BEIJING, May 24 (AFP) - Star Chinese hurdler LiuXiang, fresh from an upset win over world champion AllenJohnson, is playing down his Olympic chances in Athens,saying he knows he is not the best.
I have never been carried away with the Osaka win,''he said of his 13.06 seconds 110m Asian record at theJapan Grand Prix this month, in which he claimedJohnson's scalp for the first time. I know great athletes like Johnson sometimes lose acompetition. But he is really better than me.
I know that a lot of people pin high hopes on me,but we cannot let heart rule the head. I am not the bestone in the world,'' he told Xinhua news agency. Over the weekend, Liu, 21, won China's NationalOlympic Trials in 13.40 seconds, but he said the timewasn't important. I am very satisfied with the result,’’ he said.It's not an important event and I just took it as atraining session.'' Liu, the world championship bronze medallist and oneof China's great medal hopes in Athens, will run inthree IAAF Grand Prix events in Europe in preparationfor the Olympics. I hope that he can run inside 13.10 seconds inAthens,’’ Chinese national coach Feng Shuyong said.
``I think that time can earn him a medal.’’