Chapter 418: Sparkling gold inlaid with jade
When Wang Feng scored the goal to put China ahead, the entire 'Bird's Nest' erupted in deafening cheers, almost lifting the roof of the stadium. If one listened carefully, one could hear the shouts of joy echoing across the entire capital and even throughout the country.
In the midst of excitement, the fans on-site quickly noticed something amiss - Wang Feng was still lying in the opponent's goal without getting up! His teammates hurried over to check, and the team doctor rushed onto the field to provide assistance.
Restlessness filled the hearts of all fans and commentators: "What's going on? Is he injured? How could this happen?"
The replay of the shot was timely played again by the broadcast director, "Oh! Argentina goalkeeper Romero's hands didn't stop the ball, but instead hit Wang Feng's ankle heavily, this is dangerous!"
"Don't be fooled by the goalkeeper's gloves just being made of latex, which is a soft material, but in fact, it has many hard particles added to it, plus the inertia can also cause significant damage. I hope Wang Feng isn't injured badly!"
After a simple examination, the team doctor said, "It might be a sprain, fortunately, there's no swelling. I suggest you still get a detailed examination after coming off the field."
Wang Feng gasped for breath and waved his hand, "No, I can't leave the field now!" He felt very painful but didn't feel any warmth spreading, indicating that the injury wasn't too severe. He gritted his teeth and could still persevere.
Even though the team had just taken the lead, if he were to get injured and leave the field, his teammates' morale might collapse instantly, and the situation would be unstoppable like an avalanche.
"But..." The team doctor wanted to say something, but Wang Feng shook his head and, using his hands to support himself, gritted his teeth and stood up.
"Wang Feng is up!!" The commentator's roar accompanied by thunderous applause echoed throughout the stadium. At this moment, his towering figure seemed like an unwavering pillar, as long as he's there, everything will be fine!
Back in the game again, the Chinese superstar continued to run tirelessly. What's a little pain for the championship? At the same time, he kept encouraging his teammates, "Just hold on for another ten minutes, and victory will be ours!"
This was a painful time. During this period, players kept cramping up, head coach Ying Tiesheng had already used up all three substitutions, and almost every player in the Chinese team's defense had received a yellow card to stop Messi.
Of course, Argentina also had their chances. Messi attempted a direct free kick again, but his physical exhaustion was significant, resulting in a deviation in the kicking angle, and the ball went far wide of the goal.
The long seven minutes of stoppage time finally came to an end, and the referee's whistle sounded in the ears of the Chinese Olympic players, as beautiful as heavenly music.
"We won!! We are the champions!! We've won the Olympic gold medal!"
"Congratulations to the Chinese Olympic team! They helped China secure its 52nd gold medal at this Olympics, and since winning the football competition counts as two gold medals, our total gold medal count has reached 53!"
"Congratulations to Wang Feng! He scored 10 goals in this Olympics, undoubtedly winning the Golden Boot award for the tournament. He is the biggest contributor to the team's ultimate victory!"
"Although an Olympic gold medal doesn't hold high status in the world of football, this is our first time winning a football world championship, and it happened right at our doorstep. What could be more fulfilling than this?"
At the moment the referee's whistle blew, over 90,000 people almost simultaneously stood up to cheer for victory. Some embraced their friends and family nearby tightly, some shed tears of joy, and others kept shouting through megaphones, releasing their joy and madness completely.
Substitute players and staff, who had been eagerly waiting, quickly rushed onto the field, dancing with abandon. Strangely, the calmest ones were the heroes who had fought for over 90 minutes.
They were simply too tired, leaving all their strength on the field. Now they only felt sore all over, unable to run or jump.
But young people recover quickly. After resting for a moment, they also joined in the celebration. Dong Fangzhuo came to Wang Feng's side, "Brother Feng, how's your injury?"
Wang Feng waved his hand to indicate that it's fine. Dong Fangzhuo sighed in relief and said, "I can't believe we actually won. This time, we can finally step onto the champion's podium ourselves!"
The Chinese superstar couldn't help but smile wryly. It seemed that Dong Fangzhuo was still worried about the injury before winning the championship. "There will be many more opportunities in the future, whether it's in the club or the national team."
At that moment, players like Zanetti, Aguero, and Messi came to Wang Feng. Zanetti, the former Inter Milan captain, hugged Wang Feng and said, "Congratulations, Wang, being your opponent is truly despairing."
After exchanging a few words, Zanetti patted Wang Feng on the shoulder and left the field. Then Messi came forward, shook hands with Wang Feng generously, and congratulated him, "Lost to you again, feeling a bit unwilling."
"But I'll make a comeback soon. Barcelona will definitely surprise you in the new season." He said so, and Wang Feng responded with a smile, "I look forward to it, Real Madrid won't fall behind either."
Finally, it was the turn of the younger brother, Higuain. He respectfully said, "Big brother, you played so well, I was thinking about how to compensate you when I return to the club after losing to you."
Wang Feng rolled his eyes, "Am I such a petty person? Besides, it's too early for you to think about winning against me, try harder."
Soon, three rectangular podiums were set up on the field, just like the regular Olympic podiums but longer so that all participating players could go up and receive their awards.
Brazil, the third-place team, went up first, followed by Argentina, the second-place team. When it was China's turn to receive the gold medal, the entire audience once again erupted into thunderous applause.
No one chose to leave but instead witnessed the moment of the award ceremony and the raising of the flag representing the champions, which would become an eternal monument in the history of Chinese football.
When the gleaming gold medal was hung around Wang Feng's neck, he felt its weight, a medal with profound Chinese cultural significance.
The front of the gold medal depicts the standing Greek goddess of victory and the Panathinaikos Stadium in Greece. On the back, it is inlaid with a ring-shaped jade, the design of which is derived from ancient Chinese dragon-patterned jade discs. The medal hook also has traditional characteristics, evolved from ancient jade double dragons and ruyi.
The types of jade used for the gold, silver, and bronze medals are also different. Although they are all Kunlun jade, the gold medal is made of white jade, the silver medal is made of Qingbai jade, and the bronze medal is made of Qing jade.
Kunlun jade is produced from the eastern edge of the Kunlun Mountains, and it is in the same ore belt as Hetian jade. It has fine texture, elegant and refreshing, good oiliness, and high transparency.
The raw materials used to make the medals are carefully selected, without any impurities or cracks. Wang Feng really liked this hard-earned, beautifully designed gold medal.
After all players received their awards, with the stirring national anthem, the national flag slowly rose and fluttered in the National Stadium, marking the perfect conclusion of this Olympics.
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