Chapter 501: Top Ten Athletes

Chapter 501: The Top Ten Athletes

The China Top Ten Laureus Grand Awards stood as the ultimate sanctuary of recognition within the Chinese sporting world. For every athlete and coach, it represented the most transcendent honor one could possibly achieve within the nation's borders—an accolade carrying a weight and prestige that eclipsed even the triumph of an Olympic gold medal or the distinction of being an Olympic champion coach.

To speak of it in such a manner was, in truth, almost redundant; those who garnered nominations were invariably Olympic icons or world champion competitors and trainers. The qualification "invariably" was used only to account for rare anomalies, such as the legendary Dayao, who had once claimed the prize under singular circumstances.

A sporting gala of such magnitude naturally drew not only the nominees themselves but also an illustrious assembly of renowned athletes, esteemed coaches, and revered titans from the annals of sports history, rendering the venue resplendent with a galaxy of stars.

The ceremony commenced with the traditional promenade down the red carpet. The athletes, who typically appeared before the public gaze clad in utilitarian tracksuits or rigid competition gear, had today adorned themselves in formal attire. Many of the sportswomen had donned evening gowns and elegant dresses—garments they scarcely had the opportunity to wear in their daily lives. Embellished with exquisite cosmetics and balanced atop high heels, their presence upon the crimson carpet was exceptionally captivating.

Among the spectators, a vast contingent of media correspondents and devoted admirers had assembled.

In previous years, the press corps had comprised sports journalists and reporters from the societal beats, along with a scattering of entertainment journalists; after all, the realms of culture and sports had long shared an intertwined destiny. Now, with the continuous liberalization of the athletic establishment, instances of prominent athletes crossing the threshold into the entertainment industry had grown increasingly frequent. This migration involved not only retired competitors but a considerable number of active athletes as well, making the presence of the entertainment press an absolute necessity.

Yet this particular year witnessed an influx of media personnel—whether from the sports desks, entertainment columns, or general press—and enthusiastic fans that vastly outnumbered any gathering of the past. The catalyst for this unprecedented surge was a matter of universal knowledge: it was entirely due to Meng Fan.

For many of the athletes, it was their very first time witnessing such a dense concentration of reporters and admirers flanking the red carpet of the China Top Ten Laureus Awards. They found the spectacle novel, yet upon reflection, it surprised no one.

Within the athletic fraternity, determining who possessed the highest renown or the most exalted status on the global stage remained a complex debate. Originally, the Chinese sporting pantheon recognized four great titans: the soaring hurdler Xiang, the tennis maestro Na, the snooker virtuoso Ding, and the towering Dayao. Now, however, the group had expanded to include the five-gold prodigy, Meng. Yet if the metric were shifted to sheer popularity and cultural resonance, the contemporary Meng Fan stood entirely without peer, a figure whom none could hope to overtake.

He was, without reservation, the most dazzling competitor China had ever produced on the Olympic stage, a distinction that brooked no equal. And yet, he was far from a conventional athlete; indeed, one might argue that sports did not even constitute his primary vocation. In other domains, he commanded equally formidable achievements, reigning as China’s most preeminent manga artist. This title of "preeminent" did not merely reflect the massive popularity derived from his athletic laurels; it remained an indisputable truth even if one stripped away every external halo to judge his artistry in its purest form.

There existed yet another reason for his immense popularity, one of paramount significance: his remarkable physical appearance.

Just how exceptional was his visage?

In the recently unveiled selection for the "100 Most Handsome Faces in the Asia-Pacific Region," Meng Fan had captured the coveted crown of "Number One Handsome Face." Unlike previous iterations of the list, where critics invariably questioned whether the rankings were unduly influenced by a celebrity's popularity or film box-office receipts—and despite past lists featuring delightful cultural puns celebrating figures who had "charmed" epochs or "stolen" generations—there had always been a lingering sense that such handsomeness was a derivative title rather than an intrinsic truth.

This time, however, the public was entirely unified in its admiration. Whether judged solely by the refinement of his facial features, the elegance of his demeanor, the command of his presence, or the sheer magnitude of his deeds, Meng Fan’s ascension to the pinnacle of handsomeness was utterly flawless. Not only were the domestic netizens completely swayed, but the populace across the broader Asia-Pacific region shared the sentiment. Indeed, even if the scope of the evaluation were expanded to a global scale, the verdict would have held firm.

"Meng Fan has arrived!"

"Good grief, he's even more handsome in person than on television!"

"What a spectacular smile!"

"Wu Tong is simply breathtaking!"

"Look at those impossibly long legs! I could—"

"No, you could not! It would be the death of you!"

"Those two truly look like a match made in heaven!"

