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Sports / China
Golden Liu boosts China's hope on track and field in 2008
By Chen Xiangfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-05 10:54
Liu Xiang's gold medal at last week's World Athletics Championships and a
number of strong performances by teammates have raised expectations for
the home team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
China's Liu Xiang celebrates with the Chinese flag after winning the gold
medal in the Men's 110m Hurdles during the World Athletics Championships
Friday, Aug. 31, 2007, in Osaka, Japan. [AP]?
The Olympic gold medalist and world record holder lacked a world crown
before the Osaka meet and was under intense media pressure heading into
it.
But the 24-year-old kept his nerve to maintain a 100 percent record in
the past four IAAF Grand Prix events in the Japanese city.
Liu produced an imperfect display, which included a slow start and a late
look across at the runner-up, to surge across the line in 12.95 seconds
in the final to become China's first male track world champion.
China also grabbed a silver and bronze to finish with its best result
since the 1993 World Athletics Championships.
"Judging from the overall performances, it is the second best world
championships for Chinese athletes in history," Athletics Administrative
Center boss Feng Shuyong said.
"The results are much better than that in Helsinki two years ago and it
was also the first gold China has won since the 1999 worlds.
"Such kind of improvements are encouraging and inspiring before the 2008
Beijing Olympics."
At the 2003 world championships, China won just a solitary bronze before
picking up two golds at the Athens Olympics the following year.
In 2005, Liu grabbed China's sole silver medal in Helsinki.
"With less than one year before the Olympics, some of our athletes'
performances definitely boost the confidence in the lead-up for Beijing
Games," Feng added.
Liu, who fell short in Osaka of his world record time of 12.88, now has
his sights firmly set on a second Olympic gold medal rather than a world
record.
"There's no question it's the Olympics. The main thought in my heart is
(winning gold) in Beijing," he said.
In the 110m hurdles, Shi Dongpeng finished a credible fifth in a positive
sign that Liu could have welcome the company on the medal dais next year.
Medal hopefuls
Chinese athletes have shown they'll be in the mix in other events at next
year's Games.
London marathon winner Zhou Chunxiu became the first Chinese to win a
gold medal in the long-distance road event at the the world championships
and has been tipped as another Olympic hopeful.
Boasting the season's best time, Zhou was overtaken by Kenya's eventual
winner Catherine Ndereba with two kilometers to go and had to settle for
a silver.
But Feng, also head coach of the Chinese national team, was satisfied
with Zhou's performance and impressed by a fourth and an 11th place
gained by teammates.
"It is a little bit of a pity for Zhou," he said. "But I am very much
satisfied with all three of our marathon runners. Their performances set
a strong base for the future competitions."
Zhang Wenxiu, 21, who won bronze in the women's hammer throw, is also
expected to provide some surprises next year.
IAAF president Lamine Diack is also convinced that Chinese athletes will
exceed themselves in the newly built Chinese National Stadium at the
Beijing Olympics.
"I believe the Chinese athletes can do better in the Olympics because
they compete at home," Diack said.
"Liu Xiang will 100 per cent have the chance to win again and I think
China can make breakthroughs in other events."
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