VALENCIA, Spain, March 7, 2008 (AFP) - China’s superstar hurdler Liu Xiang cut a confident figure ahead of the three-day World Indoor Championships which start here on Friday.
The 110m hurdles Olympic and world champion, as well as world record holder, said he isn’t feeling the pressure of being the Beijing Olympics poster boy despite the burden of expectation that’s been placed upon his broad shoulders.
The hype surrounding Liu is likely to increase even further with doubts whether NBA basketball star Yao Ming will be fit to play for his country after surgery on his left foot stress fracture.
Yao is actually a good friend and I feel very sorry that he's got injured just before the Games. I've already sent him my best wishes for a quick recovery,'' said Liu. However, I don’t feel any increased pressure on me because he might be out of the Olympics and there will be more attention on me,’’ added the 24-year-old hurdler from Shanghai, the same home city as Yao.
Although the figures are hard to be precise about, Yao is probably the only Chinese sportsman earning more than Liu.
Both men are already dollar millionaires and a gold medal in Beijing for Liu, defending the title he surprisingly won four years ago in Athens, will send his annual income well into seven figures.
For the moment though, he is chasing the more modest World Indoor Championships first prize of 40,000 dollars.
His track record at the indoor discipline of 60m hurdles is good, taking a world indoor bronze medal in 2003 and a silver the following year, but he comes to Spain’s third city having not raced under cover this winter.
For me, everything is geared towards the Olympics and not to win here would not be a disappointment. I would be happy if I finish in the top three,'' said Liu ahead of his run in the preliminary rounds on Saturday. All I want to do is improve my personal best of 7.42 secs. I know I am a stronger runner outdoors and this competition will help me get faster over the first three hurdles.’’
Despite his modesty, Liu is the Asian indoor record holder at the 60m hurdles but he will have to contend here with the imposing figure of a young pretender to his various crowns, Cuba’s Dayron Robles.
Last month, Robles ran 7.33 secs in Karlsruhe, the second fastest time ever and only bettered in the history books by Britain’s Colin Jackson.
Jackson’s world record of 7.30 secs has stood since 1994.
For me, I think the world indoor champion will be Robles. I'm not being modest, I have longer term targets and Dayron has had a tremendous season. He's unbeaten (apart from pulling up in a race in Paris), said Liu. Dayron won the world indoor silver medal in 2006 and that showed me he’s a good athlete but he’s improved so fast. I think he’s capable of breaking the world records indoors and outdoors.’’