|
BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- China's 110m hurdles Olympic champion Liu Xiang announced his retirement on Tuesday on Sina Weibo, China's version of Twitter.
Liu became China's first male Olympic champion in athletics when he won the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Games, equalling Briton Colin Jackson's world record of 12.91 seconds. Three years later he won a world championship gold in Osaka, Japan.
Liu bettered the world record to 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland in July 2006. Aries Merritt of the United States is current world record holder in 12.80.
At the 2008 Beijing Games, Liu limped off in a first-round heat with an aggravated Achilles tendon injury following another runner's false start.
Four year later at London Olympics, Liu Xiang pulled out of competition again for a similar claimed reason.
Related:
Liu Xiang retires, haunted by twice Olympic withdrawal
BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiang, China's first ever men's Olympic athletics champion, announced retirement on Tuesday, over two years after pulling out of the Olympic Games for the second time.
Chinese couldn't help comparing Liu Xiang with Li Na, a twice grand slam winner of tennis, who retired last September. Full Story
Why hurdler Liu Xiang choose to retire now?
BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China's Olympic 110m hurdles gold medallist and former world record holder Liu Xiang is to announce his retirement on Tuesday, April 7. Why Liu Xiang decides to retire now, who actually has not competed since his withdrawal from the London Olympics.
It's already over 900 days since Liu Xiang pulled out of the London Games 110m hurdles. No fans believe he will return to action again as he is 32 years old and is away from races so long, but what makes this much anticipated retirement prolonged? Full Story
