China's Liu Xiang says he is determined to defend his Olympic 110m hurdling crown at the 2008 Beijing Games and fired out a warning to his main rival.

"I really want to be champion at the Beijing Olympics," the 23-year-old told the Beijing Times.

Liu became the first Chinese man to win a track gold with a record-equaling 12.91 seconds at the Athens Games.

"I couldn't quite dare to say it before, but today I finally have the guts to come out and say it," he added.

Days before he faces off against world champion Ladji Doucoure of France at the Prefontaine Classic Grand Prix meeting in Oregon, Liu said he had fully recovered from a foot injury sustained last February.

"I'm certain that there are no issues with my foot," he said. "I'll be going all out at this event."

Liu also said he was determined to avenge his defeat at the hands of Doucoure at last year's world championships in Helsinki.

"I lost by 0.01 of a second," Li said. "This year I hope to beat him a few times, take him down a peg or two."
 
(Reuters via China Daily May 24, 2006)