After Leaving the Sports Circle, I Became a Cooking God (Completed BL)

Chapter 1 - Let's Aim for a World Champion First! [Track and Field]

Translator: dapotaturs
Release Date: 08/26/2023

"Xiao Su, you really need to think carefully about this retirement matter. I can hold onto your retirement application for now."

In the office of the sprint team coach of the S Province Sports Team, Zhao Heping held the retirement application that Su Bai had handed to him. After contemplating for a while, he spoke with a deep and sincere tone, advising his disciple, hoping that he would carefully consider it.

Su Bai looked at his coach's advice, and after a brief moment of silence, he looked at Zhao Heping very seriously and said, "Coach, I have already thought it through."

Upon hearing Su Bai's words, Zhao Heping paused for a moment, then finally let out a sigh.

During Su Bai's childhood, both of his parents passed away, and he didn't have any other relatives. Despite the inheritance left by his parents, he lacked the ability to take care of himself due to his young age. As a result, he was sent to an orphanage, where he grew up. It wasn't until he reached adulthood that he reclaimed his family's property from the guardianship institution and left the orphanage.

Due to his upbringing in the orphanage from a young age, he had developed a strong sense of independence. He tended to carefully consider many things due to his experiences, always taking a moment to think things through.

Regarding his retirement, he had actually been contemplating it for nearly half a year. He had already discussed it a few times with his coach before. The decision to choose the path of retirement had also been carefully considered after much deliberation.

Back when he was 13 years old, he showcased exceptional performance during physical education classes at school. This led to his selection into the school's sports team. Later, during a city-wide competition, he caught the eye of Coach Zhao Heping, who was present at the event to scout for promising talents.

Afterward, he continued to train with Coach Zhao through middle school and high school, following the path of an athlete. When it came time for the college entrance exam, he managed to secure a place in a reputable university in his city based on his performance in the U20 national competition.

However, his coach's investment in him all along the way seemed to have slightly missed the mark. Up until now, his personal best (PB) in the 100-meter event was just around 10.88 seconds. While this time might carry some lucky connotations, it was only barely meeting the standard for a national-level athlete in his country.

Starting from his participation in adult-level competitions, he diligently followed his coach's training plans, practicing with seriousness. He consistently maintained a good personal condition during races. However, these efforts and methods didn't seem to yield significant results. It was as if his performance had encountered an insurmountable barrier. Despite increasing his training intensity, he struggled to make any improvements.

Up until now, he had only been able to participate in some city-level and provincial-level competitions. At best, he would compete against athletes from all over the country who were in a similar condition as him in the national championship qualifying rounds. Then, he would watch as a few of the top domestic sprinters stood on the award podium.

So far, his best national ranking had been achieved this year in the H City station of the national championship, where he secured a 9th place finish. The final of a championship race typically includes only the top 8 athletes, and he happened to be the one who didn't make it to the final.

While these circumstances were somewhat distressing to consider, Su Bai wasn't deeply disheartened. He remained quite rational, recognizing that his innate talent in the 100-meter sprint was limited. Even if his performance could experience a breakthrough in the next two years, he knew that the possibility of meeting the standards for becoming a national-level athlete was uncertain, let alone the standards required for an international-level athlete.