Foreign journalists offered hurdling star Liu Xiang's first coach 100,000 euros (US$126,200) for admitting that Liu had or was doping, according to a Beijing-based newspaper.

Liu's first coach Gu Baogang rejected the offer by a group of journalists from seven countries including France, Italy, Sweden and Germany. They met on an undisclosed day in 2007 when Gu was training some of his athletes at Yichuan Middle School in Shanghai's Putuo District, The First reported today. Accompanied by Chinese foreign affairs officials, the journalists interviewed Gu at the track.

"Their first question was whether Liu had ever taken dope," Gu told The First. "I replied through a female interpreter that it was a silly question as they should ask the World Anti-Doping Agency, which has the authority to give such information, not me."

The journalists continued asking similar questions until one took out a check and claimed they could offer Gu an interview fee of 100,000 euros.

"They told me the sum could be raised and then explained how to exchange the check into cash," Gu was quoted as saying. "I replied that it was no use increasing the sum because Liu had never taken dope."

They later asked if they could interview Gu's other athletes, which the coach rejected.

"I later informed Liu and his father about the issue," Gu told the newspaper. "It was the trickiest interview I ever did. "They were suspicious that Liu had taken dope, but could not get any evidence. So they hoped to get a comment about it from his former coach."

According to doctors at the Shanghai Track and Field Team, the procedure to protect athletes' drinking water is rather strict in order to prevent others from intentionally spreading dope.

"We mark the bottle and lid with different signs. All of Liu's bottles are labeled with the English word 'fly,'" Tian Zhizhong, the team doctor in charge of beverages, told the newspaper.

Liu became a national hero when he won a gold medal in the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Olympics in Athens. Two years later he set a world record in the event with a time of 12.88 seconds, which has since been beaten by Cuba's Dayron Robbles.

On August 31, 2007, Liu became World Champion in the 110m hurdles for the first time after completing the race in 12.95 seconds at the World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan.

However, he pulled out of Beijing Olympic Games in August due to an achilles injury.

(Shanghai Daily November 18, 2008)