Liu hopes to put up a show for fans
By Ni Yinbin |
April 2, 2011, Saturday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE hurdler Liu Xiang displayed an air of confidence yesterday as he turned up to promote the IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai in May.
The former world and Olympic champion enthused confidence in front of reporters as he spoke of winning a medal in front of home fans, but was aware that his biggest obstacle would be to get past the in-form David Oliver.
The American has won 18 straight competitions since last year, five of which were under 13 seconds.
"I think I will be just competing with myself as David is in such a good form, but I think I still have a chance," Liu said yesterday. "Shanghai is my hometown and I will always run my best here."
Riding a wave of confidence, Liu claimed he could win the 110 meters hurdles race in 12.90 seconds.
"12.90 is not impossible for me," said Liu, who will turn 28 this summer.
Liu has been working hard on his start and the first three hurdles and hopes to improve on his Asian Games showing last year, where he won his third straight 110m hurdles title with a run of 13.09.
"I was not having a good start at the first three hurdles," Liu told reporters. "So my recent training is mainly focused on the start."
Liu finished third in the 60m hurdles at the Duesseldorf and Karlsruhe indoors meets in February.
While fans can expect fierce competition in the men's 110m hurdles, there are 15 other disciplines to be enjoyed at the Dunlop Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on May 15, including the men's 100m dash, which will feature Lao Yi, the 2010 Asian Games champion, and men's javelin with world No. 1 Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway in the lineup, organizers said yesterday.
Thorkildsen, last year's champion in Shanghai, is currently ranked world No. 1. He also won the 2010 IAAF Diamond Prize and was a gold medalist at the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games.
As one of the 14 meets of the IAAF Diamond League, the Shanghai stop this year has been rebranded as the Golden Grand Prix to attract a title sponsor for the event, organizers said.
Despite the name change, it remains the most competitive athletics event in the world as the Diamond League is an annual top tier series of track and field meets.
According to IAAF Diamond League guidelines, only athletes ranked in the top 20 in their respective disciplines are invited to this event, including all Olympic and world champions and world record holders.
China has been granted an exception with two Chinese athletes allowed to compete in each disciplines to provide them with valuable high-level international experience.
Lao Yi is one of the Chinese athletes specially accepted for this event. After winning the gold medal in the 100 meters for China for the first time at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year, he is reaching a level where he can compete against the world's best athletes.
This will be Lao Yi's first competition since the Asian Games.
Another Chinese star athlete is Li Yanfeng, who won the discus throw event at the Guangzhou Games last year.
Currently ranked No. 1 in Asia, she won the championship at the IAAF Inter-Continental Cup last September - the first time for a Chinese women in the event.
Besides that, she also won the third place in Diamond League Brussels Meet.
Ticket prices start from 60 yuan (US$9), which is the same as last year.
The former world and Olympic champion enthused confidence in front of reporters as he spoke of winning a medal in front of home fans, but was aware that his biggest obstacle would be to get past the in-form David Oliver.
The American has won 18 straight competitions since last year, five of which were under 13 seconds.
"I think I will be just competing with myself as David is in such a good form, but I think I still have a chance," Liu said yesterday. "Shanghai is my hometown and I will always run my best here."
Riding a wave of confidence, Liu claimed he could win the 110 meters hurdles race in 12.90 seconds.
"12.90 is not impossible for me," said Liu, who will turn 28 this summer.
Liu has been working hard on his start and the first three hurdles and hopes to improve on his Asian Games showing last year, where he won his third straight 110m hurdles title with a run of 13.09.
"I was not having a good start at the first three hurdles," Liu told reporters. "So my recent training is mainly focused on the start."
Liu finished third in the 60m hurdles at the Duesseldorf and Karlsruhe indoors meets in February.
While fans can expect fierce competition in the men's 110m hurdles, there are 15 other disciplines to be enjoyed at the Dunlop Shanghai Golden Grand Prix on May 15, including the men's 100m dash, which will feature Lao Yi, the 2010 Asian Games champion, and men's javelin with world No. 1 Andreas Thorkildsen from Norway in the lineup, organizers said yesterday.
Thorkildsen, last year's champion in Shanghai, is currently ranked world No. 1. He also won the 2010 IAAF Diamond Prize and was a gold medalist at the Athens and Beijing Olympic Games.
As one of the 14 meets of the IAAF Diamond League, the Shanghai stop this year has been rebranded as the Golden Grand Prix to attract a title sponsor for the event, organizers said.
Despite the name change, it remains the most competitive athletics event in the world as the Diamond League is an annual top tier series of track and field meets.
According to IAAF Diamond League guidelines, only athletes ranked in the top 20 in their respective disciplines are invited to this event, including all Olympic and world champions and world record holders.
China has been granted an exception with two Chinese athletes allowed to compete in each disciplines to provide them with valuable high-level international experience.
Lao Yi is one of the Chinese athletes specially accepted for this event. After winning the gold medal in the 100 meters for China for the first time at the Asian Games in Guangzhou last year, he is reaching a level where he can compete against the world's best athletes.
This will be Lao Yi's first competition since the Asian Games.
Another Chinese star athlete is Li Yanfeng, who won the discus throw event at the Guangzhou Games last year.
Currently ranked No. 1 in Asia, she won the championship at the IAAF Inter-Continental Cup last September - the first time for a Chinese women in the event.
Besides that, she also won the third place in Diamond League Brussels Meet.
Ticket prices start from 60 yuan (US$9), which is the same as last year.
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