 Liu Xiang in 2010 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Born | (1983-07-13)July 13, 1983 (age 42)[1] |
| Height | 1.89 m (6 ft2+1⁄2 in)[1] |
| Weight | 87 kg (192 lb)[1] |
| Sport | |
| Country |  China |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | 110 m hurdles |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personalbest(s) | 50 m hurdles 6.44 sAR (Liévin 2004) 60 m hurdles: 7.41 sAR (Birmingham 2012) 110 m hurdles: 12.88 sAR (+1.1 m/s) (Lausanne 2006) 200 m: 21.27 s (+0.6 m/s) (Shanghai 2002) |
Medal record | |
| Updated on July 12, 2012 | |
| Liu Xiang | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Liu Xiang celebrating at the2007 World Championship as he became World Champion. | |||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 刘翔 | ||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 劉翔 | ||||||||||||||
| Hanyu Pinyin | Liú Xiáng | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Liu Xiang (simplified Chinese:刘翔;traditional Chinese:劉翔;pinyin:Liú Xiáng; born July 13, 1983) is a Chinese former110 meterhurdler. Liu is anOlympic gold medalist[2] andworld champion.[3] His 2004 Olympic gold medal[4] was China's first Olympic gold medal in men'sathletics.
Liu is one of China's most successful athletes and has emerged as acultural icon.[5] On top of being the only male athlete in history to be the 110-metre hurdlesworld record holder,world champion, andOlympic champion, Liu remains the Olympic record holder for the men's 110-metre hurdles with a time of 12.91 seconds[6] he set at the2004 Athens Olympics. He was the favorite to win another gold in the110 metre hurdles at the2008 Beijing Olympics,[7] but had to withdraw from competition at the last moment after a false start and aggravation to a previously unrevealed injury. Again a gold medal favourite in the110 metre hurdles at the2012 London Olympics, he pulled hisAchilles tendon while attempting to clear the first hurdle in the heats.[8] On 7 April 2015, he announced his retirement onSina Weibo.[9]
In May 2001, Liu won at theEast Asian Games in Osaka, Japan with a time of 13.42 seconds. In August 2001, he won at theUniversiade inBeijing with a time of 13.33 seconds.[10] He also won at the2001 National Games of China that same year.[11]
In 2002 Liu set anAsian record time at theAthletissima meeting, completing the event in 13.12 seconds. This also brokeRenaldo Nehemiah's long standing andworld junior record, which had stood for almost 25 years. The following year he secured bronze medals in the60 metres hurdles at the2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships and the 110 m hurdles at the2003 World Championships in Athletics.[12]
In May 2004 at anIAAF Grand Prix race inOsaka, Japan, Liu managed to beatAllen Johnson with a personal best record time of 13.06 seconds. He improved even further at the2004 Athens Olympics. Although he was not considered a favourite for the event[citation needed], he won the Olympic final by some distance to pocket the gold medal with 12.91 seconds, tying theworld record set byColin Jackson 11 years before.[13] This was a newOlympic record and was almost three tenths of a second faster than the runner-upTerrence Trammell. The performance had Liu become the sixth man to run under 13 seconds in the event and was China's first men's Olympic gold medal in aathletics event.[14] On top of this, he defied the belief that Asian athletes could not compete in sprint events at the elite level[citation needed]. He said that his gold medal "changes the opinion thatAsian countries don't get good results insprint races. I want to prove to all the world that Asians can run very fast."[15]
Liu, a 21-year-oldEast China Normal University student at the time of victory in Athens, became the target of a bidding war amongcommercial sponsors. TheChinese Track and Field Association limited him to four such deals.[citation needed]
Liu finished the season with four of the year's ten fastest clockings[citation needed]. Reaching 17 finals in the 60-metre indoor and 110-metre outdoor hurdles, he lost just two, both to AmericanAllen Johnson[citation needed].
In August 2005, Liu won a silver medal at theIAAF World Championships in Athletics inHelsinki,Finland, finishing in 13.08 seconds, 0.01 second after championLadji Doucouré fromFrance. In November 2005, he won theEast Asian Games inMacau, China, with a time of 13.21 seconds.
