الرئيسية
المنتديات
الانتساب : 
العمر : 
المساهمات : 
نقاط التميز
Liu's Olympic exit was a huge blow for China but many lauded him as a hero
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
Liu Xiang crashes out of hurdles
Can Liu Xiang conquer his Olympic demons?
Hurdler Liu leaves 'cold' London
China
is mourning the Olympic exit of Liu Xiang after he fell in the men's
110m hurdles heats, with media and netizens rallying behind the athlete.
Comments ranged from anguish and shock to an outpouring of support and concern for the injured Liu.
The athlete, who won gold in Athens in 2004, crashed at the first hurdle but got up and hopped to the finish line.
For many, it was a tragic repeat of the 2008 Beijing Games when he pulled out with an Achilles injury.
"Ah Liu Xiang, my heart is broken," said one user of the Twitter-like Sina Weibo website.
News of Liu's fall dominated the front pages of many newspapers.
Continue reading the main story Olympics coverage online
- From the BBC:
- London 2012: All Olympics news
- Sport: Reports, reaction, news
- Weather: UK five-day forecast
- Official Olympic travel links:
- Traffic and travel in London
- Travel info for other Games locations
- Traffic updates via Twitter @GAOTG
Many lauded him as a hero despite
his failure to progress to the final - unlike the general reaction to
his withdrawal in Beijing four years ago, which spawned a slew of
criticism.
"Liu Xiang fell down, but he will be our hero for ever," said
one netizen, echoing the feelings of many who watched his dramatic
exit.
As Liu struggled down the track, he stopped at the last
hurdle and kissed it, prompting the China Daily newspaper to dub that
his ''last kiss''. He was then embraced by fellow competitors and helped
off the track.
''He may not have cleared any of the hurdles, but he crossed
the most difficult hurdle of his life,'' the official People's Daily
newspaper wrote, paying tribute to Liu's persistence.
'Heavy burden'
Liu Xiang left the track in a wheelchair, after an Olympic build-up that had also been overshadowed by injury.
Some netizens questioned why Liu was competing despite his injuries
He left London for Leverkusen after pulling out of the Diamond
League London Grand Prix 110m hurdles final on 13 July - his 29th
birthday - due to muscle pain.
Reports said that Liu's right heel was protected with tape
when he entered the stadium on Tuesday. After the race, Feng Shuyong,
the head of China's track team told a press conference that Liu had
ruptured his Achilles tendon.
"What Liu Xiang did today reflected the true Olympics
spirit," state media quoted him as saying. "Winning is not so important,
participation is what matters."
Liu Yandong, a top Communist Party official, had called Liu to ''express sympathy and concern'', state media reported.
The official told Liu that ''his spirit, will and attitude
have deeply moved and highly inspired the whole nation", said the Xinhua
news agency.
Some netizens questioned why Liu, who is one of China's top sporting icons, was competing despite his injuries.
Continue reading the main story Liu Xiang
- Born 13 Jul 1983 in Shanghai
- Height 1.9m
- Weight 86kg
- Hometown Dafeng, Jiangsu
- Practised high jump and 100m sprint at school before moving on to 110m hurdle
- Won China's first athletics Olympic gold at the 2004 Athens Games
- Pulled out of the 2008 Beijing Games
"Liu Xiang was carrying too heavy
a burden. Chinese sports officials know nothing about the Olympic
spirit. For them, athletes are just machines and pawns," one comment
said.
Among the outpouring of support, there were a handful of
negative comments and allegations against the athlete, who is easily one
of China's best-known faces, with a slew of product endorsements.
Some lambasted him for failing to do his duty by his country.
But by and large, the Chinese people's reactions reflected a
level of maturity and compassion within society, said a commentary in
the Chinese edition of the Global Times newspaper.
''Thank you, Liu Xiang, for all that you've given us," it said.
