After ending the World Cup track and field journey, Zhang Guan returned to the country with the national team, but Zhang Guan did not immediately rest. He just met with Sharapova in a hurry and left the capital rushing to the Xinzhuang training base to prepare for this year's Golden Track and Field Grand Prix.
Last year's first Grand Prix in Track and Field that was held was very successful, and in the second Grand Prix this year, the organizer's organizational experience and coordination capabilities have also been greatly enhanced, and the order of the entire event is orderly.
This year's Golden Grand Prix deliberately added a 200-meter event, which was specially created for Zhang Guan. Zhang Guan still has to participate in the 100-meter, 200-meter, 400-meter, and long jump competitions. The organizer also specially created a "king of the world sprint" trophy, ready to be awarded to Zhang Guan after the game.
In terms of athletes, some big-name athletes also participated. On the 100-meter project, Powell and Obik Viru both participated in the competition. Tyson Gay on the 200-meter project and Varina did not come on to the 400-meter project, but Merritt and Blackwood are two big named athletes who came to participate. As for the long jump event, the well-known one to participate is Dwight Phillips, who is not in good shape this year.
Therefore, Zhang Guan won the championships of 100 meters, 200 meters, 400 meters, and long jump without suspense, and also won the "trophy of the king of the world sprint."
The day after the Golden Grand Prix ended, Zhang Guan rushed to the capital to find Sharapova, and it was on this day that the Chinese Open game ended, and Sharapova continued her good state of the US Open. At her "home" she won the championship of the Chinese Open.
Because of "Zhang Guan's girlfriend" status, the current China Open is simply Sharapova's home field. Sharapova's popularity is already very high, plus the audience's love for Zhang Guan and Sharapova is even more popular than several golden flowers in the country, especially the last game between her and Moss, the audience had simply one-sided support for Sharapova. Moss was originally a relatively slow-heated athlete and she encountered a situation where the audience supported the opponent, because of this she slowly warmed up. Sharapova pulls the score away by 2-0.
For Zhang Guan, this year's special track and field competition are now over, and there are two months before the Doha Asian Games in December. Zhang Guan also got a short vacation and can travel around the mountain with Sharapova to play with water.
...
Field Management Center.
Director Ma's expression was a bit melancholy. At the end of the meeting of the center, President Qu of the association also attended. At the same time, Director Luo also read out an appointment document from the association and announced that Qu would serve as the deputy director of the center. Reminiscent of the rumor that Director Luo was going to be promoted before, all the participants understood that President Qu was here to pick up Director Luo's position.
As Coach Gui is about to retire, Director Luo will also be transferred away. Both of them have worked with Director Ma for many years. Now they have to leave. Director Ma feels quite unpleasant in his heart.
At this moment, knocking on the door sounded, Director Ma didn't have time to answer and saw Director Luo directly push the door in.
"Director." Director Ma stood up, and Director Luo was polite, sitting on the sofa, so Director Ma also came over and sat on the sofa next to him.
He listened to Director Luo's remarks, "I came to you to talk about Old Yu retiring, he will be 60 years old at the end of the year. This retirement is a policy formulated by the state. We must implement it seriously. It is impossible to not retire. But there must be no problem with re-employment. There are still two years until the next Olympics. How can he be too old to bring the Olympics to the past? There is nothing wrong with being older than myself!"
Director Ma shook his head, "It must be no problem. Although the old man is now 60 years old, he is stronger than the average guy. It is estimated that those young people who work all day can't run away from him."
"That's good!" Director Luo thought for a while and then said, "Old Ma, if the track and field team has any need or difficulty recently, please give it to me as much as possible. If I can solve it then I will help you solve it."
Director Ma immediately understood what Director Luo meant. Director Luo wanted to help him again before he was transferred away. Director Luo is still the director of the field management center, so he can still meet some of the requirements of the track and field team. If the next leader takes office, it will be difficult to say what the situation is.
Director Ma hesitated and asked, "Is the time set?"
"Finished, after the Asian Games!" Director Luo took a deep breath, and then said, "The organization is also very truthful to me. They want to let me continue to lead the team to participate in this Asian Games, and it is also the final test for me!"
Director Ma thought for a while, lowered his voice, and then said, "There is one more thing, I have to discuss it with you first. I heard that President Qu had always opposed Zhang Guan's establishment of a team of brokers to independently operate commercial value development, then if he is going to take back Zhang Guan's commercial value development rights, it will be troublesome. that child Zhang Guan, I can understand, he is young, but he is more stubborn than anyone else, and I worry that the two will not give in to each other no matter what!"
"This is a very troublesome problem." Director Luo also frowned, "Our national conditions are different from foreign countries. If they are placed abroad, athletes are rarely restricted, but in our country, even if they are world champions, they still have to bow their heads."
"Yeah, that's what I worry about. If it's other athletes, what we're talking about in the center, even if there is resistance in our hearts, we still have to be obedient. And Zhang Guanman has only been practicing for three years. He is not traditional. The athletes trained in the system have no awe of the traditional system. And more importantly, Zhang Guan's achievements now, the world record holders of the three sprint events! It is already unprecedented... hey… " Director Ma said here and sighed helplessly.
Director Luo also fell into silence. Under the domestic sports system, fame and achievements are not death-free gold medals. Sometimes the management agency needs not an athlete who can produce results, but an athlete who is obedient. In the view of those traditional ideas, it is a matter of course for athletes to obediently obey, and if they are not obedient, they should be punished.