Off track, in May, Liu was awarded theLaureus World Sports Award for Newcomer of the Year for his breakthrough performance at the2004 Summer Olympics inAthens.
On July 11, 2006, Liu set a new world record in the110 metre hurdles at theSuper Grand Prix inLausanne with a time of 12.88 seconds (+1.1 m/s tailwind). The record was ratified by the IAAF (now World Athletics).[16] In that same race, AmericanDominique Arnold had also beaten the previous record with a time of 12.90 seconds.[17]In September, he won gold atIAAF World Athletics Final inStuttgart,Germany, with a time of 12.93 seconds.
On August 31, 2007, at theWorld Athletics Championships inOsaka, Japan, Liu won gold in the 110-metre hurdles with a time of 12.95 seconds to become the world champion.
On 23 May, Liu participated in a test event at theBeijing National Stadium.[18] He pulled out of theReebok Grand Prix in New York on May 31, citing hamstring problems. On 8 June, hefalse-started at thePrefontaine Classic atEugene, Oregon. Liu skipped the entire European circuit, preferring to train for the Olympics inChina instead.
Leading up to theSummer Olympics inBeijing, Liu bore national expectations of a repeat victory on home soil.[19] On August 18, Liu withdrew from theOlympic 110 metre hurdles. He walked off the track after a false start by another runner in his first-round heat,[20] leaving the crowd at the Beijing National Stadium in stunned silence,[21] confusion,[22] and tears.[18][19] According to Jeré Longman ofThe New York Times, "China's greatest hope had been dashed".[23]
According to China'strack and field association, Liu suffered from a recurrence of chronic inflammation in his rightAchilles tendon.[18] Liu's coach, Sun Haiping addressed the media during a press conference and stated that the hurdler had been hampered by a tendon injury for six or seven years.[21] He commented on the situation, saying "We worked hard every day, but the result was as you see and it is really hard to take."[21] Sun, who was in tears for most of the press conference, stated that Liu would be unable to compete for the remainder of 2008. Liu made a public apology to the Chinese media the following day, saying he could "do nothing but pull out of the race" because of his foot injury. He believed that the injury would not prevent him from future competitions and vowed to "come back" for the next Olympics.[24]
Liu's injury was significant and also ruled him out of the following year's major competition, the2009 World Championships in Athletics.[25] However, coach Sun Haiping was confident that he would return in time for the Chinese national championships and2009 Asian Championships in Athletics in November.[26]
After a 13-month absence because of his injury, Liu finally returned to competition at the ShanghaiGolden Grand Prix. Liu recorded a time of 13.15, tied withTerrence Trammell, but finished 0.01 second behind and was awarded second place. However, Liu said he was happy with his performance.[27] Nearing the end of the year, he competed at a number of major events on home turf. He won gold medals at the2009 Asian Athletics Championships, theEast Asian Games and the11th Chinese National Games.[28][29]
At the2010 IAAF World Indoor Championships inDoha, admitting that his right foot has yet to fully recover,[30] Liu was able to finish in the finals of the 60 m hurdles, but managed only seventh place.[31] His sole appearance on the2010 IAAF Diamond League circuit was marked by the Shanghai Grand Prix, which he lost to national rivalShi Dongpeng for the first time.[32] Following a six-month break, he returned to form at the2010 Asian Games. A crowd of 70,000 gathered at theGuangdong Olympic Stadium to see him in the final and he easily won his third consecutive title at the competition, breaking theGames record with a run of 13.09 seconds – making him the third fastest athlete that season.[33]
The Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in May 2011 saw Liu make a return to a world class level: he defeatedDavid Oliver (the fastest hurdler in 2010) with a world-leading mark of 13.07 seconds to take his first win on the2011 IAAF Diamond League. Liu showed he had accomplished a transition in his technique, as he reduced his number of starting steps before the first hurdle from eight to seven, using his left leg for hurdling.[34]
