Wish Liu best luck and coming back soon, says IAAF spokesperson
18/8/2008 18:14
An IAAF spokesperson paid tribute to Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang after he
withdrew from the race at the Beijing Olympics today, said that Liu had fight so
hard and should feel no regret to leave the stadium.
Liu Xiang, who made
history as the first ever Chinese male athlete to win an athletics Olympic gold
in Athens four years ago, was forced to withdraw from the 110m hurdles first
round competition with a tendon injury in his right foot.
"I am a hundred
percent sure that Liu came through a lot pain to quit the competition," said
Anna Legnani, spokesperson and deputy director of communications of
International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).
"He has been one
of the major heroes of the Olympic Games, I don't think he is losing for the
Games but we will lose him for the 110m hurdles race," added Legnani.
Legnani
said it was a pity that people could not see Liu and Cuban hurdler Dayron Robles
compete in the final of the Beijing Olympics.
Robles owns five of the six
fastest times of the year, he became the world record holder with his 12.87 race
in Ostrava, Czech Republic.
He suffered a shock exit in the 60-meter hurdles
at the indoor world championships on this year at Valencia, Spain, after being
left in the blocks in the first heat of the day.
"It is a big thing to see
Liu and Robles compete in the finals of the major race. In the Indoor World
Championship, we invited the two main runners to the race. In that case, it was
Robles quite early with a false start, he was disqualified in the first round.
This time unfortunately it is liu Xiang who with injury can not compete. Both
times we failed to see Liu and Robles, both times were impossible," said
Legnani.
"People should understand how hard Liu had fight to compete. I do
believe he will definitely come back strong and very motivated. I wish him best
luck and coming back soon to achieve more for himself, for the country and the
athletics," she added.
Roble eased into the second round of the men's 110m
hurdles with 13.39 seconds, while Terrence Trammell of the United States,
two-time Olympic silver medalist at 2000 Sydney and 2004 Athens, grabbed the
second hurdle and limped off the track with an injured left
leg.
Xinhua
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