"By the way, just how tall is the Painting Fairy? How does she still look so perfectly delicate standing right beside Meng Fan?"

"They say she's one hundred and seventy-eight centimeters. Judging by sight, that must be accurate. Those legs are incredible, and her proportions are absolutely flawless."

"Good heavens, merely watching a red carpet walk is enough to stuff a person with a ton of romantic displays!"

"Ha ha ha, you must be a superficial fan! On an grand occasion like this, Fatty Meng would absolutely never miss an opportunity to flaunt their affection!"

"..."

The exquisite pair, Meng Fan and Wu Tong, walked hand-in-hand down the red carpet, eliciting countless screams of adoration and sighs of wonder, while inevitably consuming vast quantities of photographic film.

Athletes and coaches arriving at the gala accompanied by family members, romantic partners, or even invited companions were by no means a rarity, particularly among those holding nominations. For instance, Director Zhan, a nominee for Best Coach, had arrived with his wife by his side. It was simply that the romance between Meng Fan and Wu Tong carried such legendary renown. If there existed a national ranking for the most beloved public couples, the two of them would undoubtedly occupy the topmost tier, if not the absolute pinnacle—a chart that could easily encompass characters from any celebrated film or television drama.

The truth was that their love story was far too famous and profoundly inspiring.

Moreover, Meng Fan possessed a habit of displaying his devotion at every turn, completely indifferent to the setting. He had refused to spare even the sacred grounds of the Olympic arena. Consequently, not only did the vast majority of people in China recognize them as an inseparable pair, but their romance had achieved substantial renown on a global scale.

At the terminus of the red carpet, interviewers stood waiting. After granting the hosts the most extensive interview of the evening, Meng Fan and Wu Tong finally entered the grand hall. Inside, the arrangement of the seating largely eschewed rigid protocols of seniority and rank. While elements of prestige certainly persisted, the rare gathering of so many athletes and coaches from disparate fields prompted most attendees to follow their instincts, seeking out familiar acquaintances to converse with while waiting for the proceedings to commence.

In ordinary times, a congregation of this scale involving athletes from every conceivable discipline occurred only during mass mobilization assemblies prior to major comprehensive games. Before a competition, there was never any leisure for casual banter; the moment a meeting concluded, everyone hurried back to their rigorous preparations. On other occasions of a solemn nature, conversation was even more strictly discouraged.

Meng Fan and Wu Tong took their places beside Director Zhan and his wife. Before long, Coach Hu Cunyong and his spouse arrived to occupy the seats to their left, while behind them, Coach Xiao Yunlin and his wife were already comfortably seated. These three head coaches served as Meng Fan’s direct instructors and had each received a nomination for Best Coach. When one factored Meng Fan into the equation, five of the nominees for the Best Coach award were concentrated in this single cluster.

From a statistical perspective, the accolade for Best Coach was practically guaranteed to fall to the Weightlifting, Wrestling, and Judo Administration Center.

"Meng Fan, have you drafted your acceptance speech yet?"

"Old Hu, you ought to save yourself the anxiety. Does a lad like him ever need a written script for a speech?"

"Ha ha, that is true enough. His interviews flow so effortlessly; an acceptance speech will surely be a trivial matter."

"I must say, you sound quite modern using terms like 'effortlessly' nowadays."

"It was entirely forced upon me by the younger generation!"

"Let us not concern ourselves with the boy. What about the two of you? Have either of you prepared a speech? Do not look at me; my situation differs from yours. After all, I have claimed the prize once before and delivered my remarks. My improvisations would still surpass whatever the two of you could conjure."

"..."

"If you ask me, the three of you should cease your speculations. I suspect this Best Coach award is most likely to go to young Meng."

"...The boy is virtually guaranteed to sweep the awards for Best Athlete and Most Popular Athlete. Sister-in-law, are you truly certain he can claim the Best Coach title as well?"

As the three couples conversed, the dialogue naturally drifted toward the distribution of the awards. Whether these three veteran head coaches would secure the prize remained uncertain, and in truth, they scarcely concerned themselves with the outcome—even regarding their own chances. They knew with absolute certainty, however, that Meng Fan would emerge victorious. The only lingering question was the exact number of trophies he would take home.

Meng Fan had secured an unprecedented six nominations. One had to consider that there were only ten awards in total, a figure that included Best Female Athlete, Best Athlete with a Disability, and Best Non-Olympic Athlete—categories for which Meng Fan was inherently ineligible. In other words, with the sole exception of the Best Duo award, Meng Fan had achieved a nomination in every single category available to his discipline.

With such an extraordinary array of nominations, how many triumphs would he ultimately claim?