Hedao City.

In the room of an apartment building in a community on the island, Su Zu looked at the large pile of sweaters and jackets that his mother Ye Qingmei picked up from the closet, and couldn't help but say helplessly: "Mom, it's almost, I'll go for a few days, and I'll return to China soon." ”

"Bring two more sweaters, and I've heard that it's very cold in the Soviet Union." Ye Qingmei found a thick sweater from the cupboard and measured it to Su Zu.

"What USSR?" Su Yuanhua was sitting on the sofa next to him, watching the news on both sides of the Taiwan Strait on TV, and when he heard Ye Qingmei's words, he couldn't help but retort, "Now that Russia understands it, when did the Soviet Union settle accounts?" ”

"You know a lot." Ye Qingmei looked at Su Yuanhua with white eyes, and found a few thick sweaters from a large pile of clothes, and compared them to Su Zu one after another, and her brows suddenly frowned slightly, "It's a little small." ”

Su Zu looked at the clothes in his mother's hand, it was indeed not so fitting, although he had not grown as fast as before in the past two years, he was still growing a little. It's almost 1.9 meters now, and because of high-intensity strength training, the shoulder width and muscles are more prominent than ordinary people.

"You bought it the year before last, it must be small." Su Yuanhua threw the remote control in his hand aside, "Don't worry about that, Su Zu is a member of the country, and the state takes care of his food, clothing, housing and transportation, as well as special care......"

"My son, I'm going to worry about it, aren't you happy?!" Ye Qingmei threw the sweater in her hand directly towards Su Yuanhua, complaining, "It's rare to come back for the New Year, it's not even fifteen." ”

"You're being unreasonable." Su Yuanhua caught the sweater he threw over and pointed at Su Zu, "He's not going to the competition, he's going to participate in that...... Awards. ”

"It's okay, Mom, just take it all."

Su Zu stood between the two, watching his parents bickering, nagging about his parents' shortcomings, and a warmth swelled in his heart.

In the past few years, his parents have gradually become accustomed to living in Hedao City, and they also have their own life circle, and they have finally adapted to it compared to what he thought before.

But since he embarked on the road of sports competition, he has also felt a little guilty, compared to his peers, he has spent too little time at home over the years. In addition to domestic and foreign competitions, several training bases that usually train are not in Hedao City, so it can be said that I have never been with my parents.

The time at home is actually similar to that of the previous life to go to social work, and every year I take ten days and a half months at home during the Spring Festival.

"Mom, why don't you and my dad come with me."

Su Zu looked at his mother, who was continuing to rummage through the pile of clothes, and spoke out again.

"I can, the point is that your mother doesn't dare to fly."

Su Yuanhua, who was sitting on the sofa, spoke first, and compared the sweater in his hand to his body as he spoke, "I wear these clothes too big, Su Zu gasps and is too small, I told you not to buy them before, now it's up to you to do it." ”

"No, no, no." Ye Qingmei shook her head again and again, "You can just go with your coach, I saw a few foreigners on the street that day and panicked, I was going to the Soviet Union, so I wasn't scared to death." ”

Su Zu turned his head to look at his father Su Yuanhua, and seeing that he shook his head helplessly, Su Zu suddenly laughed.

"Mom, you're even afraid of foreigners, so I'll go back and find a foreign daughter-in-law for you to come back, what can I do?"

"You have to be able to speak Chinese, otherwise you won't be able to understand the babbling." Ye Qingmei raised her head and looked at Su Zu, "Don't be too early, I heard that foreign women age quickly, and they won't look good when the time comes." ”

"Hey, look at your son's stuffy gourd, and a foreign daughter-in-law, if he is not an athlete, a Chinese daughter-in-law may not be able to find it." Su Yuanhua also smiled and echoed on the side.

My father has lived in the city for a few years, and his horizons have opened up a lot, and this time I want to follow him to Moscow, but my mother is still a little timid and afraid to go out. The father and son put it together, and finally dismissed the idea of letting his parents go to Moscow with him.

"Then this year's competition in the Imperial Capital Bird's Nest, both of you are going!"

Su Zu changed the topic on the side, in this life, perhaps the family was much more financially well-off, and because he didn't go to college, his parents began to talk about this matter six or seven years earlier than before on his personal issues.

However, in any case, Su Zu enjoyed the time with his parents and family more and more, only in front of his parents, he was completely stripped of his athlete status, not a world champion, not a world record holder, just an ordinary teenager.

February 16, the tenth day of the first lunar month.

Su Zu went out from home, and there were already members of the research team who came to pick him up and go directly to the airport.

