Xiang Liu of China kisses a hurdle after getting injured in the Men's 110m Hurdles Round 1 Heats on Day 11 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 7 2012 (© Getty Images)
It’s hard, so hard to believe that for his second successive Olympic Games former World record holder and the Athens 2004 Olympic champion, Liu Xiang has been unable to make it through the first round of the men’s 110m Hurdles.
Four years ago, as he was competing in front of over 80,000 Chinese supporters, Liu was forced out the back door, his injury making it impossible for him to even take the start in his opening round heat.
Fast forward to London 2012 and Liu Xiang, although he did not start in his final race before the Olympics three weeks ago citing a sore back, is back to his heydays having won World outdoor silver in 2011 and World Indoor silver in 2012. His 12.97 season’s best from May earlier this year was in fact his best since 2007 and his sixth all-time performance inside the magic 13-second barrier. A windy 12.87 to defeat World Indoor champion Aries Merritt in Eugene was added proof that at 29, Liu Xiang was finally back at his best.
But fate struck again as the Chinese superstar who was drawn in the final of six first round heats this morning was unable to make it past the very first obstacle. In fact, Liu Xiang was so strong and so fast out of his blocks that he didn’t manage to get his leg over and completely destroyed the first hurdle before crashing to the ground.
To make things even worse it looked as though Liu Xiang had injured his left foot in the impact. After very long minutes, Liu Xiang eventually got back up and hopped to reach the back exit behind the start line but as stated by the rules he had to exit via the athletes’ mixed zone past the finish line. Refusing the assistance of the medical staff, Liu Xiang hopped on one foot to reach the other end of the track making his way back to his lane 4 and kissing the tenth hurdle in the process.
It was a very sad exit for the man who revolutionized the vision of Athletics in China and Asia and let’s hope that he can be back to his best when the IAAF World Championships are held in Beijing in 2015, which would be a well-deserved redemption for him.
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China’s Athletics Team Leader Feng Shuyong later declared: "The initial diagnosis from the medical staff is that he has a broken achilles tendon."
"The injury is the same one he had in Beijing (2008). In the last several years he has had good medical care, but it is still there. An achilles injury is almost impossible to recover from fully.
"In races of one round he has enough time to prepare but we all know the schedule at the Olympic Games, he needs to run three rounds in two days. So if he wants to do well here, he needs to get used for this. It's difficult.
"He is not thinking about retiring.
"Personally, I think he gave a lot of effort in the last four years trying to do well. He hoped to be in the stadium on the start line in the final but this is competitive sport and anything can happen.
"It is a real pity for him and for Chinese track and field. We believe LIU Xiang will be OK."
***************************
Liu Xiang's premature exit overshadowed the rest of the drama that struck heat six where only five of nine men on the start line made it to the finish. The heat win went to Great Britain’s Commonwealth champion Andrew Turner in a relatively modest 13.42 with Balazs Baji and Selim Nurudeen also taking advantage of the hecatomb to advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Suffering the same dramatic fate as Liu Xiang, Shane Brathwaite, the former World Youth Combined Events champion, crashed out at hurdle number one as Artur Noga, a finalist in Beijing four years ago, had an even shorter Games as injury prevented him from even clearing that first hurdle.
Later in the race, Moussa Dembele of Senegal also crashed out.
The earlier heats were much less eventful and the good news of the day was Dayron Robles’ easy qualification in winning heat four in 13.33. In what was only his fourth race of the year and having lost twice, the World record holder and defending Olympic champion looked in total control of his technique and his speed.
American third string Jeff Porter didn’t look as comfortable taking third in 13.53 behind Robles and South Africa’s Lehann Fourie season’s best 13.49. France’s Dimitri Bascou would take one of the additional six qualifying position in fourth at 13.57.
Most impressive and quickest this morning was US champion Aries Merritt, the season's fastest hurdler of the year whose 13.07 first round win was the fastest time ever registered in this round in the history of the Olympic Games.
Such was the quality of his heat that the next four men across the line also advanced and those were former World champion Ryan Brathwaite, Xie Wenjun, Emanuele Abate and Richard Phillips.
Other heat winners included reigning World champion Jason Richardson with a very comfortable 13.33, Orlando Ortega who defeated Robles at the Cuban championships and European champion Sergey Shubenkov of Russia.
Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi also made an unfortunate exit pulling up injured in heat 3, a race which also saw the disqualification of Madagascar’s Kame Ali for false start and the fall of Bahamian record holder Shamar Sands.
Former World champion Ladji Doucouré who has suffered several injury setbacks since winning in Helsinki 2005 was a disappointing fourth in 13.67 in heat 3 and did not advance by time. However his luck changed later as it was considered he had been impeded by Sands' fall and he was advanced to the next round (** see note below).
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
**Referee Decision - 110m Hurdles Men Heats 3
Tuesday 7 August, 13:55
The French team lodged a protest with the Referee after the conclusion of the heat 3 of the Men’s 110m Hurdles, claiming that Bahamian athlete Shamar SANDS (bib number 1110) who was disqualified for lane violation, had disadvantaged and impeded French athlete Ladji DOCOURE (bib number 1750) between hurdles 6 and 7 when the Bahamian moved towards the French athlete in the adjacent lane and stepped on the line.
