Liu Xiang pulled out of the Olympic 110m hurdles race because of an exacerbated tendon injury in his right foot on Monday morning, dashing China's only gold hope in Olympic track and field.

In the last heat of the first round, Liu quit after a false start gun sounded, not for him. The hurdler then tore off the lane sticker off his leg and limped into the tunnel.

"Liu was depressed," said Chinese athletics head coach Feng Shuyong. "He was very sad about this result.

"If his injury hadn't been so serious, he would never, ever have quit the race."

Liu's coach, Sun Haiping, couldn't control his emotion at a press conference held shortly afterwards, choking on every answer to reporters' questions.

"He has been fighting until the last moment," said Sun.

Feng, also deputy chief of the Chinese athletics administration, said that Liu Xiang's tendon injury, sustained six to seven years ago, worsened during Saturday's training.

"I know that kind of pain was unbearable."

Feng admitted Liu has been under great pressure as a Chinese sports icon.

"But he is a great athlete and very strong mentally," he said.

Feng said the Chinese people would understand Liu's decision to withdraw from the race.

Liu became China's first men's Olympic champion in athletics when he equaled Colin Jackson's world record of 12.91 seconds in the 2004 Games.

The victory made him the best known and one of richest athletes in China, with his face adorning advertising boards and his every public apperance causing a near-riot.

Liu's title-defending campaign has been troubled with nagging injuries and a formidable rival who plans to spoil Liu's home party.

Liu lost his world record to Cuban Dayron Robles in June, who clocked 12.87 seconds, one hundredth of a second ahead of Liu's mark.

Luo Ming, who calls herself "an avid Liu fan" and came from east China's Zhejiang province to watch Liu's first outing in the National Stadium, said she was shocked at Liu's sudden withdrawal but will always be a Liu supporter.

"I was stunned. I don't know what to say," said the 23-year-old accountant, who wiped tears off her heavily made-up face. "But I will always support him. He remains my biggest idol."

Rebecca Williams, an Olympic volunteer from Australia, said she felt sad for Liu and hoped the hurdler would succeed in his bid for a berth in the Athletes' Commission of the International Olympic Committee.

"We love you. We understand you. We support you. Please don't be sad," said a message posted by "Love Liu Xiang" on popular news portal Xinhuanet.com.

Italian reporter Gennaro Bozza, an expert on Chinese sports who has been to China 38 times, said Liu's reputation as China's sports symbol remains intact.

"He is still a hero," said La Gazzetta dello Sport reporter. "He is a fighter who fights till the end."

(Xinhua News Agency August 18, 2008)