In a simple and unpretentious workers' home, on an ordinary day in 1984, a baby boy named Shi Dongpeng quietly arrived. His parents came from an ordinary factory in Baoding, Hebei Province, and with the most simple expectations, they hoped that their children would be able to study hard and finally realize their desire to be admitted to the ideal university.
However, the trajectory of life was not all smooth sailing, until Shi Dongpeng entered the fourth grade of primary school, a sports meeting completely overturned his original life trajectory.
In that sunny school sports day, this hard-working and active boy won the championship in running, long jump, high jump and other events, showing extraordinary athletic talent.
Fortunately, a senior sports school coach who was watching the game at the time was keenly aware of Shi Dongpeng's potential and was attracted by his athletic physique and excellent athletic performance.
After much deliberation, the experienced coach decided to invite Shi Dongpeng to join his training team, hoping to shape him into a future track and field superstar.
Since then, Shi Dongpeng's life has undergone a seismic change. Every day after school, he would arrive at the sports school at 6 o'clock in the afternoon, and under the strict and scientific guidance of the coach, he began a long and arduous road of amateur training.
Initially, his main focus was the high jump, but over time he gradually switched to the triple jump, until he finally found his own stage when he joined the Hebei Provincial Sports Team, focusing on hurdles.
Although the training process was extremely difficult, Shi Dongpeng was never discouraged in the slightest. He knows that only by perseverance and hard work can he be more determined on the road of athletes.
Every drop of hard work is to make yourself one step closer to your dream.
In 2001, Shi Dongpeng competed with Liu Xiang for the first time at the National Track and Field Championships. Although Liu Xiang won that year, the bout became a major milestone in both players' careers.
Since then, the name Liu Xiang has been deeply imprinted in Shi Dongpeng's heart, and the fate of the two is closely linked and difficult to part.
"During those years in 2001, I often dreamed of fighting alongside Liu Xiang, always with a desire to beat him in the game. Recalling the past, Shi Dongpeng lowered his head slightly, and his words revealed nostalgia and longing for the past.
He unabashedly said that when he first met Liu Xiang, the latter left him with a noble and arrogant impression, and at the same time, he also deeply admired Liu Xiang's excellent physical ability.
Since that moment, Shi Dongpeng has embarked on a long journey that has lasted for ten years, going all out to pursue Liu Xiang's dazzling sports career In the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, when he was only 20 years old, he was already standing on the arena he dreamed of before the competition, Liu Xiang with his meticulous care, personally came to Shi Dongpeng's side, telling him to master the rhythm of the game, although Shi Dongpeng finally failed to advance to the second round, but his inner determination became firmer- He longed to one day be like Liu Xiang and win the supreme honor for the motherland and the people.
In the years since, coach Sun Haiping has always included Shi Dongpeng and Liu Xiang in the team every time he leads the team to participate in international competitions, and has done his best to provide comprehensive and systematic guidance and training for the two players.
In the final of the 2007 National Track and Field Grand Prix, Liu Xiang chose to leave the competition temporarily, and Shi Dongpeng finally won the championship with his outstanding performance, however, he was not satisfied with this, because he knew that it was because of Liu Xiang, a strong competitor, that he was inspired to constantly break through himself and pursue a higher realm.
Liu Xiang said to Shi Dongpeng affectionately: "Da Shi, do you understand that the glory of the 110-meter hurdles of Chinese sports is created by the two of us!" Since then, the two of them have become the "Gemini constellation" in the field of Chinese hurdles.
On August 18, 2008, the Beijing Bird's Nest Stadium was packed, and tens of thousands of spectators gathered here just to see Liu Xiang's athletic performance in his hometown.
However, this sudden bad news was like a thunderbolt from the blue, instantly extinguishing the enthusiastic cheers of the audience who were still cheering for the hometown heroes just now, but at this moment there was a deafening boo, as if to overturn the roof Liu Xiang was reduced from a hero in the spotlight to a "film" spurned by everyone.
Shi Dongpeng saw the whole scene in his eyes. As Liu Xiang's closest comrade-in-arms, he can feel Liu Xiang's hardships and efforts for this hometown battle more than anyone else.
When he had mixed feelings in his heart, in the post-match interview, he finally couldn't suppress his inner emotions and burst into tears.
"For Liu Xiang, but also for myself, I will do my best to fight bravely! I must enter the finals and seek justice for Liu Xiang!" Shi Dongpeng said firmly.
Two days later, the much-anticipated men's 110m hurdles semifinals took place as scheduled. Shi Dongpeng was placed in the competitive second group, and as long as he can make it to the top four of the group, he will be expected to advance to the final.
Happily, just a year ago in Osaka, he set a personal best, showing great strength and great potential.
At this moment, the warm applause and cheers originally prepared for Liu Xiang were all unexpectedly dedicated to Shi Dongpeng, who was standing on the eighth runway. With short hair, he looked a little nervous, but with the sound of the starting gun, he got off to a perfect start.
However, as Liu said, the speed of the lower hurdle was still a little insufficient, and in the end, he only finished fifth in the group by a narrow 0.02 seconds, missing out on the final.
After the sprint, he even tripped and fell to the ground by the athletes around him, and he couldn't get up for a long time. Witnessing the other players greeting glory in cheers, while he suffered a setback in the Bird's Nest arena, Shi Dongpeng could only sit alone on the ground, and the loss in his heart can be imagined.
This Olympic feast, which should have belonged to him, ended quietly without Liu Xiang's company, and he could only pin his hopes on four years later.
Time is like an arrow, and it has been 2013 in a blink of an eye. For Shi Dongpeng, this is the fourth time in his career that he has stepped on the stage of the National Games. In the first three editions of the competition, he won one silver medal and two bronze medals, but the glory of the championship has always been monopolized by the legend Liu Xiang's three consecutive championships.
This tournament was unexpectedly withdrawn by Liu Xiang, which was originally an excellent opportunity for Shi Dongpeng to win the championship. However, just a month before the race, everything seemed rosy and promising.
Unexpectedly, in the end, he had to choose to retire from the competition.
"Just a month ago, I was still in high spirits, but now I have to leave the arena like this, and my fourth National Games has come to an end, and my heart is full of endless regrets and unwillingness.
After the game, Shi Dongpeng said with emotion.
What is undoubtedly the painful experience that led the 29-year-old veteran to face the reluctant decision to leave the game, and thus drew the end of his frustrating but rather short career as an athlete.
What is sad is that only two years later, Liu Xiang, who has also been suffering from injuries for nearly seven years, also resolutely chose to bid farewell to the field, and the former "Gemini Constellation" of China's 110-meter hurdles left in a regretful and tragic way.
Looking back on the arduous sports process, Shi Dongpeng did not show any complaints, but said in a calm and calm tone: "Compared with others, I am quite lucky.
"It is true that in that star-studded era, in addition to the talented Liu Xiang, there were many world-class players such as Robles, Oliver, Merritt and Alan Johnson, and it was not easy for him to stand out from this group of top players.
"Whether it's family, coaches, teammates or friends, they only have two words about me – 'innocence'. Shi Dongpeng joked to himself, "Maybe it's because I'm too wooden and honest."
"If it weren't for Liu Xiang's tremendous influence on the project, I am afraid he would still be difficult to gain the widespread recognition he has today.