China

CCTV interviews with Liu tell his road to 12.88

By Coldness Kwan (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2006-07-14 20:37

From 12.91 seconds to 12.88 seconds, the young Chinese Olympic gold medalist hurdler Liu Xiang spent just less than 2 years to achieve the 0.03 seconds leap.

Liu Xiang (L) waves to the press, wearing a T-shirt with his new world record 12.88 seconds printed after he returns from Lausanne, Switzerland July 13, 2006. Liu created the new record at Super Grand Prix meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland July 12, 2006. [Xinhua]

The early coming of his new world record of 12.88 seconds created in Lausanne, Switzerland July 12, 2006 was much beyond the expectation of his coach Sun Haiping, who said after the young man won the 2004 Athens Games that the time to break the 12.91 record will be 2007 or 2008.

What is behind the continuing surprises Liu kept delivering to China? A news talk show called "People in the News" of CCTV News channel made three interviews with Liu before and after his fame, during which the young hurdler experienced a complicated psychological process.

The first interview was made in July of 2003, when Liu has little fame. The second happened one year later, in the eve of the Athens Games and the young man claimed challenge to veteran hurdler Allen Johnson. The third was when he already became the Olympic gold medalist so the talk show titled the interview as "I am the No.1".

The talk show got Liu as the show guest in 2003 because of his 13.12 seconds run in Lausanne, Switzerland the year before, breaking the world junior record.

"Other hurdlers may have thought it would be a shame to lose to a yellow-skinned young man." Liu said in the first interview. "Actually I had already showed my muscle last year in Lausanne, where I run 13.12 seconds. After that my rivals began to see me as a competitive one and the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federation) began to pay attention to me".

Liu's coach Sun Haiping was very proud of his student's 13.12 seconds. Sun said in the first interview that Liu's rising status was posing a great threat to the European and American hurdlers, who used to dominate the hurdle venue.

Liu Xiang (R) 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]

With a world junior record in hand, the then 20-year-old hurdler began to aim at the 12.91 seconds world record.

"The world record is 12.91 seconds, created by Britain's Colin Jackson in Stuttgart of Germany in 1993," the young man recited his aim.

It was July 13, 2004, Liu Xiang's 21th birthday, when the talk show invited him for the second time after he had just won the 2004 World Championships. This time the inspired young man eyed the success at the Athens Olympic Games, which opened more than one month later and voiced Allen Johnson is his top aim to surpass.

"I ran 13.06 against the wind while he ran 13.05 down the wind so I am completely able to run faster than 13.05 if down the wind," Liu compared his and John's best result on that year.

Asked if he had developed a psychology of being a winner, the young man nodded. "Actually I had developed this psychology last year and it is becoming stronger as I build up my strength," he said in the second interview, "Now many dab hands see me as something".

"I must admit that many rivals are competitive, but I won't bear that on mind. I will run a good result if I work out my strength, just brushing my rivals aside," the young man appeared quite confident before the Athens Games and said he felt quite good and excited before big events.

"The more enthusiastic the spectators are, the more excited I am. I don't feel nervous".

It was such an inspired excitement that thrust the young man to clock 12.91 seconds in Athens more than one month after the second interview, equaling the world record that he had aimed at. He was at the third interview with the Athens Games gold medal before his chest.

"It was just fabulous!" the young man couldn't describe the perfect run well, only choosing "Fabulous".

"The key point is that I just blinded to other hurdlers while just commentated on myself. I ran faster and faster as I crossed over each of the hurdle till I was near the finish line, where I nearly flied upwards," Liu tried to specify the "fabulous".

After the Athens triumph, Liu experienced ups and downs in the following different events. As the media and the public began to question about his future, the young man made a perfect 2006 debut in Osaka Grand Prix May 6, 2006, when he finished first 13.22 seconds. Liu, then fresh from an ankle injury, denied the doubt with his ever perfect run.

Now he is already the owner of a new world record of 12.88 seconds. As he celebrated his new record at the timing board signaling 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland, maybe nobody denies he is the dominant No.1 of 110 meters hurdle.