AFTER Liu Xiang limped off a men’s 110m hurdles heat Monday morning, Team China lauded him a “real man” who kept fighting despite huge pressure and an abrupt recurrence of tendon injury.
The Olympic defending champion pulled out of the first round heat shortly after the seven competitors were called back by the start referee for a false start by Dutchman Marcel van der Westen.
Feng Shuyong, head coach of the Chinese athletics team, said: “Liu Xiang was very, very upset about the withdrawal. He said he would never give up as long as he can run.”
The serious injury on his right Achilles’ tendon exacerbated an hour before the qualifications when he warmed up in the pre-race training. He completed the first two dashes but looked very painful as he walked back to the blocks after the third full sprint.
Liu’s coach, Sun Haiping, couldn’t control his emotion at a press conference held shortly afterwards, choking on every answer to reporters’ questions.
“He has been fighting until the last moment,” said Sun.
“He was very hurt, but still insisted on running in the heat,” Sun said, adding that the injury has long been a problem since before the Athens Olympic Games. In Athens four years ago, Liu got his first Olympic title equaling the standing world record of 12.91 seconds.
“His injury was controlled very well under the careful coaching of Sun. Liu’s strong mentality made him a man who never gives up in any case,” Feng said, acknowledging that Liu and the team around him were under unbelievable stress.
“After the Athens Olympics,” a tearful Sun said, “the only target for Liu and the team was to defend the Olympic title. He just exerted all wisdom and strength on extremely hard workouts.”
Many predicted Liu to be challenged by the 21-year-old Dayron Robles in Beijing. The formidable Cuban clocked 12.88 and 12.91 seconds in the past month.
Liu still believed he was the best hurdles sprinter. In an early text message to his father Liu Xuegen, the sporting celebrity disclosed his thoughts: “I was turned on when seeing Chinese Olympians sweep golds at the Games. I’m ready to go out to prove I’m the best.”
Liu cherished the home game so much and poured almost everything into his title defense. Days before the Olympics, Liu created his season best of 12.98 seconds. Head coach Feng said: “He has recovered 90 percent of his best form, similar to what he was like before the Athens Olympics.”
After winning his appearance in the Bird’s Nest National Stadium in May, Liu pulled out of a meet in the United States, worrying about deterioration of a nagging injury.
(Xinhua)