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Xiang: Devestated from injury
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Xiang: Hopes to regain title finished
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Liu Xiang, the defending world 110m hurdles champion and first ever Chinese male to win an athletics Olympic gold in 2004, has shockingly retired from the event without completing the first round of heats.
As part of its sponsorship of the Chinese athletics team, China Insurance volunteered $13,300,000 to protect Liu's legs in lead up to 2008 games. Yet a hamstring injury and Achilles problems have hampered the 25-year-olds chances in Beijing.
Four years of massive hype for the sports star turned into heartbreak as he failed to start the race after a false start aggravated his injuries. 91,000 spectators watched in silence as he limped off the track back into the stadium.
Coach Sun Haiping had said: "It's an accumulated injury due to long training and it will affect him if he uses power."
Highlighting the pressure facing Liu, some fans said the other victories meant little now their hero had failed.
"Everybody was watching this one. This was more important than the other 35," Said Hu Donglin, a 21-year-old aspiring track champion.
"I can't believe this has happened. He is my hero. I came here especially to see him. I'm devastated," Said fan Sun Yejun .
"We loved him. I wanted to see him get glory for the motherland," Said Fong Mantit, a retiree from Hong Kong who went especially to see him run.
Meaningless
The former world record holder of 12.88 seconds was the nations hope to win this high profile event to create a signature moment in Beijing to symbolise China's global rise in all aspects of life.
Chinese sports officials said Liu's achievements would be considered "meaningless" if he failed to win Olympic gold in Beijing.
"Officials from the State General Administration of Sport once told us if Liu could not win gold in Beijing, all of his previous achievements would become meaningless," coach Haiping told China Daily.
Many blamed the pressure for affecting the hurler's Olympic build-up.
"You just cannot put all the expectations on one athlete. It does not allow for anything unexpected to happen. That's too much for one athlete," government worker, Liu Lijing said.
Liu's clash with Cuban Dayron Robes, who stole the world record from Liu Xiang in June, was set to be one of the stellar events of the Games.
Despite being absent form international competition for most of this year his coach, Sun Haiping, had been confident that Liu could struggle through the heats and recover in time for the semi-finals on Wednesday and then the final on Thursday.
As one of China's most loved sporting stars Liu had taken part in three Olympic torch relays in Beijing, Athens and in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Florence Italy.
His astonishing withdrawal took the shine off China revelling in its best Olympic gold medal achievement.
