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Relief as Liu retains hurdles gold
Source: Agencies |
November 25, 2010, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER world record holder Liu Xiang won the 110-meter hurdles at the Asian Games in Guangzhou yesterday, earning some redemption before Chinese fans bitterly disappointed by his shocking withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics two years ago.
Liu led from the start to the finish, extending his lead over the last four hurdles to cross in his season-best 13.09 seconds. His Chinese teammate and Athletes' village roommate Shi Dongpeng took silver in 13.38.
South Korea's Park Tae-kyong was third in a personal best of 13.48.
For the 27-year-old Liu, the relief was obvious. He gestured No. 1 with both hands to the nearly packed audience at the 80,000-seat Aoti Main Stadium, then stripped off his red Chinese singlet, draped a national flag around his shoulders and set off on a victory lap. Later, he jumped onto the top perch of the medals podium and pumped his fists.
"I didn't think I'd be able to run 13.09 seconds and break the Asian Games record. I'm really so happy and actually I was very relaxed. The atmosphere in the stadium was really great," Liu said.
It was Liu's third straight Asian Games title. But the Asiad streak is perhaps less important than the emotional cleansing that came with yesterday's win.
For two years, he had carried the infamy of limping away from perhaps one of the most closely watched sports events in China of all time. Liu was expected to win at the 2008 Beijing Games on home soil, an icing on the cake for China's historic hosting of the Olympics.
Instead, he didn't even compete in his first heat, walking away from the start line with a right Achilles' tendon injury.
Liu has been on the comeback trail after surgery, but his results have been mixed. Earlier this year, he finished seventh at the world indoor championships in March in the 60 hurdles and third at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai, where he posted 13.40. A foot injury forced him to drop out of the Osaka Grand Prix in May. So Liu's time yesterday is a marked improvement, although still some distance from the personal best of 12.88 that he set in July 2006, which was the world record until Cuban Dayron Robles surpassed it in 2008.
Liu said he wasn't done yet, telling a post-race news conference that he hopes to break 13 seconds next year. "I'm still not at my peak," he said. Asked if he could win Olympic gold again, he responded, "I think I can."
But he was also careful not to put too much pressure on himself.
"No matter what the final outcome is, I already have no regrets. I am just taking every chance I have. Happiness is the most important thing," Liu told CCTV.
Excited fans rushed to grasp Liu's hands as he walked out of the stadium after the race. Security guards closed in, but Liu was basking in the adulation and didn't seem to mind.
The Shanghai native cracked a smile during the news conference when the sounds of supporters repeatedly screaming his name outside the security perimeter floated into the room.
Volunteers formed a human chain as the news conference wrapped up to hold off the wave of journalists who stampeded toward the stage. Liu sprinted out of the room as if he was running in a real race.
Before the race, the crowd began to roar as stadium staff started placing the hurdles on the straight before Liu even showed up. Soon after the announcer roared: "The hero has arrived" before adding later, "Let's not forget the competitors from other Asian countries."
Liu's was the second of China's gold in athletics yesterday. Li Caixia cleared 4.30 meters on her first try, taking the women's pole vault title over teammate Li Ling. The final came down to a face-off between the two Chinese as they tried, but failed, to clear 4.40. Japan's Tomomi Abiko was third with 4.15 meters.
China also achieved hat-trick of women's field hockey gold medals with a 5-4 victory over South Korea on penalty strokes.
Kim Eun-sil hit the crossbar off South Korea's first penalty stroke, while China converted all five in yesterday's final. China also won gold at two previous Asian Gamees at Doha, Qatar in 2006 and at Busan, South Korea in 2002.
The score locked 0-0 at the end of regulation and extra time.
Earlier, Japan's Keiko Manabe scored a golden goal off a 77th minute penalty corner to beat India in bronze medal playoff after both teams finished goalless in regulation time.
Ehsan Hadidi of Iran won the men's discus with a throw of 67.99 meters, still shy of his Asian record of 69.32. Ahmed Mohammed Dheeb of Qatar won silver, and Iran's Mohammad Samimi took bronze.
South Korea's Kim Deok-hyeon edged China's Su Xiongfeng in the men's long jump, leaping 8.11 meters on his last attempt. Su finished with 8.05 meters.
In a second blow to Qatari Samuel Francis, the 100 Asian record holder apparently injured himself during his 200 heat. Already disqualified from the 100 semis for a false start, the 23-year-old sprinter grabbed onto his right hamstring as he neared the finish line and had to be taken away in a wheelchair. Francis, however, still qualified seventh for the 200 final with a time of 21.16.