After meeting Li Zhizhong at the airport, the group changed their boarding passes and boarded an international flight to St. Petersburg.

Moscow, Pulkovo Airport, a large passenger plane flying directly from China to Russia, landed slowly.

As soon as he stepped out of the hatch, Su Zu felt the chill coming from the pavement.

More than ten hours ago, it was still in Hedao City, where the average daily temperature reached more than 20 degrees, and more than ten hours later, it was already in the icy and snowy environment of Russia, which was really uncomfortable.

"Heh, this weather is a real splash of water into ice."

As soon as he got off the plane, Li Zhizhong couldn't help but sigh after taking a breath.

He left Hedao over the years, took Su Zu around to participate in the competition, and experienced all kinds of weather, but the first time he went to Moscow, he found that there was still a big gap between the winter in many cities compared to Moscow.

In February, Moscow has an average daily maximum of minus 8 degrees Celsius and an average daily minimum temperature of -16 degrees Celsius, which is the coldest two months of the year.

"It's cold." Su Zu was wearing a thick down jacket and sighed softly, although his mother stuffed a lot of clothes in his luggage, his usual clothes were actually provided by a special person.

Some sweaters and underwear inside are okay, such as coats, which are basically endorsed or provided by sponsors, and when the time comes, it is an important ceremony to attend, at least the clothing requirements are still relatively high.

As early as when Su Zu was nominated, Yu Yaling, Yi Zhen and other logistics team members had already prepared for the clothing in attendance.

After all, like Liu Yangyu in 2005, not everyone can go on stage directly in jeans and short sleeves.

However, Su Zu couldn't bear to brush off his mother's kindness, so he simply brought it directly.

"It's right that the World Indoor Championships didn't come the year before last." Li Zhizhong looked at the vast white snow and remembered that at the Moscow Indoor World Championships the year before last, he refused the team's arrangement and did not let Su Zu come to compete.

Although indoor competitions are all indoors, it is always necessary to go out. He just walked out of the hatch for a short time, and he could feel the coldness of the human muscles and bones.

"By the way, Master, is Leonard Scott retired?"

When Su Zu heard Li Zhizhong mention the indoor World Championships the year before last, he suddenly remembered someone.

The 2006 World Indoor Championships took place in Moscow, where the men's 60m was won by American Leonard Scott, one of the more successful American sprinters in the 2005 and 2006 seasons.

However, in 2007, Suzu only played Scott once in the Golden League in Rome 2007, and in that race Scott ran 10.23 seconds, ranking last from the bottom. After that, Suzu barely heard of Scott's fight.

"Maybe retire or play other sports."

Li Zhizhong shook his head, this athlete was the most active sprinter in the world of athletics in the United States in 05 and 06 except for Justin Gatlin, but in just a year or two, it gradually disappeared.

In the sprint sprint event, although the United States faces the challenge of the Caribbean countries, the competition is still fierce due to the endless emergence of local talent. While most of the athletes active in other countries are old-faced athletes, the United States has a large number of new players popping up every year.

In the men's 110m hurdles event, seven of the nine competitors in the Zurich Golden League, known as the one-day Olympics in Osaka, and the worst of the seven runners also reached 13.42 seconds.

This is the confidence of a big track and field country, in addition to race, there is also a very excellent talent training mechanism in the local area.

When you think about this, it's not surprising that athletes like Leonard Scott, who was briefly active in world athletics and won the World Indoor Championships, may eventually fade out due to form or injury.

Feb. 18, 7 p.m.

St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Opera House, star-studded.

The 2008 Laureus Sports Awards were presented at the Mariinsky Opera House in St. Petersburg, where many celebrities from the world of sports and art were present.

Zhang Pingqiu, Yu Yaling, Jiang Daheng and Yi Zhen, who came to the award ceremony with Su Zu and Li Zhizhong, suddenly felt a little overwhelmed as soon as they arrived at the entrance of the Mariinsky Opera House.

"That's ...... Buboca, right? ”

When Su Zu and Li Zhizhong walked the red carpet and stood at the entrance of the theater to sign autographs and take pictures, several other people entered directly and did not walk the red carpet. Jiang Daheng looked at a middle-aged white man in a black dress who had just passed by, and stammered a little for a while.

"It's him, I've seen the video of his game." Zhang Pingqiu nodded, as a track and field coach, even if he is an assistant coach, he is a treasure for all the top athletes in the world.

"I'm going to ask for an autograph later, no, a group photo." Jiang Daheng became excited.

It's not that he hasn't seen the world, Su Zu is one of the most influential sports stars in the world at present, but in the eyes of Jiang Daheng's generation, the influence that some athletes had on him in that special era was completely different from what he is now.

