Liu Xiang of China celebrates setting a new world record in the men's 110-metre race at the IAAF Super Grand Prix athletics meeting in Lausanne July 11, 2006. Liu won the race in a world record time of 12.88 seconds. [Reuters]

Liu, who has complained the media frenzy in China that followed his Athens victory left him feeling penned in and naked, will have to face a new round of heat wave.

Yu Weili, deputy head coach of the Chinese athletics team, told Xinhua that a new round of frenzy is inevitable.

"Because of distractions, Liu rarely have good results in domestic competitions," Yu said. "There will be social activities that Liu can't refuse to attend. We hope there will be as less distractions as possible.

"The 2008 Olympics is his top priority."

In races held in China, Liu are hounded by adoring fans and a hungry media pack.

"Before I won the Olympic gold medal only a few journalists followed me around, now I feel like I have been stripped naked and surrounded," he complained last year.

"When I'm in China I also have a lot of commercial activities, which I don't really like, but I try not to let it influence the race," Liu said. "I like meetings outside of China. International meetings are very open and comfortable."

Liu broke the 110 meters hurdles world record at the Athletissima Grand Prix meeting in Switzerland on Tuesday, clocking 12.88 seconds.

The previous record of 12.91 was set by Britain's Colin Jackson in August 1993. Liu had equaled that time at the 2004 Olympics, when he became China's first-ever sprint Olympic gold medallist. Enditem