Liu led from the start to the finish, extending his lead over the last four hurdles to cross in his season-best 13.09 seconds. His Chinese teammate and Athletes' village roommate Shi Dongpeng took silver in 13.38.
South Korea's Park Tae-kyong was third in a personal best of 13.48.
For the 27-year-old Liu, the relief was obvious. He gestured No. 1 with both hands to the nearly packed audience at the 80,000-seat Aoti Main Stadium, then stripped off his red Chinese singlet, draped a national flag around his shoulders and set off on a victory lap. Later, he jumped onto the top perch of the medals podium and pumped his fists.
"I didn't think I'd be able to run 13.09 seconds and break the Asian Games record. I'm really so happy and actually I was very relaxed. The atmosphere in the stadium was really great," Liu said.
It was Liu's third straight Asian Games title. But the Asiad streak is perhaps less important than the emotional cleansing that came with yesterday's win.
For two years, he had carried the infamy of limping away from perhaps one of the most closely watched sports events in China of all time. Liu was expected to win at the 2008 Beijing Games on home soil, an icing on the cake for China's historic hosting of the Olympics.
Instead, he didn't even compete in his first heat, walking away from the start line with a right Achilles' tendon injury.
Liu has been on the comeback trail after surgery, but his results have been mixed. Earlier this year, he finished seventh at the world indoor championships in March in the 60 hurdles and third at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai, where he posted 13.40. A foot injury forced him to drop out of the Osaka Grand Prix in May. So Liu's time yesterday is a marked improvement, although still some distance from the personal best of 12.88 that he set in July 2006, which was the world record until Cuban Dayron Robles surpassed it in 2008.
Liu said he wasn't done yet, telling a post-race news conference that he hopes to break 13 seconds next year. "I'm still not at my peak," he said. Asked if he could win Olympic gold again, he responded, "I think I can."
But he was also careful not to put too much pressure on himself.
"No matter what the final outcome is, I already have no regrets. I am just taking every chance I have. Happiness is the most important thing," Liu told CCTV.
Excited fans rushed to grasp Liu's hands as he walked out of the stadium after the race. Security guards closed in, but Liu was basking in the adulation and didn't seem to mind.
The Shanghai native cracked a smile during the news conference when the sounds of supporters repeatedly screaming his name outside the security perimeter floated into the room.
Volunteers formed a human chain as the news conference wrapped up to hold off the wave of journalists who stampeded toward the stage. Liu sprinted out of the room as if he was running in a real race.
Before the race, the crowd began to roar as stadium staff started placing the hurdles on the straight before Liu even showed up. Soon after the announcer roared: "The hero has arrived" before adding later, "Let's not forget the competitors from other Asian countries."
Liu's was the second of China's gold in athletics yesterday. Li Caixia cleared 4.30 meters on her first try, taking the women's pole vault title over teammate Li Ling. The final came down to a face-off between the two Chinese as they tried, but failed, to clear 4.40. Japan's Tomomi Abiko was third with 4.15 meters.
China also achieved hat-trick of women's field hockey gold medals with a 5-4 victory over South Korea on penalty strokes.
Kim Eun-sil hit the crossbar off South Korea's first penalty stroke, while China converted all five in yesterday's final. China also won gold at two previous Asian Gamees at Doha, Qatar in 2006 and at Busan, South Korea in 2002.
The score locked 0-0 at the end of regulation and extra time.
Earlier, Japan's Keiko Manabe scored a golden goal off a 77th minute penalty corner to beat India in bronze medal playoff after both teams finished goalless in regulation time.
Ehsan Hadidi of Iran won the men's discus with a throw of 67.99 meters, still shy of his Asian record of 69.32. Ahmed Mohammed Dheeb of Qatar won silver, and Iran's Mohammad Samimi took bronze.
South Korea's Kim Deok-hyeon edged China's Su Xiongfeng in the men's long jump, leaping 8.11 meters on his last attempt. Su finished with 8.05 meters.
In a second blow to Qatari Samuel Francis, the 100 Asian record holder apparently injured himself during his 200 heat. Already disqualified from the 100 semis for a false start, the 23-year-old sprinter grabbed onto his right hamstring as he neared the finish line and had to be taken away in a wheelchair. Francis, however, still qualified seventh for the 200 final with a time of 21.16.
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