US sprint hurdler has high hopes
By Ni Yinbin |
May 17, 2013, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
OLYMPIC 110m hurdles champion Aries Merritt has had a golden season and aims for another medal tomorrow at the Shanghai Diamond League track and field meet at Shanghai Stadium.
The American said this week he believes his world record could soon be lowered, but it may not happen tomorrow because showers are predicted.
"I think that the world record will come down below 12.8 seconds. Soon," the sprint hurdler told the French sports newspaper L'Equipe this week.
"Many of us can run 12.9 and a lot are working hard to break the record and the magic number 12.8," the 27-year-old American added.
Merritt shattered the previous record of 12.87 seconds held by Cuba's Dayron Robles.
Merritt's main competitors in Shanghai will be Americans Jason Richardson, the World Champion in 2011 and Olympic silver medalist in 2012, and David Oliver, Olympic bronze medalist in 2008.
Also in the running are Sergey Shubenkov, European Champion in 2012, and locals' rising hope Xie Wenjun, whose coach was also Liu Xiang's coach Sun Haiping.
The Merritt-Richardson clash is expected to be the highlight of the one-day event.
The men's 110m hurdles has always been the favorite event for Chinese spectators because of former Olympic champion Liu, but Liu is still recuperating from an injury to his Achilles tendon during the heats at the London Olympics last year. He is out for this season.
Merritt has won virtually everything in the past year and created his own era, after Allen Johnson, Liu and Robles.
In an interview with Shanghai Daily, he expressed regret that Liu and Robles were not competing.
Robles retired from Cuba's team because of a series of injuries.
"I would welcome competing against them," he said, adding that "I have great respect for both athletes, especially Liu Xiang. I hope they make it back on the track someday."
Asked about his most formidable rival, he cited Richardson and other Americans, but added, "Plus, when you have great champions like Liu and Dayron, they are bound to inspire athletes behind them in their country.
We have already seen athletes from China and Cuba break through to become medal contenders."
Asked how he planned to celebrate if he wins, Merritt said he might have "a really good tasting dessert." But he can't party too much because he needs to return to the States to continue preparation for the USA championships. "Shanghai is one of the world's great cities," he said of his second visit.
"The excitement for the hurdles has been big because Liu is from Shanghai and people come out to support their favorite athlete. I hope I can return every year."
Liu, a Chinese hero to the nation, is under a lot of pressure to return to competition, but Merritt said he's been spared so far.
"I haven't had a lot of pressure from the media so I don't have the same kind of challenges as Liu. But that may change now that I have the Olympic Gold and World Record."
Asked about his biggest failure or frustration, Merritt said, "I won't cite one failure but in general my frustration before 2011 was that I kept getting injured and didn't have the chance to show people that I belonged in the same sentence with people like Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles."
When he has time, the Atlanta Falcons fan likes to watch American football, play video games such as "World of Warcraft" and relax with friends and family.
Merritt said his hurdling career began when a high school coach saw him hurdling a fence.
"The rest is history," he said.
The American said this week he believes his world record could soon be lowered, but it may not happen tomorrow because showers are predicted.
"I think that the world record will come down below 12.8 seconds. Soon," the sprint hurdler told the French sports newspaper L'Equipe this week.
"Many of us can run 12.9 and a lot are working hard to break the record and the magic number 12.8," the 27-year-old American added.
Merritt shattered the previous record of 12.87 seconds held by Cuba's Dayron Robles.
Merritt's main competitors in Shanghai will be Americans Jason Richardson, the World Champion in 2011 and Olympic silver medalist in 2012, and David Oliver, Olympic bronze medalist in 2008.
Also in the running are Sergey Shubenkov, European Champion in 2012, and locals' rising hope Xie Wenjun, whose coach was also Liu Xiang's coach Sun Haiping.
The Merritt-Richardson clash is expected to be the highlight of the one-day event.
The men's 110m hurdles has always been the favorite event for Chinese spectators because of former Olympic champion Liu, but Liu is still recuperating from an injury to his Achilles tendon during the heats at the London Olympics last year. He is out for this season.
Merritt has won virtually everything in the past year and created his own era, after Allen Johnson, Liu and Robles.
In an interview with Shanghai Daily, he expressed regret that Liu and Robles were not competing.
Robles retired from Cuba's team because of a series of injuries.
"I would welcome competing against them," he said, adding that "I have great respect for both athletes, especially Liu Xiang. I hope they make it back on the track someday."
Asked about his most formidable rival, he cited Richardson and other Americans, but added, "Plus, when you have great champions like Liu and Dayron, they are bound to inspire athletes behind them in their country.
We have already seen athletes from China and Cuba break through to become medal contenders."
Asked how he planned to celebrate if he wins, Merritt said he might have "a really good tasting dessert." But he can't party too much because he needs to return to the States to continue preparation for the USA championships. "Shanghai is one of the world's great cities," he said of his second visit.
"The excitement for the hurdles has been big because Liu is from Shanghai and people come out to support their favorite athlete. I hope I can return every year."
Liu, a Chinese hero to the nation, is under a lot of pressure to return to competition, but Merritt said he's been spared so far.
"I haven't had a lot of pressure from the media so I don't have the same kind of challenges as Liu. But that may change now that I have the Olympic Gold and World Record."
Asked about his biggest failure or frustration, Merritt said, "I won't cite one failure but in general my frustration before 2011 was that I kept getting injured and didn't have the chance to show people that I belonged in the same sentence with people like Liu Xiang and Dayron Robles."
When he has time, the Atlanta Falcons fan likes to watch American football, play video games such as "World of Warcraft" and relax with friends and family.
Merritt said his hurdling career began when a high school coach saw him hurdling a fence.
"The rest is history," he said.
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