Liu Xiang keen to defend Shanghai crown
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-07-19 14:19
SHANGHAI, July 18 - Liu Xiang said on Tuesday he was focussing on
retaining his Shanghai Grand Prix title in September after breaking the 110
metres hurdles world record last week.
 "I hope I can defend my Shanghai Grand Prix title this year as the race
is held in my home town and so many local people and friends have high hopes for
me," Liu said.
The Olympic champion clocked 12.88 seconds at the Lausanne Grand Prix a week
ago, breaking the world record of 12.91 he shared with Colin Jackson. He had
equalled the Briton's 1993 record on his way to gold at the Athens Olympics in
2004.
Setting his heart on victory in Shanghai in September will help Liu quickly
regain the focus he felt slip as soon as he had achieved his world record.
"Could 12.88 seconds be a limit to what humans can achieve? I asked myself
this many times after I broke the record," the 23-year-old Shanghai native told
a news conference.
"Before, I shared the world record with Colin but now I am the world's only
one...That made me feel a bit lost in direction after the race," Liu said.
Liu's coach Sun Haiping said he expected his protege to improve on his record
soon.
"Liu still has much more potential to develop and we all expect him to have
better times," Sun said.
A deputy coach of the national team warned, however, that Liu must be given
space if he is to successfully defend his Olympic title in Beijing in 2008.
"Because of distractions, Liu rarely has good results in domestic
competitions," Yu Weili told state news agency Xinhua last week.
Liu, however, was adamant he could cope with the pressure of expectations.
"There will always be pressure but I think I can resist all such pressure in
my races," he said.
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