Bab 512: Unprecedented
When Moses called out Wang Feng's name, all eyes in the audience focused on him, with a mix of surprise and understanding emotions. The Chinese superstar had actually created a new history, surpassing Nadal to become the first footballer to win the Lawrence!
Wang Feng stood up calmly from his seat, turned to bow and express his gratitude to the guests who applauded and congratulated him, then waved and walked towards the stage to receive the award.
Lawrence has always been very cautious about team sports, especially events like football that require teamwork, so all the previous Best Athlete awards had been given to individual athletes.
But they still broke tradition for the Chinese superstar because his performance was too outstanding. For nearly 8 years, he had consistently been at the top of the football world, leading the previously unknown national team to lift the World Cup, which was unprecedented.
An athlete as outstanding as him not receiving the Lawrence award wouldn't be a loss for Wang Feng but a disgrace for Lawrence, so almost all the judges voted for the Chinese superstar.
Taking the heavy trophy from Moses, Wang Feng was embraced warmly by the former American hurdling king, who congratulated him on receiving this honor. Wang Feng then thanked the chairman of the Lawrence Foundation for presenting him with the award.
The base of the trophy consists of three layers of disks for easy grip by the recipient, with the Lawrence statue and an approximately three-quarters circle engraved on the base, symbolizing people from all five continents coming together to promote the true essence of sports.
The statue is about 30 cm high and weighs about 2.5 kg. Each statue contains 670 grams of pure silver and 650 grams of gold, all handcrafted.
Holding the trophy in his hand, Wang Feng stood in front of the microphone and took a deep breath, saying to all the guests below, "Thank you for the affirmation of the jury. To be honest, I am also very surprised to receive this trophy."
"Lawrence is one of the most authoritative awards in the sports world. Over the years, I have been nominated many times. Although I haven't won the award, I am still very happy and proud because it is a recognition of my performance."
"To be awarded the Best Athlete this year is even more surprising to me. This trophy not only belongs to me but also to the national team and club teammates who fought alongside me, and to those football players who have also performed exceptionally!"
"I believe that in the future, there will be more and more football players appearing at the awards ceremony, receiving recognition and approval from Laureus!"
As soon as he finished speaking, there was sustained applause in the venue. Everyone understood the significance of Wang Feng's award at this moment, as he further promoted football's presence in the Lawrence.
As the award ceremony ended, major media outlets around the world immediately reported on Wang Feng's unprecedented win of the Lawrence Best Male Athlete award. Inadvertently, he had greatly increased the influence of this sports award.
Reuters commented that Wang Feng's win was well-deserved. He had finally conquered Lawrence and set a new record for football players.
"After years of being runners-up, the Chinese superstar has won everyone over with his magical performance in the World Cup. At this moment, he is the best athlete in the sports world, without any dispute."
The reports also pointed out that Lawrence' selection process was indeed more demanding for team sports, but Wang Feng's success proved that outstanding individuals always stand out.
"This is a milestone event. Wang Feng has set an example for all football players. From now on, they all have the possibility of competing for major awards."
AFP wrote that the Chinese superstar had once again made history, becoming the first football player to win the Lawrence Best Male Athlete award.
"His win is well-deserved. In fact, Wang Feng had the qualifications to win this individual award several years ago, because his performance is truly outstanding and unparalleled in the football world."
AP also believed that China emerged as the biggest winner at Lawrence, not only winning the Best Team award but also clinching the Best Athlete award.
"This is a major event in Chinese sports. Their prestige in the world of sports has further increased."
In addition to the three major agencies, major European media outlets also reprinted the reports, congratulating and praising Wang Feng's win. They generally believed that this was a major event in the world of football, as the Chinese superstar had opened up a new path for all football players.
Official organizations such as FIFA, UEFA, and the AFC also issued statements celebrating Wang Feng's win, which was of great significance to them as well. The influence of football in the world of sports would further increase.
As for the Real Madrid club, they had already changed the homepage image of their official website, placing a prominent photo of the Chinese superstar holding the Lawrence trophy.
The widespread praise from the outside world did not affect Wang Feng. He calmly returned to the team to prepare for the upcoming league and Champions League knockout matches.
On February 13th, in the 23rd round of La Liga, Real Madrid faced Espanyol away.
In the opening attack, Real Madrid created a threat. Sneijder received a pass from Diarra and sent a through ball that penetrated the Espanyol defense.
Wang Feng quickly ran offside, shot from a small angle on the right side of the penalty area, aiming at the near corner of the goal. Espanyol's goalkeeper, Kameni, reacted quickly and pushed the ball out for a corner.
In the subsequent corner kick, Sneijder's delivery was met by Higuaín's header flick at the near post. Wang Feng shot again from 8 meters in front of the goal, but Dídac cleared it off the goal line from the goalkeeper.
Although the consecutive threatening attacks were unsuccessful, they put the home team's defense on edge, while the Galacticos took firm control of the game.
After more than ten minutes of effort, their attempts finally paid off. In the 17th minute, Sneijder quickly dribbled the ball through the middle and passed it to Di María on the right after shaking off the defense.
The Argentine and Wang Feng formed a series of wall passes. The Chinese superstar cut into the penalty area, stepped into the corner of the small penalty area, and shot. This time, he aimed for the far post. The ball hit Kameni's right hand and deflected into the net, 1-0! The away team took the lead!
This goal completely shattered Espanyol's hopes of defending. If they wanted to get points, they could only choose to attack, but that would also give their opponents more opportunities.
In the 29th minute, Di María forcefully broke through the sideline and crossed. Pepe's header hit the post and bounced back into play. Quick-witted Wang Feng immediately ran to the second landing point and pushed it into the goal, 2-0! The Chinese superstar extended Real Madrid's lead!
At the start of the second half, in the 57th minute, Real Madrid launched a quick counterattack. Diarra's long pass from the back found Wang Feng, who was brought down by Espanyol defender Galán when he reached the edge of the penalty area, winning a free kick.
The Chinese superstar took the free kick himself, and the fast ball pierced through the wall and went straight into the top right corner of the goal. Kameni couldn't make any save, 3-0! Wang Feng scored another hat-trick!
Having completed his mission satisfactorily, he was substituted three minutes later by the head coach. Later in the game, Marcelo and Oswaldo each scored a goal for their respective teams, and the score was locked at 4-1, with Real Madrid winning convincingly against Espanyol.
On February 19th, in the 24th round of La Liga, the Galacticos hosted Levante.
The away team unexpectedly took the lead, but Wang Feng turned the tide with a goal and an assist, and finally, Di María's wonder goal sealed the victory, with Real Madrid winning 3-1.
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