How would Liu fare without the hurdles?

If the hurdles are removed, does the world's best hurdler still qualify as a leading sprinter?

The 24-year-old Liu Xiang was once quoted as saying that his personal best on the 100m track is within 10.40 secs. This compares with the Chinese record of 10.17, set by Zhou Wei in 1998, and the Asian record of 9.99.

Liu (fifth from left) competes in men's 4x100m relay at the 10th National Games in Nanjing in 2005. [Getty images]

Liu's fans had a rare opportunity to watch him chasing down the winners with a baton in his left hand in the 4x100m relay final at China's 10th National Games two years ago in Nanjing.

Liu, representing his hometown of Shanghai, helped seal the team's second-place finish.

Liu's best performance at his signature event breaks down into an average of 8.5 meters per second. In contrast, Asafa Powell of Jamaica was running 10.26 M/S when he broke the 100m world record in Italy last month-a difference of more than two.

Sports experts say that even though Liu's technique and pace between the hurdles helped him achieve the world record of 12.88 secs, which he set last year in Switzerland, it adds nothing in terms of pure speed pursuit.

Liu's speed, which is not his main strength, can in fact drag him further behind professional sprinters.

However, Sun Haiping, Liu's coach since 1999, has said his student can master the 100m sprint in around 10.3 secs.