Chapter 574: Very Reliable Fins (Part 2)

Chapter 574: Very Flipper-Dependent (Part 2)

After coming up, Meng Fan left the diving hall with his flippers and other gear. He had originally planned to challenge a world record for the longest distance walked underwater with mouth, but the diving hall director deemed it too dangerous, so he dropped it.

Leaving the diving hall, he returned to the swimming pool.

Meng Fan set up his live-streaming equipment and said, "Let's just challenge swimming instead."

Xu Wujin knew swimming was unavoidable and asked, "What event are you planning to challenge? We'll prepare early. If you need someone to challenge with you, I can pick some team members—consider it training."

Meng Fan, half-jokingly, replied, "Then you'd better go warm up."

Xu Wujin actually did warm up, quickly getting himself excited. He held a world record himself—50-meter backstroke.

But when he saw Meng Fan, after setting up his live stream, put on flippers and dive into the water, he was baffled.

"What event are you challenging? You're wearing flippers to compete with me?"

Meng Fan laughed. "Did you really think I'd challenge a pool sprint event?"

Xu Wujin and the viewers in the live room were equally puzzled: "Isn't that the case?"

Xu Wujin quickly caught on: "Are you challenging fin swimming?"

Meng Fan nodded. "I'm good at diving, and fin swimming is within my reach. No problem challenging various world records. As for your events—forget it, I can't handle them."

Whether he really couldn't handle them was debatable, but Meng Fan simply didn't want to. If he challenged all four major strokes—freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, and backstroke—he'd be pressured into Olympic competitions later, which would be a hassle.

Fin swimming was different. It's a legitimate competitive sport with national and world-level competitions, but it's not an Olympic event. Challenging it for achievements wouldn't burden him with extra obligations.

Fin swimming involves wearing lightweight diving equipment and racing in a pool according to regulations. It includes surface fin swimming, underwater breath-hold fin swimming, and scuba swimming.

In China, it's collectively called fin swimming competition, with three types divided into 21 events based on distance, such as 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, and 1500m surface fin swimming.

Compared to regular swimming, fin swimming features novel strokes and high speed.

How fast?

With flippers, it's not just a little faster than traditional swimming.

Take 50 meters: the freestyle world record is 20.91 seconds, while fin swimming can go under 13 seconds—equivalent to a world-class hurdler finishing the 110m hurdles while fin swimming completes the 50m race.

"Next, I'll challenge the 50m surface fin swimming world record, currently 12.89 seconds." Meng Fan got into the water, said this to the live stream, then turned to Xu Wujin, who had warmed up. "Boss Xu, let's race."

Xu Wujin rolled his eyes. "What's there to race? How can I compete? With those flippers, you might as well have a propeller."

Meng Fan teased, "You don't need to get in the water. Run along the poolside. Let's see if I swim faster or you run faster."

Xu Wujin bristled. "Bro, you're insulting me! For 50 meters, even barefoot, I can do it in seven or eight seconds. Can you swim that fast?"

Meng Fan raised an eyebrow. "Let's find out."

"Fine, let's do it."

Though the race was pointless, Xu Wujin joined in anyway.

The venue's competition equipment started. Meng Fan stood on the starting block, Xu Wujin at the same position on the deck.

The countdown sounded, and the starting gun fired.

Meng Fan executed a beautiful dive into the water, while Xu Wujin's start was slow, even hesitant, but he ran anyway.

Meng Fan's dolphin kick in the water was extremely rapid, propelling his body forward at a speed unseen in any other pool competition—a speed most netizens had never witnessed. Some viewers might have seen people swimming or diving with flippers, but few had watched fin swimming competitions.

Fin swimming's speed stunned many and reshaped their understanding of swimming velocity.

Meng Fan moved through the water like a shark, Xu Wujin sprinted on the deck. In the first half of the 50 meters, Meng Fan was ahead; only in the second half did Xu Wujin catch up, and they reached the finish almost neck and neck.

Meng Fan's body crossed the finish line, and the pool equipment displayed his time: 9.77 seconds.

Xu Wujin was probably faster, but also around 9 seconds—not his true 50-meter time. Barefoot, running on the slippery poolside, and his hesitant start all contributed.

Meng Fan emerged from the water, successfully completing a world record challenge.

This challenge was extremely easy for Meng Fan, thanks to his [Neptune] achievement title, his current physical condition, and the fact that fin swimming still has vast room for development—its world records aren't particularly hard.

Fin swimming is a non-Olympic sport with low popularity and is relatively young. Global investment in athletes for this sport is minimal, meaning the probability of genius athletes is low and their numbers few, so breaking its world records isn't difficult.

With this swim, if Meng Fan didn't participate in official competitions, it might take at least 20 to 50 years for the sport to reach this level—from 12.89 seconds to 9.77 seconds, a massive leap. From one perspective, it's like an athlete using the speed of a world-class 100m sprinter to finish a 110m hurdles—an exaggerated improvement.

He got out of the water and returned to the starting line.

Without resting, Meng Fan immediately challenged the second event: 100 meters.

Xu Wujin had no mood to follow.

Soon, the challenge succeeded: 100m fin swimming in 19.81 seconds, almost completing it at the speed of two 50-meter races. His stamina was incredibly strong—truly explosive.

After 100 meters, he did 200 meters.

After 200 meters, he did 400 meters.

After 400 meters, he did 1500 meters.

Meng Fan's freakish stamina was demonstrated in many ways, and his near-lactate-free physique was widely acknowledged. Everyone agreed he should be sliced for research to see what muscle structure could ignore lactate buildup so thoroughly.

"Though I've said it ten thousand times, I'll say it again: Meng Fan really isn't human!"

"This speed stunned me! What's the difference between him and a shark?"

"A human nuclear submarine!"

"I was shallow! I always thought Iron God was only invincible on land, but now it's clear he's invincible in water too!"

"With this speed and breath-holding ability, who can compete?"

"Please let Iron God star in 'Aquaman'—I feel like no special effects would be needed."

"Why Aquaman? We have so many myths—he could play a Dragon King, hahaha."

"When Aquaman meets Iron God, he'd have to say: 'Who is that pushing the water? State your name, so I may welcome you properly.'"

(The chapter ends)