After confirming that he had crossed the finish line first, Huang Chong, whose muscles had tightened all over from the repeated bouts of high-intensity anaerobic riding, felt such tightness in his chest that he nearly retched.
But the moment he stopped pedaling, he began to recover.
Before he could even catch his breath, Coach Han, who had been waiting at the finish, pulled him into a fierce, excited hug and praised him. "Huang Chong, you've done us proud!
"Winning both golds has made history for our country in the men's road cycling events at the Asian Games!
"I have to report this to the General Administration of Sport and get you a commendation. I'll also notify your provincial sports bureau so you receive the rewards you deserve!"
Huang Chong hadn't given the rewards much thought.
As a professional cyclist, he couldn't dwell on material rewards before a race. Otherwise, he would inevitably start worrying about gains and losses, which would affect his performance.
Now that he had won two gold medals, though, he certainly wouldn't turn down the rewards provided under the rules.
After all, these results were the product of three grueling months of preparation at altitude, and he deserved the financial return.
Whatever else happened, being able to earn a decent living honestly through his profession gave him something to show his parents.
It would put their minds at ease and keep them from thinking that his career as a road cyclist had no future.
In any case, both the General Administration of Sport and the provincial sports bureau had fixed reward rates for the Asian Games.
The General Administration of Sport awarded 90,000 yuan per gold medal, while the provincial bureau offered more: 200,000 yuan for each gold.
His province's bonuses were indeed quite generous compared with