Sergei Buboka, pole vault legend, broke the world record in the men's pole vault 35 times during his illustrious athletic career. Outdoors 17 times, he is the man who has broken the world record the most times in track and field history. Boboka usually improves the world record by 1 centimeter each time, so some people also call him "Mr. One Centimeter". Isinbayeva, the "Queen of the Pole Vault", is aiming to surpass Bubka's record of 35 times.

Outside the Mariinsky Opera House, one after another heavyweights participating in this year's Laureus Sports Awards appeared one after another, boxing champion Klitschko, F1 star Hakkinen, tennis king Federer...... And when one of the most heavyweight guests arrived, many sports stars, both off the court and on the field, lost their luster for a while.

Dressed in a black suit, not too tall figure, with a shiny forehead and slightly thinning hair, the President of Russia, ***, appeared as a guest at the Mariinsky Opera House.

Su Zu was also slightly stunned when he saw *** in the middle of the venue, when he participated in this Laureus Sports Awards, he never thought that he would be able to see such a heavyweight.

After entering the theater and taking a seat, Su Zu felt that Li Zhizhong's breathing beside him was slightly heavy, and his body had been trembling slightly.

Su Zu stretched out his hand and gently patted Li Zhizhong's shoulder, and laughed quietly: "Master, why are you more nervous than me?" You used to be the most calm coach in the media. ”

"Nonsense, you're facing Federer and Woods this time, can I not be nervous?"

Being interrupted by Su Zu like this, Li Zhizhong's mood was slightly relieved, and he scolded with a smile.

Mariinsky Opera House, the best state theatre in Russia. The Laureus Sports Awards, one of the most influential awards in world sports, are currently the only global sports awards ceremony.

Sports superstar, literary celebrity, high-ranking political official, even though he is now the deputy head coach of the national track and field team, once upon a time he never thought that he would have the opportunity to sit here.

The athletes nominated for the 2008 Laureus Sports Awards for Best Male Athlete are:

Swiss tennis player Roger Federer won Wimbledon for the fifth time in a row, equaling Borg's record, and won all three Grand Slam titles in all four Grand Slam tournaments, except for the runner-up at the French Open, and finally won the Masters Cup.

Chinese track and field athlete Su Zu, two consecutive World Athletics Championships men's 100 meters, 200 meters double champion, in 2006 three times to break the men's 100 meters world record, 2007 World Championships again to break the men's 100 meters world record, IAAF 2007 Athlete of the Year, worthy of the name of the first flyer.

Brazilian footballer Kaka, the top scorer in the UEFA Champions League in 2006/07, was the main contributor to AC Milan's Champions League and Club World Cup triumphs, as well as FIFA's 2007 World Footballer of the Year.

American swimmer Phelps won seven gold medals at the World Aquatics Championships and set five world records at the same time.

Finnish racing athlete Mika Hakkinen (Jimmy Raikkonen) won his first Formula 1 Grand Prix Drivers' Championship after moving to Scuderia Ferrari in 2007.

American golfer Tiger Woods, PGA Player of the Year, seven-time PGA Tour winner and 60 PGA Tour championships.

Compared with Liu Yangyu's Best Newcomer of the Year in 05, Su Zu won the Best Athlete of the Year this time...... The competition for nominations is also rare, and the competitors facing them are also the top in the world.

So much so that before the lottery, the organizers were vague, and could only say that there was a chance, but they were not completely sure whether Su Zu would be able to win the prize. Fei "The King" and "Tiger" Woods have not changed their dominance over the past year. Federer had won the award three times in a row, while Woods was nominated for a record seventh time.

In 2006 and 2007, Su Zu was nominated, but in the face of Federer, who was in full swing at the time, he knew almost before the award that he had no chance of winning the award, and simply did not attend the previous two Laureus award ceremonies.

Only in 2007, Su Zu not only won the men's 1200m double championship at the World Championships, but also added a world record, to be considered qualified enough to compete for this award.

Moreover, another important reason is that after the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Suzu has become the global spokesperson of Mercedes-Benz, which is completely heaven and earth compared to the spokesperson of just one model in China earlier.

The Laureus Sports Awards themselves were founded in 2000 by two major companies, Daimler and Richemont, with the support of global partners Mercedes-Benz and IC Wanguo. Well, Mercedes-Benz is also part of the Daimler Group.

And after Federer won the Laureus Male Athlete of the Year three times in a row, judging from the situation in the entire sports world, both the media and the audience also want to see new faces.

As the awards began to be announced, even the first-class speeches and beautiful ballet dances and other entertainment performances in the middle, many athletes on the field could no longer listen to and had no intention of appreciating them.

