n

The plate, as big as a human face, was piled high. Xu Yan saw it was enough and called out to serve the meal.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Support translation:<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\"This<\/a><\/figure>\r\n\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This scared Zhang Jue so much that he hurriedly turned on his computer to check if his bitcoins had been blown away by a butterfly\u2019s wings. Units, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten-thousands. Tens of thousands of bitcoins were still lying neatly in his account, so it was fine. Zhang Jue let out a sigh of relief […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6017,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-figure-skating-im-more-suited-for-the-olympics","entry","has-media"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ontimestory.eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/11\/fg.png?fit=200%2C281&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7071"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7099,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7071\/revisions\/7099"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6017"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7071"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7071"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ontimestory.eu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7071"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}