Advertisement

China’s Liu Xiang withdraws from high hurdles

Share

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

BEIJING -- A case of national anxiety turned into a case of national disappointment when Liu Xiang, the most popular Chinese Olympic athlete, withdrew from the Olympic high hurdles Monday morning.

Liu appeared to be laboring as he warmed up for his qualifying race. He settled into the blocks and when the gun went off he took a few steps; when the second gun went off, signaling a false start, he pulled up lame.

Advertisement

He limped back to the blocks and took off his numbered bib indicating he was retiring from the race. It was not a complete shock, as his official website has been talking about a new injury. He has missed most of this season with a hamstring injury.

It led Monday’s edition of the China Daily to headline, ‘Injured Liu vs Terrifying Opponent,’ referring to Cuban Dayron Robles, who broke Liu’s world record with a time of 12.87 seconds on June 12.

On the runner’s English site, the runner’s coach, Sun Haiping, said Liu has an inflamed Achilles tendon.

Liu’s image is plastered on advertising billboards all over the country. His renown grew in part because he was the first Chinese athlete to win in an event that had been utterly dominated by Westerners.

Liu has not raced since May 23, when he won the hurdles in the test event competition at the Olympic Stadium in 13.18.

Coach Sun said Liu felt sore during his training session on Saturday.

‘What I am really worrying about is the [Thursday] final,’ Sun said.

‘In the final Liu has to strive with all effort and when he uses the force from the foot, the pain gets worse,’’ Sun said. ‘It will definitely affect his performance.’’

On Liu’s Chinese website, there is the additional information that the runner skipped a planned Sunday training session to avoid aggravating the injury.

Advertisement

U.S. hurdler Terrence Trammell, a silver medalist the last two Olympics, was asked last week if he worried about sending the country into a depression by beating Liu.

‘That’s what I hope to do,’’ Trammell said. ‘I hope they can cope.’’

All the other leading contenders advanced Monday morning to the second round of the 200 meters, scheduled Monday night. Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, the 100-meter champion, cruised home with a second place in his heat.

-- Philip Hersh

Advertisement