This kind of ideology has been slowly formed for a long time. In the past, there were no commercial sports. Professional athletes were like state-owned enterprise workers, received monthly wages. At that time, the purpose of athletes was also very simple, that is, to win glory for the country, and not care for the rest. No matter what economic interests, of course, there were no economic interests to be considered. After the athletes retire, they are also assigned to a job. As an athlete in that era, as long as they don't make mistakes, they don't have to worry about life. If many children in rural areas can become athletes, it means that they can become civil servants or workers in the future, they can achieve their dream "urban hukou", and eat the so-called "national treasury food".
Therefore, under that kind of system, athletes must be obedient. If athletes dare not obey, suspension of training, dismissal, and even the distribution of work after retirement, there will be no guarantee of life for the rest of their lives. And the management organization has gradually developed the traditional thought that you must listen to me when I speak.
But the current situation is different from the past. In the past, athletes had to rely on traditional systems, and now well-known athletes have received several advertisements for several years of income. Sometimes a big endorsement is enough for athletes to spend the rest of their lives freely. Athletes find that they can live well without relying on the system.
Although many management organizations are slowly advancing with the times, many management organizations still use the old traditional ideas to manage, and of course, some conflicts will inevitably erupt.
However, when the contradiction breaks out, there must be a failure or a compromise. However, from the current situation, the one who fails or actively chooses to compromise is the athlete.
In the conflict between the two sides, the management agencies have too many practical weapons, such as various types of punishments, suspensions, media blockades and blackmails, bans on going abroad, expulsion, etc., and athletes may only have a reputation for the honor. Reasoning this kind of thing has always been just an empty talk of ideals who are not involved in the world. Even if everyone is sympathetic to you, it is still useless. "Sympathy" is just pale and weak in front of realistic means.
There are not many examples of star-level athletes confronting regulatory agencies, and there are only a few examples that can be thought of. Under the domestic athlete selection system, through the selection and training of sports teams at all levels, county, city, and province sports teams, those so-called "thorns" have already been kicked out of the athletes' team, and those who are left behind are the people who are willing to obey.
Director Luo and Director Ma are very worried. Once Zhang Guan and President Qu have a conflict, Zhang Guan will misjudge the situation, and naively think that relying on his "fame" and "achievement", he can fight against Director Qu's means. But in fact, what he needs to confront is not just a stubborn director, but a traditional management idea, against everyone who has the idea that "athletes will be unconditionally obedient".
After being silent for a moment, Director Luo said without confidence, "I don't think President Qu is dissatisfied even if he is dissatisfied with Zhang Guan! Zhang Guan's achievements and fame are there. President Qu is only the acting head. When it comes, there will be scruples."
"That's what I said. I hope so!" Director Ma said so arrogantly.
"Okay, Old Ma, don't think about it, now you should congratulate me, I am considered to be in the ministry." Director Luo said with a smile.
"Yes, I didn't have the time to congratulate you on your promotion." Director Ma also laughed.
For some vice-presidents or directors of management centers, being promoted to the president of the association or transferred to another association has become a good way to be promoted. Director Luo was transferred to the work of the ministries and committees, obviously entering the training system of reserve cadres. For career prospects, it is much better than mixing between various sports associations.
...
The ancient capital of Xijing.
Sharapova, who had just visited the Terracotta Army, was excited.
There are too many scenic spots worth seeing in China, but for many foreigners, the natural scenery is far less attractive than places of interest. The natural scenery is given by God. There may be many similarities at the same latitude, but the places of interest are different. They represent the historical and cultural heritage, such as the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the Terracotta Warriors. It is all a must-see attraction.
"Terracotta Warriors shocked me!" Sharapova played with the set of Terracotta Warrior's souvenirs, and her face was filled with satisfaction.
"About the Terracotta Army, there is a love story." Zhang Guan then said, "According to legend, there was a bodyguard of Qin Shihuang, named Meng Tianfang..."
Zhang Guan told Sharapova the story of the war between ancient and modern warriors to Sharapova. Among them, bridges such as elixir and Meng Tianfang were made into terracotta warriors and horses, which immediately attracted Sharapova.
"Oh... you said that in those terracotta warriors, no one would be sealed inside!" Sharapova asked curiously.
"How is this possible? You just saw a lot of damaged terracotta warriors and horses, there is nothing inside. Maria, this is just a story." Zhang Guan answered.
"Yeah... this is just a story." Sharapova's voice turned and suddenly asked, "If there is reincarnation, will you still love me?"
"Of course!" Zhang Guan just spoke, but thought of himself in the previous life, he sighed, and then said, "Maybe if reincarnated, I might just be an ordinary person!"
"What's wrong with ordinary people! You can live an ordinary life, you can boldly do what you want to do, not worry about the paparazzi who take sneak shots everywhere, don't even have to be cautious when you talk!" Sharapova took a deep breath and sighed, "That's my dream of free life!"
"But it may be the other way around." Zhang Guan paused, and then said, "Every day to survive the hard work, facing the high housing prices, sighing in the face of rising prices, and spitting in the face of increasing prices, worried about losing your job, repeating the same thing, gradually being smoothed out by life, eroding ideals, beginning to look forward and backward, began to truly transform dreams into illusory dreams, and have been living vigorously..."
"I don't quite understand, why do you think so?" Sharapova added, "That is too negative."
"The reality is often the cruelest." Zhang Guan suddenly laughed, "So if I can choose again, I think I will not be an ordinary person."
"What if you don't have a choice?" Sharapova asked, a little disappointed.
Zhang Guan grabbed Sharapova in his arms, squinted his head and kissed on Sharapova's forehead, then said, "If I don't have a choice, I will try hard to make my ordinary life more comfortable!"