On 29 August 2011, Liu Xiang competed in the men's 110-metre hurdles final in the IAAF World Championships inDaegu, South Korea. Liu was in position to win a gold medal, butDayron Robles entered Liu's lane and pulled him back, disrupting his race, and he finished the race in third place. His medal was upgraded to silver after Robles was disqualified.[35]
In Liu's first competition of 2012, he was matched up against Dayron Robles at theBirmingham Indoor Grand Prix and this time he won cleanly with an Asian record time of 7.41 seconds for the 60 m hurdles.[36] He was the favourite for the title at the2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships, but was beaten into second place byAries Merritt and left with the silver medal.[37] In the outdoor season he set a 110 m hurdles meet record at theGolden Grand Prix Kawasaki,[38] then ran 12.97 seconds to win at his home nation2012 IAAF Diamond League meet, theShanghai Golden Grand Prix. This was his first run under 13 seconds since 2007, and he beat Americans David Oliver and Jason Richardson by some distance.[39] He followed this with a run of 12.87 seconds to win at thePrefontaine Classic, matching the world record time albeit with wind-assistance of 2.4 m/s.[40]
In the110-metre hurdles at theLondon Olympics in 2012, Liu pulled his Achilles tendon while taking off and attempting to clear the first hurdle, instead crashing straight into it. Liu hopped the full 110 metre stretch, was helped by a few of his fellow competitors, and was put into a wheel chair and led away. He kissed the last hurdle before he left the track.Colin Jackson described it as a "very sad sight indeed" for the sport. Liu's loss echoed strongly in the Chinese press but also sparked a lot of controversies. Some voices expressed support while others wondered why Liu chose to participate in spite of his injury. Liu even earned a nickname "Liu PaoPao" because of pullbacks in two consecutive Olympic Games.[41][self-published source] As per reports Liu was to have surgery on his Achilles tendon in Britain.[42]
On April 7, 2015, Liu announced his retirement in a statement posted to his Sina Weibo. He had not competed since the 2012 Olympic race. In his post, he wrote that he was retiring after two years of frustrating and ultimately futile rehabilitation: "Of course my heart is still willing, but my foot has again and again said no to me."[43]
In 2016, Liu was chosen as one of the teams inShenzhen TV's reality programThe Amazing Race China 3. Liu was initially paired up with his cousin Ji Longxiang on the first two legs, but Ji was later replaced with his best friend Xu Qifeng for the remainder of the race. They finished in 3rd place overall.[44][45]
Liu is known for his low-profile appearance, but he has become one of the most popular athletes in China.[46]Liu Xiang was onTime magazine Asian edition's cover of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games titled "Liu Xiang & 99 More Athletes to Watch."[47]
Liu donated approximately 2,500,000 yuan (US$364,000) to2008 Sichuan earthquake relief efforts.[48]
Liu marriedGe Tian, a post-90s generation actress on September 7, 2014, after officially dating the actress for two years prior to their marriage.[49][50] They divorced in 2015. On January 9, 2016, Liu Xiang announced a new relationship with pole vaulterWu Sha,[51] in hisSina Weibo.[51] On December 1, 2016, Liu and Wu held a low profile wedding ceremony in Fiji.[52]
Liu's athletic gear is sponsored byNike.[53] He is also a spokesperson forCoca-Cola andCadillac.[citation needed]
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Representing China | |||||
| 2000 | World Junior Championships | Santiago, Chile | 4th | 110 m hurdles | 13.87(wind: -0.1 m/s) |
| 2001 | World University Games | Beijing, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.33 seconds |
| World Championships | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada | 4th (semis) | 110 m hurdles | 13.51 | |
| Chinese National Games | Guangzhou, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.36 | |
| East Asian Games | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.42 seconds | |
| 2002 | Athletissima | Lausanne, Switzerland | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.12 seconds (WJR/AR) |
