Liu Xiang, defending gold medalist, withdraws after injury
As China’s Liu Xiang hobbled away from the men’s 110m hurdles following a foot injury in Monday’s heats, the hopes of the entire nation he represented crashed with him. And questions began to be raised about the Communist regime’s athlete training system and the enormous physical and mental pressure that was hoisted on him.
This was the day the country had been waiting for years—to see their golden boy win at the Olympics. Liu had won the gold medal at the 110m at Athens, and set a world record in 2006. But Liu’s withdrawal, following a tendon problem with his foot, was a disaster. Fans wept in disappointment and symapthy as they heard the news.
Chinese fans weren’t the only ones who wept—Nike executives were probably weeping as well. Nike, who had signed up Liu as a brand ambassador, has spent lavishly on promoting Liu Xiang as China’s hope for the Games, including featuring him on large billboard displays in Beijing as well as on television advertisements.
Liu’s limping out of the 110m hurdles even before it started is also an anti-climatic end to one of the greatest sports myths and hype build-ups in the country. His gold win at the Athens 2004 games made him one of China’s most recognizable stars, and the hype about him and expectations of him were sky-high.
Hype and Pressure Too Much?
The Chinese Communist Party has spent millions of dollars on its athlete training program, which has produced more gold medal winners at this Olympics than any other country. But China’s training programs are reported to be brutal and inhumane.
One of the regime’s fiercest critics of the program is Mr. Gu Baogang, Liu’s school coach, who discovered the boy in school and took him under his wing for high jumping. Liu later went to hurdles, and he started training under current coach, Sun Haiping, who helped transform Liu into one of China’s premier sporting icons.
“I have experienced in the past the great pressure that government officials exert on the athletes as well as the coach, and that they demand a gold medal,” Mr. Gu told the U.K.’s Telegraph after he heard of Liu’s injury.
“When you are faced with great pressure and intensive training, all kinds of problems can arise,” he continued, probably referring to the intense amount of hype and expectations built around Liu’s campaign for the 110m hurdles gold at this Olympics.
Sun Haiping, Liu’s current coach, broke down in tears at the press conference as he responded to questions on Liu’s injury.
“Three doctors treated the injury. Even with help, he could not stand up because of the injury,” Sun said.
Ironically, even as China celebrates its 39 gold medals (and counting), Liu Xiang’s may be the gold they miss the most.
