Liu Xiang suffered a suspected ruptured Achilles tendon as he crashed out of the Olympics yesterday, a team official confirmed, plunging the Chinese hurdler’s future into doubt.

Liu, 29, exited the Olympics after smashing into the first obstacle of his 110m hurdles heat, four years after he was forced to withdraw from the event at the 2008 Beijing Games.

China’s athletics team leader in London, Feng Shu Yong, later revealed Liu had possibly snapped his Achilles, a recurrence of a problem which had dogged the 2004 Olympic champion for years despite intensive treatment.

“The initial diagnosis from the medical staff is that he has a ruptured Achilles tendon. In the last several years he has had good medical care, but it is still there,” Feng said, referring to Liu’s long-standing injury problems.

“An achilles injury is almost impossible to recover from fully.”

Liu later earned a rousing ovation from the 80,000 crowd as he hopped down the track to symbolically cross the finishing the line, kissing the last hurdle as he did so before being consoled by fellow competitors.

Feng said Liu’s gesture showed his spirit had not been broken.

“He showed the spirit of the Olympics. He got up and finished,” said Feng. “It shows that it’s not all about winning but showing the Olympic spirit to the world.”

Feng praised Liu had worked tirelessly to regain his fitness in time for London.

“Personally, I think he gave a lot of effort in the last four years trying to do well.

“He hoped to be in the stadium on the start line in the final but this is competitive sport and anything can happen.”