| Asian Championships | Colombo, Sri Lanka | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.56 seconds | |
| IAAF World Cup | Madrid, Spain | DNF | 110 m hurdles | — | |
| Asian Games | Busan, South Korea | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.27 seconds | |
| 2003 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 3rd | 60 m hurdles | 7.52 seconds |
| World Championships | Paris, France | 3rd | 110 m hurdles | 13.24 seconds | |
| World Athletics Final | Monaco | 4th | 110 m hurdles | 13.27 | |
| 2004 | World Indoor Championships | Budapest, Hungary | 2nd | 60 m hurdles | 7.43 seconds |
| Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 12.91 seconds (=WR) | |
| 2005 | World Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.08 seconds |
| Chinese National Games | Nanjing, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.10 | |
| Asian Championships | Incheon, South Korea | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.30 | |
| East Asian Games | Macau, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.21 seconds | |
| 2006 | IAAF Super Grand Prix | Lausanne, Switzerland | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 12.88 seconds (WR) |
| World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 12.93 seconds | |
| World Cup | Athens, Greece | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.03 | |
| Asian Games | Doha, Qatar | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.15 seconds | |
| 2007 | World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 12.95 seconds |
| 2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 1st | 60 m hurdles | 7.46 seconds |
| Olympic Games | Beijing, China | DNF | 110 m hurdles | Could not compete due to injury | |
| 2009 | Chinese National Games | Jinan, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.34 |
| Asian Championships | Guangzhou, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.50 seconds | |
| East Asian Games | Hong Kong, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.66 seconds | |
| 2010 | World Indoor Championships | Doha, Qatar | 7th | 60 m hurdles | 7.65 |
| Asian Games | Guangzhou, China | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.09 seconds | |
| 2011 | Asian Championships | Kobe, Japan | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.22 CR |
| World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 2nd | 110 m hurdles | 13.27 seconds | |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul,Turkey | 2nd | 60 m hurdles | 7.49 seconds |
| IAAF Diamond League | Eugene, Oregon, United States | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 12.87s | |
| Olympic Games | London,United Kingdom | DNF | 110 m hurdles | Did not finish due to injury | |
As of 11 September 2024, Xiang holds the following track records for the 110 metres hurdles.
| Location | Time | Windspeed m/s | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Athens | 12.91 OR | +0.3 | 27 August 2004 |
| Baoding | 13.29 | –0.8 | 8 September 2002 |
| Busan | 13.27 | +0.3 | 9 October 2002 |
| Changsha | 13.31 | 0.0 | 25 October 2003 |
| Guangzhou | 13.09 | +1.1 | 24 November 2010 |
| Incheon | 13.30 | 0.0 | 2 September 2005 |
| Jinan | 13.34 | –0.9 | 25 October 2009 |
| Kawasaki | 13.09 | +0.2 | 6 May 2012 |
| Kobe | 13.22 | –0.8 | 10 July 2011 |
| Lausanne | 12.88 AR | +1.1 | 11 July 2006 |
| Macau | 13.21 | –0.9 | 2 November 2005 |
| Mito, Ibaraki | 13.23 | +1.3 | 5 May 2004 |
| Nanjing | 13.10 | +0.4 | 20 October 2005 |
| Nanning | 13.20 | +1.1 | 18 April 2004 |
| Osaka | 12.95 | +1.7 | 31 August 2007 |
| Shanghai | 12.97 | +0.4 | 19 May 2012 |
| Shijiazhuang | 13.21 | 0.0 | 20 June 2005 |
| Tianjin | 13.06 | –0.8 | 1 August 2004 |
| Zhongshan | 13.23 | +1.4 | 24 April 2005 |
| Records | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Men's 110 m Hurdles World Record Holder August 27, 2004 – June 12, 2008 | Succeeded by |
| Sporting positions | ||
| Preceded by | Men's 110 m Hurdles Best Year Performance 2004 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Men's 110 m Hurdles Best Year Performance 2006–2007 | Succeeded by |
| Olympic Games | ||
| Preceded by None | Flagbearer for China at the Olympics closing ceremony Athens 2004 | Succeeded by |
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