Liu Xiang on the eve of the IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai (© Bob Ramsak)
Liu Xiang, who made millions of his fellow Chinese cry when injury forced him to walk away from his defence of the Olympic 110m hurdles title in Beijing two years ago, made a roomful of his compatriots laugh here today as he spoke in anticipation of Sunday’s second IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai (23 May).
The former World and Olympic champion, who has often appeared reticent in his press appearances, provoked several outbursts of hilarity among the Chinese speakers who formed the bulk of the media throng in the Regal Shanghai hotel which adjoins the stadium, his face lightening frequently into a smile as he relaxed alongside the man sharing the conference, Usain Bolt.
But there was a ruefulness about Liu Xiang’s smile, as the burden of his message to a nation whose hopes he has borne so staunchly since winning the Olympic title in 2004 was this: he’s competing, but he’s not expecting great things.
The injury to his right Achilles tendon, which wrecked his ambitions in Beijing, is still not allowing him to train at full capacity.
It was on the track that lay just a couple of hundred metres away that Liu Xiang made his comeback last September in the IAAF’s Shanghai Golden Grand Prix meeting, narrowly missing first place but sharing his highly encouraging time of 13.15sec with the winner, Terence Trammell of the United States.
He followed up with victories in the Asian Championships and the East Asian Games, but at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Doha two months ago he could only manage seventh place in the 60m Hurdles.
Click here to read the full feature story on the IAAF Diamond League website