London: Former champion Liu Xiang left the Olympics Games in the first heat of the 110-meter hurdles for the second time in a row, clutching his right Achilles after he crashed into the first obstacle.
Liu won in 2004 at Athens to become the first Chinese man to claim an Olympic track and field gold medal, but shocked the home crowd in Beijing four years later when he had to withdraw in his heat without clearing a hurdle because of a right foot problem which later required surgery.
This time, his coach had already expressed concern that Liu was less than fully fit, but still he had been expected to challenge for gold again in London.
Liu had his right Achilles protected with yellow tape when he came into the stadium. While other runners flew over hurdles for practice, he jogged up to the first hurdles and raised his eyebrows.
He produced a wan smile when the stadium speakers announced his name to the cheering. He was talking to himself as he started to settle in the blocks.
Then from the starting gun, it all went wrong. With his lead leg, he crashed into the first hurdle and tumbled over. He looked up and held his right leg, realizing history has just repeated itself.
Instead of being wheeled off, he decided to hop on one leg along the track and went over to kiss the last hurdle in his lane 4. When he came to the finish line, Balazs Baji of Hungary was awaiting him and raised the arm of the former Olympic champion.
Britain's Andrew Turner and Spain's Jackson Quinonez then led him off to a waiting wheelchair.
Comments
0 comment