China's star hurdler Liu Xiang will not compete in the upcoming
World Indoor Athletics Championships in Moscow, says coach Sun
Haiping.
Coach Sun has been quoted by Sports.cn, the affiliated website
of the State General Administration for Sports, as saying Liu will
surely miss the Moscow meet due to a foot injury.
The coach has disclosed that the injury is healing slowly but
still causes some problems for the athlete. For the sake of Liu
Xiang's future career, they have come to the joint decision that
Liu Xiang will not compete in Moscow.
Liu Xiang will still go to Moscow next week as scheduled to
experience the spirit of the competition.
Liu Xiang sprained his foot after a training session in January.
He has since missed the national competition in Shanghai, his
hometown. His season opener is now likely to be the IAAF's spring
meeting in Osaka, Japan in May.
(Xinhua News Agency March 4, 2006)