Coasting Liu Xiang lights up Asian Games

Liu Xiang made his much-awaited entrance to the athletics programme of the Asian Games yesterday, negotiating his way safely through to the 110m hurdles final.

Liu’s presence had guaranteed a 75,000-capacity sell-out at Guangzhou’s Aota Main stadium, and the 27-year-old pin-up did not disappoint.

It is now 27 months on from Liu’s calamitous outing at the Beijing Olympics, when he limped out of his heat with an achilles tendon injury to break the hopes of a nation expecting gold from the golden boy on home soil.

Liu’s injury, subsequent surgery and rehabilitation have come under much scrutiny in China and this marked his second appearance of the year in his home country, after his third place in the Shanghai Diamond League meet.

The 2004 Athens Olympics gold medallist and former world record holder (12.88sec) cruised his heat yesterday in 13.50sec, some distance off the current record of 12.87sec held by Cuban Dayron Robles.

The strapping athlete cleared all 10 of the 1.067-metre-high hurdles in style and could even afford to ease up as he came through the final 15 metres.

Acclaimed by huge cheers, Liu held the China badge on his singlet out and let it flick back as pre-race introductions were done. He raised his both arms as the chants started around the stadium and the announcers begged for quiet so officials could properly start the race without the risk of a false start.

Liu, who was world champion in 2007 and also has a silver and bronze from the 2005 and 2003 worlds, will now go on to race in tomorrow’s final in his bid for a third successive Asian Games title.