The Referee accepted that Doucouré had been disadvantaged and decided to advance him to the next round.
Four years ago, as he was competing in front of over 80,000 Chinese supporters, Liu was forced out the back door, his injury making it impossible for him to even take the start in his opening round heat.
Fast forward to London 2012 and Liu Xiang, although he did not start in his final race before the Olympics three weeks ago citing a sore back, is back to his heydays having won World outdoor silver in 2011 and World Indoor silver in 2012. His 12.97 season’s best from May earlier this year was in fact his best since 2007 and his sixth all-time performance inside the magic 13-second barrier. A windy 12.87 to defeat World Indoor champion Aries Merritt in Eugene was added proof that at 29, Liu Xiang was finally back at his best.
But fate struck again as the Chinese superstar who was drawn in the final of six first round heats this morning was unable to make it past the very first obstacle. In fact, Liu Xiang was so strong and so fast out of his blocks that he didn’t manage to get his leg over and completely destroyed the first hurdle before crashing to the ground.
To make things even worse it looked as though Liu Xiang had injured his left foot in the impact. After very long minutes, Liu Xiang eventually got back up and hopped to reach the back exit behind the start line but as stated by the rules he had to exit via the athletes’ mixed zone past the finish line. Refusing the assistance of the medical staff, Liu Xiang hopped on one foot to reach the other end of the track making his way back to his lane 4 and kissing the tenth hurdle in the process.
It was a very sad exit for the man who revolutionized the vision of Athletics in China and Asia and let’s hope that he can be back to his best when the IAAF World Championships are held in Beijing in 2015, which would be a well-deserved redemption for him.
***************************
China’s Athletics Team Leader Feng Shuyong later declared: "The initial diagnosis from the medical staff is that he has a broken achilles tendon."
"The injury is the same one he had in Beijing (2008). In the last several years he has had good medical care, but it is still there. An achilles injury is almost impossible to recover from fully.
"In races of one round he has enough time to prepare but we all know the schedule at the Olympic Games, he needs to run three rounds in two days. So if he wants to do well here, he needs to get used for this. It's difficult.
"He is not thinking about retiring.
"Personally, I think he gave a lot of effort in the last four years trying to do well. He hoped to be in the stadium on the start line in the final but this is competitive sport and anything can happen.
"It is a real pity for him and for Chinese track and field. We believe LIU Xiang will be OK."
***************************
Liu Xiang's premature exit overshadowed the rest of the drama that struck heat six where only five of nine men on the start line made it to the finish. The heat win went to Great Britain’s Commonwealth champion Andrew Turner in a relatively modest 13.42 with Balazs Baji and Selim Nurudeen also taking advantage of the hecatomb to advance to tomorrow’s semi-finals.
Suffering the same dramatic fate as Liu Xiang, Shane Brathwaite, the former World Youth Combined Events champion, crashed out at hurdle number one as Artur Noga, a finalist in Beijing four years ago, had an even shorter Games as injury prevented him from even clearing that first hurdle.
Later in the race, Moussa Dembele of Senegal also crashed out.
The earlier heats were much less eventful and the good news of the day was Dayron Robles’ easy qualification in winning heat four in 13.33. In what was only his fourth race of the year and having lost twice, the World record holder and defending Olympic champion looked in total control of his technique and his speed.
American third string Jeff Porter didn’t look as comfortable taking third in 13.53 behind Robles and South Africa’s Lehann Fourie season’s best 13.49. France’s Dimitri Bascou would take one of the additional six qualifying position in fourth at 13.57.
Most impressive and quickest this morning was US champion Aries Merritt, the season's fastest hurdler of the year whose 13.07 first round win was the fastest time ever registered in this round in the history of the Olympic Games.
Such was the quality of his heat that the next four men across the line also advanced and those were former World champion Ryan Brathwaite, Xie Wenjun, Emanuele Abate and Richard Phillips.
Other heat winners included reigning World champion Jason Richardson with a very comfortable 13.33, Orlando Ortega who defeated Robles at the Cuban championships and European champion Sergey Shubenkov of Russia.
Great Britain’s Andrew Pozzi also made an unfortunate exit pulling up injured in heat 3, a race which also saw the disqualification of Madagascar’s Kame Ali for false start and the fall of Bahamian record holder Shamar Sands.
Former World champion Ladji Doucouré who has suffered several injury setbacks since winning in Helsinki 2005 was a disappointing fourth in 13.67 in heat 3 and did not advance by time. However his luck changed later as it was considered he had been impeded by Sands' fall and he was advanced to the next round (** see note below).
Laura Arcoleo for the IAAF
**Referee Decision - 110m Hurdles Men Heats 3
Tuesday 7 August, 13:55
The French team lodged a protest with the Referee after the conclusion of the heat 3 of the Men’s 110m Hurdles, claiming that Bahamian athlete Shamar SANDS (bib number 1110) who was disqualified for lane violation, had disadvantaged and impeded French athlete Ladji DOCOURE (bib number 1750) between hurdles 6 and 7 when the Bahamian moved towards the French athlete in the adjacent lane and stepped on the line.
The Referee accepted that Doucouré had been disadvantaged and decided to advance him to the next round.
