The Rainy Night a 36-Year-Old Record Fell

The rain in Nagoya began in the afternoon. A film of water shimmered on the track. By the triple-jump sandpit, a worker walked back and forth with an iron rake, loosening the packed sand. In the stands, some people held umbrellas. Others pulled their jacket hoods over their heads. The timer was lit. The red numbers looked hard in the rain.

Su Wen stood at the end of the runway, a towel over his shoulder. His second jump was 16.97 meters. Before his third jump, he tossed the towel to someone nearby, said nothing, walked to the start, and took a deep breath. Run-up, takeoff, step, jump. Sand sprayed up on landing. He sat in the pit, looked first at his feet, then at the scoreboard. 17.42.

The mark surpassed Zou Sixin’s 17.31 at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games. Thirty-six years. In 1990, Su Wen had not yet been born. After the scoreboard updated, he stood up and brushed the sand off his legs. He walked to the mixed zone, his hair still dripping. A volunteer held an umbrella beside him. Water from the umbrella’s edge dripped onto his shoulder. He said: “Actually, I didn’t feel confident today. My first two jumps weren’t very good, so I just calmed down. Today I got the gold, broke my PB, and qualified for the World Championships. It’s fair to say it was a complete success. This is a new starting point, the first step of my personal ‘Long March.’ There are still many difficulties and challenges ahead of me.”

He did not say things like “making history.” He put the towel back over his shoulder. His teammate Ma Yinglong injured his foot after completing his first jump. The team doctor came onto the field to treat him. He stamped his foot and continued competing. He finished with 16.75 for bronze. Before the medal ceremony, he sat at the edge of the field, untying and retying his shoelaces.

In the women’s 100m final the previous night, 17-year-old Chen Yujie crossed the line first. That evening, in the third heat of the 200m preliminaries, she ran 23.29 to advance as the heat winner. After crossing the line she did not stop. She ran a few more steps before slowing, bending over, hands on her knees. A staff member handed her water. She took a sip and looked up at the timing board. After the race she said, “I was really tired out there today.” She explained that after winning the title yesterday, she did not finish all the post-race work and get back to the accommodation until four or five in the morning. She felt her energy reserves were insufficient, and she was exhausted today. During the prelims, she felt her position was okay, so she eased up a bit before the finish line. In the final she would definitely sprint all out and hoped to win a medal.

She did not hide the word “tired.” Seventeen years old, 100m champion, top qualifier in the 200m prelims. All these labels stacked together, and all she said was that she was tired. After saying it, she straightened her bib and walked toward the recovery area.

The women’s 100m hurdles was divided into two heats, with the top three in each advancing directly. In the first heat, Lin Yuwei was third in 13.52. In the second, Wu Yanni was second in 13.18. After crossing the line, Wu Yanni glanced at the big screen, shook her head, and walked toward her coach. She said, “My start rhythm was good. With high-level athletes from Japan and other teams around me, I felt more drive to fight. I’m not satisfied with the result. I’ll give everything in the final.”

The hurdles stood in the rain. Workers wiped the water off them with towels. Wu Yanni zipped her jacket all the way up and sat at the edge of the track watching the next heat. Lin Yuwei walked past. The two barely spoke.

In the morning marathon, Japanese star Yamashita Kazuki won the men’s race. Chinese runner Feng Peiyou fought to bronze in 2:12:13. In the women’s race, Bahrain’s Hitaye Habte won, and China’s Ciren Cuomu took silver 12 seconds behind. The marathon did not have the strong glare of the rainy-night track. Runners passed through the streets. Cups from the aid stations were crushed and tossed by the roadside. 2:12:13 works out to about 3:08 per kilometer. Feng Peiyou stayed with the lead group over the final few kilometers. After crossing the line, he bent over with his hands on his knees. Ciren Cuomu was 12 seconds behind. After crossing the line she looked back.

The rain was still falling. The triple-jump sandpit had been raked smooth again, the footprints gone. On the scoreboard, 17.42 was still lit. Chen Yujie’s 200m final, Wu Yanni’s 100m hurdles final, and Lin Yuwei’s next race had not yet been run. Beside the sandpit, a worker leaned the iron rake against the railing. Water dripped down its teeth.