Liu Xiang claims fine before Olympic injury
- By Duan Yaying
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E-mail China.org.cn, August 27, 2012
In his first interview since his high-profile Olympic exit, Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang insisted that despite continuing tendon pain, he was feeling completely fine before sustaining that unfortunate ankle injury during the London Olympics.
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China's star hurdler Liu Xiang clattered into the first hurdle due to his Achilles tendon injury in the London preliminary heat. [Photo: Sina] |
Liu Xiang, 29, shot to stardom after his sensational win at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Sadly, the China's first male athletics champion pulled his Achilles tendon when taking off in the London preliminary heat, which eventually saw him clatter into the first hurdle.
"Standing on the starting line, I felt I was a healthy Liu Xiang," Liu told state-run CCTV on Aug. 23 "My take-off was fast because I started with my left leg."
"But when my right leg then kicked out, I felt like my foot got lashed by a whip," Liu recalled, "I lost my balance and fell."
"I didn't know what was going on and just felt a lot of pain," he added.
"I saw a dent in Liu's Achilles tendon when I found him on the backcourts in London," Shanghai-based Huashan Hospital specialist Chen Shiyi recalled, "I immediately guessed he had torn it."
"Sitting on the track with my dented right Achilles tendon, I just kept thinking I would have to bid farewell to my Olympic career," the Olympic champion said.
When a stadium worker pushed out a wheelchair, Liu refused to make use of it at once. He then hopped the full length of the course on his left foot and kissed the final hurdle before leaving the track in a wheelchair.
"The thought just hit me as I approached the final hurdle that I wanted to kiss that particular hurdle as it could be the last Olympics of my athletic career," the former world record holder said.
Earlier in June, Liu ran a 12.87s at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene. Reports question what may have happened during those two months that made him go from this exceptional performance in Eugene to crashing out of the London Olympics.
"My right foot was hurting before the London Games," Liu said, "But I didn't stop training intensively since I knew that taking a break would kill my best competitive state for the Olympics.
Liu also denied that the change of steps taken to approach the first hurdle was to blame for his injury.
"If I don't change to 7 steps (from the customary 8), I can hardly run the course within 13 seconds," Liu stressed.
On August 23, two weeks after his injury in London, Liu came to Huashan Hospital to have the cast on his leg removed. Liu's right foot now shows a 20-centimeter-long wound with 13 stitches , even bigger than the similar injury he suffered four years ago during the Beijing Games. His right leg also appears to be thinner than his left one.
The defending Olympic champion said he never regretted competing in the London Games, despite the fact that his four-year-long preparation and training were basically all in vain.
Since his withdrawal from the Beijing Olympics in 2008, he has been adjusting his technique, which brought him the record of 12.87 seconds, Liu said.
Liu hopes to recover as soon as possible, but he is not sure if he will ever be able to re-enter the competition.
"I will keep moving forward and simply enjoy what life has to offer me," Liu said.
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