Chapter 2400 - 607: Swimmer

Chapter 2400: Chapter 607: Swimmer

"Yes, the opening stage is a 1500-meter nonstop swimming segment. In this segment, athletes can use any stroke for the race, but typically freestyle is used. Floating or standing to rest is allowed, and if any physical issue arises, nearby lifeguards will immediately respond, so there are no safety hazards at all. Hehe, usually, there are more lifeguards than athletes."

"Zhang is right, but it’s rare for athletes to cramp or retire at this stage. Problems usually occur more during the cycling stage."

[Cat Lover] Group.

"Sounds terrifying, 1500-meter swim."

"1500 meters is doable, I can manage that in the swimming pool too, but the problem is the time limit."

"That’s the issue, is Huang Kaiwen good at swimming?"

"Who knows, I haven’t really watched that before."

"Swimming is just the appetizer, the real test comes next."

"I’m more worried about Huang Kaiwen getting injured, what would happen to Milan if he gets hurt?"

"Damn, you’re killing me with laughter, is there anyone who doesn’t know his injury pattern yet? See when he’s missed a crucial competition, if the triathlon is placed last, Huang Kaiwen will definitely get injured, but with 200 meters to go, he won’t get injured one hundred percent."

"Holy, bro, you nailed it!"

With the competition nearing, the athletes have arrived at the shore to prepare.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen, the competition is about to begin. We’re currently at Hyde Park’s Jiuqu Lake, a lake with a long history that often sees tourists boating on it, and many waterfowl also reside here. The athletes are in position."

London time is 11:30 AM.

The referee sounded the starting gun.

Whoosh——

Huang Kaiwen’s reaction speed is unparalleled; he practically dives into Jiuqu Lake instantaneously.

The feeling in the water is completely different from on land.

Though he has [Swimming Mastery], swimming at home usually focuses on recovering his physical state and relieving fatigue, rarely on racing.

Recently, Huang Kaiwen started intensifying his freestyle training.

Freestyle generally involves minimal resistance, maintaining speed while using less energy.

But Huang Kaiwen clearly noticed that there are many skilled swimmers.

He hasn’t practiced much in water sports events.

"The fastest currently is the German athlete Patrick Lange. This athlete performed quite well in the swimming segment of the last Olympics. We can see the camera focusing on Huang Kaiwen; his current position is fairly forward—he might not be that skilled at swimming."

From the start, Huang Kaiwen realized the strength of these athletes.

He immediately changed his swimming method.

Using hip drive.

This was something learned from watching Sun Yang’s competitions.

Sun Yang’s freestyle technique is indeed unique; his legs aren’t the traditional six-beat kick but rather a downward kick similar to karate techniques, with minimal knee bend.

This leg movement technique can generate more forward force, and reducing knee bend can decrease resistance.

After changing his swimming posture, Huang Kaiwen’s speed improved significantly.

The coaching team had mentioned to Huang Kaiwen before that the ideal breathing frequency for intense exercise lasting 15 minutes is 50 times per minute, which was also one of Huang Kaiwen’s training focuses.

With each stroke cycle, Huang Kaiwen consciously manages his breathing.

"Zhang, there’s a detail here, whenever Huang Kaiwen’s arm enters the water, his little finger is pointed downward, which is also a good way to reduce resistance. Clearly, Huang Kaiwen has made quite a few preparations for this competition."

"Hehe, that’s typical; when Huang Kaiwen plays football, he watches opponents’ match tapes. Previously during the European Cup, when Krul entered as goalkeeper, Huang Kaiwen directly wrote down the English players’ penalty characteristics on his water bottle. This action is still talked about in football circles, apparently prompting many big teams to recognize the importance of data analysis and increase investment in this area."

Triathlons are ultimately not specialized swimming competitions, and the course is not a straight pool.

Techniques for things like turns are not practically used.

Athletes must follow the prescribed course and bypass obstacles.

If intentionally shortening the route, not following the specified course will lead to disqualification.

The speed for the 1500-meter freestyle in triathlons is usually over 16 minutes and 30 seconds.

Whereas freestyle competition swimmers can completely finish within 14 minutes, though the course situation isn’t entirely the same, it shows the disparity with professional swimmers.

meters passed.

Huang Kaiwen has acclimated to today’s Jiuqu River’s hydrological conditions.

Previously, during running or other events, he could familiarize himself with the venue in advance.

But Hyde Park near home really wasn’t possible.

Before the competition, supervision in this aspect was already in place, and since it’s open to the public, it’s impossible to hide athletes appearing here.

It’s slightly overcast in London today.

The water temperature is approximately 16°C.

More importantly, there’s a northwest wind, with side winds intensifying heat consumption.

Thus, while increasing his frequency, Huang Kaiwen minimized the time his limbs were exposed in space, visibly enhancing his arm movement frequency.

Many athletes assumed Huang Kaiwen had lost it.

top athletes from around the world have an in-depth understanding of this sport.

Triathlons aren’t about explosive strength to win.

If you want to win, average speed is the most crucial.

If excessive exertion occurs at the start of the race, the following segments will be very challenging.