Liu Xiang’s quest to win a home Olympic gold ended before it had begun on Monday, as an injury prevented the 110 metre hurdler from starting his first heat.
China’s world and Olympic champion, the host nation’s best hope of an athletics gold medal at the Beijing Games, pulled up after a false start and walked off the track, stunning the huge crowd at the Bird’s Nest stadium into silence.
Liu’s preparations for the Olympics were hindered by a hamstring injury, and later an Achilles problem. It appeared to be a recurrence of the former injury on Monday as he grimaced in pain after leaving the blocks.
Along with basketball player Yao Ming, Liu is China’s favourite sportsman and there was a huge weight of expectation on him going into his home Games.
More later.
PHOTO: China’s Olympic champion Liu Xiang walks away after failing to start his 110 metres hurdles first-round heat at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, August 18, 2008. REUTERS/Gary Hershorn
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To Liu Xiang-I been covering your progress but there’s nothing to suggest you have overcome your injury 11 months after the Olympics what are you doing
Dougie
- Posted by Dougie Aldred NZAll this media frenzy over his withdrawal from the race is overwhelming. We can empathise all we want but the truth is we have absolutely no idea what he is going through. He is just human after all and shit happens sometimes. Unfortunately, very bad timing. I am so sick of hearing these “fans” criticising him for pulling out and suggesting that he should have finished the race..and risk permanent injury?? And last time I checked, he doesn’t owe ANYONE ANYTHING. What he did proved that he’s a fighter, and we should support him. And a note to JUSTICE - China and Liu Xiang are completely different entities, to say that this is some form of “karma” or “punishment” is ridiculous. I’ve grown up in a western society and i embrace the all the values it has instilled in me. However, I choose NOT to be sucked in by propaganda. I think a lot of people are just jumping on the bandwagon because it’s so “cool” to protest about some political issue they probably have no knowledge about. I believe the policies of every country has its flaws and some ideologies have become obsolete in this day and age, but China has come such a long way. With all this media-bashing, it’s only natural to be defensive about certain issues. ANyways, my point is that we shouldn’t put Liu Xiang on a pedestal, he’s one of the many amazingly talented athletes taking part in these Games. I wish him all the best for the future and hope that he will be happy in whatever he chooses to pursue.
- Posted by sI’m very proud of Liu Xiang regardless of whether or not there was a gold medal and I think Cindy’s comment above says the most - he is mmuch ore important than a gold medal and I’m sure he will rest and come back. There are things much more important than a piece of gold.
When I watch all these chinese athletes in Beijing, I really think they must face so much more pressure than any other country because 1.3bn people are watching. And as a developing country sometimes looked down upon by people in the western world, we want to show the world what China can do and succeed where we traditionally fault. Watching Cheng Fei in the women’s gymnastics was another such moment. A young girl who could be so much more carefree chose to take a tough path and pursue her dream to make her country proud. People like her and Liu Xiang deserve our respect and as Chinese people we need to support them. I’m glad others think alike. I know Liu Xiang will recover and come back and let’s hope the media don’t make it too difficult for him.
To sekikawa & justice:
There’s absurd ignorance in your comments and very typical western ‘media brainwash’ if you ask me. Be more skeptical of what facts you get and whether you get ALL the facts. Just because you see certain people in the news fighting for freedom doesn’t mean they represent the ENTIRE region. You have no right to pass judgment.
And no, what doesn’t kill us will only make us stronger, I think Chinese people will unite in their support for Liu Xiang. Jia You!!
- Posted by Loninike ad:
- Posted by sports loverLOVE COMPETITION
LOVE RISKING YOUR PRIDE
LOVE WINNING IT BACK
LOVE GIVING IT EVERYTHING YOU’VE GOT
LOVE THE GLORY
LOVE THE PAIN
LOVE SPORT EVEN WHEN IT BREAKS YOUR HEART
liu xiang! best wishes for u..hope u have a speedy recovery!
- Posted by sports loveri also hope you can redeem your olympic medal loss, by breaking the hurdles world record in the future! all the best to you!
I hope that the media will be kind to Liu Xiang and that our people will put less pressure on our Olympic Hero! He may not be able to run this time due to, what is obviously, a terrible injury, but people should remind themselves not what he cannot do this time, but of the GLORY and hope he had once brought to China. Liu Xiang - we will continue to support you!
- Posted by K Wongto sekikawa & justice:I am sorry for your poor knowledge of China.Tibet WAS,IS,and ALWAYS WILL BE a part of China!!Your words hurt me deeply.Do you know how immense disaster that the terrorist brought to Tibet?? The terrorist who pretend Tibetan killed and hurt many innocent people.Tibetan love her motherland,and all the people of all the nation will always get together.We love China,we are proud of being Tibetan.
- Posted by littlebusy@James.. i never said that Liu and Tibet are related!
- Posted by justiceFor ex. what i meant: Everything you do has energy and that energy comes back to you some day and it isn`t necessary for that energy to come back the same way you were giving it.. and if you do something bad, something bad is going to happen to you or to your love ones (same for doing sth good, nice) some day. And if you do bad things over and over again, bad energies will be coming to you for so long until you realize that you are wrong and should change the way you act.
This is te way energies exchange. Hope you understand what i meant.. this are complicated things to explain. And politics should never interfere in sports, i agree.
[...] the shock of Liu Xiang’s departure from the Games through injury, fans in the Bird’s Nest were given a golden moment to [...]
- Posted by 2008 Olympics Blog » Blog Archive » Isinbayeva’s golden momentto sekikawa & justice: why relate liu with tibet? is there nothing else you could express?
have ever been to tibet? have you ever been to china? how much do you know about tibet? how much do you know about china?
- Posted by wjbplusHey, sekikawa & justice
- Posted by JamesWhat relation exists between Liu and Tibet? It’s ridiculous and strange to put them together.
I bet that you know poorly nothing about what’s going on in China today.
He is a real hero in our hearts.One world,One China.We expect you standing up soon…
- Posted by real justicei guess there’s always next time! but it wouldn’t be the same.. not in beijing…
quite normal for athletes to get injured.. but this really let down China’s expectations, didn’t it?
- Posted by LYTThis is punishment for China being violent to Tibet and oppressing it.
- Posted by justiceallez Ladji Doucouré!!!!!! His medal is for France now.
free t i b e t
- Posted by sekikawaThere are lots of noises online in China - those who sympathize with Liu and those who blame him for a lack of “Olympic spirit” for failing to even walk to the finishing line. There is even, quite shockingly, a piece of article which is claimed to be written by a Nike internal staff stating that the whole back-out was previously ‘planned’ and ’staged’. Whatever the truth may be, my heart goes out to Liu. Everyone has their time of weakness, their heart of darkness. If he broke down and failed to complete the race chiefly due to the unsurmountable pressure, it would nevertheless be understandable - it is humanity.
I do hope the Chinese population would be able to lend kindness, leniency and breathing space to Liu, whether or not he decides to return to the tracks, he has got a life to live.
- Posted by FT