Beijing: Fresh from winning his third straight national 110-metre hurdles title, China’s Liu Xiang says he is hoping his injured foot is a thing of the past and that he is primed for a return to top form.
Liu powered his way to victory in Sunday night’s final in front of 60,000 boisterous fans and a nationwide television audience, in his first race win since injury prevented him from running in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“After I had surgery, I doubted myself and it was hard to see my future, but one race after another, I am gradually recovering and believing,” an elated Liu said in an interview with China Central Television.
“It’s great to win the national championship three times. I am looking forward to a fourth win next time,” he said, looking ahead to the next four-yearly National Games in 2013.
The 26-year-old Shanghai native got out of the blocks fast on Sunday, winning in a time of 13.34 seconds, a time well off his personal best of 12.88 seconds and the world record of 12.87.
Last month at his first post-Achilles tendon surgery competition at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix, the former world record holder ran a wind-assisted 13.15 seconds for second place behind US world number two Terrence Trammell.
At the 2004 Athens Games, Liu became the first Chinese male to win an Olympic track gold medal.
The hurdler has been compared to NBA centre Yao Ming in terms of star power and sponsorship appeal, with his latest triumph top news in China on Monday and repeatedly replayed throughout the day on state television.
He shocked the nation at last year’s Olympics when he limped away from a preliminary heat with an injured Achilles tendon.
“This year I hope to run around 13.10 seconds, next year 13 whether I can go under 13 seconds is hard to say,” Liu told journalists.
“But as far as I am concerned right now is the best time for me. I still hope that I can reach my best-ever form.”
Liu is next slated to appear in the Asian Athletics Championship in Guangzhou in southern China in November and the East Asian Games in Hong Kong in December.
China’s women’s 100 metres champion banned for life
BEIJING: China’s women’s 100 metres champion Wang Jing was banned for life yesterday after she failed a drugs test during the National Games.
Wang tested positive for the performance-enhancing metabolites epitestosterone and testosterone after winning the 100 metres race on Thursday at the Games in Jinan, Shandong province.
Organisers stripped the 21-year-old of her gold medal and the Chinese Athletics Administration Centre (CAAC) banned Wang and her coach for life.
Wang said she accepted the test results but insisted that she had never intentionally taken any banned substance and called for a thorough investigation.
Her winning time was 11.50 seconds, more than a second slower than the world record of 10.49 seconds.
Wang was the third athlete caught doping since the inter-provincial National Games began on Oct. 16, following rower Guo Linna and shooter Li Jie. - AFP |