Everyone is waiting for the final answer to the awards.

Team of the Year 2008: South African Rugby; Best Break: British F1 driver Hamilton; Best Return: British marathon runner Paula Radcliffe; Best Disabled Player: Dutch tennis player Esser-Wigel; Best Extreme Rider: American skateboarder Shaun White.

The honor of the Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded, and before the award ceremony began, Jiang Daheng saw the extremely excited pole vault legend Segail Boboka.

When it came time to present the Best Female Athlete award, the atmosphere began to build up, and in the end, Belgian tennis player Henin defeated pole vault queen Isinbayeva to win the Laureus Best Female Athlete title for the first time.

At this time, Su Zu's expression gradually tightened, and he no longer had the relaxed color of Fang Cai.

At this time, he suddenly felt a little bit of understanding of the awards ceremony of movies like the Golden Horse Oscars he had watched.

Unlike competing on the track, it is completely through one's own strength, which is something that you can control, and no matter what kind of emotion, it is based on understanding yourself. And such an award is not won by virtue of strength, but by the multi-award association.

The Laureus Sports Award winners are selected by the Laureus Sport Institute of the World, which is made up of sports legends such as Beckenbauer's swimming heroes Popov's gymnastics legends Khorkina, Nemov and Komanech, and tennis champion Becker Becker.

When the last two presenters, tennis champion Boris Becker and boxing champion Vladimir Klitschko, took to the stage, the atmosphere was now pushed to a climax again.

The duo will reveal the mystery of the 2008 Laureus Sportsman's Athlete of the Year, and the six nominees in the stadium are the subject of live camera capture.

"Boris, you've won the best male athlete in tennis three times in a row, I think you should give athletes in other sports a chance?"

Vladimir Klitschko, who was the first to speak, was the guest of honour for the current professional boxing champion tonight's best male athlete, and he joked about tennis as soon as he opened his mouth.

"For example?" Former tennis superstar Boris Becker asked, pretending to be puzzled. The two spoke in English throughout the whole process, and the athletes present were basically able to understand without barriers.

Vladimir Klitschko thumped his solid chest, "How about boxing?" I finished Ray Austin in two rounds last year. ”

"Personally, I don't have a problem." Boris Becker smiled, handed the trophy in his hand to Klitschko, and then pointed to the audience, "It's just that I'm not sure if other people agree with you." ”

The scene burst into laughter.

Boris Becker and Klitschko casually teased a few words on stage, and it finally came time to reveal the best male athlete at this year's Laureus Sports Awards.

Boris Becker opened the envelope, took out a card with the answer, and after exchanging humility with Klitschko, finally shouted to the audience: "The winner of the 2008 Laureus Sports Award for Male Athlete of the Year is ...... SU…… ZU……”

Almost instantly, Li Zhizhong almost jumped up from his seat and gave Su Zu a hug.

"I knew that you could, I knew that Su Zu could get this award!" Li Zhizhong was almost incoherent for a while.

"Thank you, Master!"

Su Zu patted Li Zhizhong's back gently, and his face couldn't hide his joy.

Winning the Laureus Sports Male Athlete of the Year is equivalent to an actor winning the Oscar and the best actor at the three major European film festivals, and it is the only global sports award.

This honor is still the first among Chinese athletes, and in 03 and 05 years, Chinese athletes also won the best newcomer with Da Yao and Liu Yangyu, and the best athlete is the first.

After Su Zu got up, he shook hands and hugged several other athletes around him, and before passing the first row and walking onto the podium, he even saw *** smile at him: "Congratulations, young man!" ”

"Thank you!" Su Zu was still a little flattered for a while.

This is no better than the great elder of his own country, *** is the head of a foreign country, and the top three figures in the list of power figures in the world for many years.

……

Stand on the stage, take the Cartier figurine trophy from Vladimir Klitschko, and walk over to the microphone.

"Thank you to the Laureus World Sports Institute for this award." Su Zu smiled and raised the trophy in front of the audience, and then continued, "Thank you to my coach Li Zhizhong, thank you to my team, thank you to my parents, thank you to my motherland. This is the first time I've stepped on the Laureus podium, and this year is 2008, and the Olympics will be held in my home country, and I hope that all the athletes who will participate this year will do well in the Olympics. Of course, I also want to do my best. ”

Suzu advertised the Olympics, and then smiled at Roger Federer in the audience, "Next year, the year after, I hope I can be like Mr. Federer, three times in a row." Finally, thank you to all those who support me and my opponents, I know that you are ready, and I will be waiting for you in the imperial capital, in the Bird's Nest! Thank you! ”