With his eyes firmly fixed on the Beijing Olympics, China's Liu Xiang will settle for nothing less than the World Championships gold in the 110m hurdles in Osaka later this month.

 

 

Liu Xiang from China gazes the hurdles before the 60 meters hurdles competition during the track and field meeting at the indoor arena in Dusseldorf, Germany in this file photo taken on February 6, 2007. The Olympic champion and world record holder is eyeing a world title in Osaka, Japan later this month. (Photo: Xinhua)

 

Superstar Liu Xiang, a national hero in his homeland, won bronze and silver medals in 2003 and 2005 respectively and is determined to add the top prize this time round before capping it with another Olympic title next year.

 

The world meet will be from August 25-September 2.

 

"I really want to see what winning the gold feels like this time," he said recently, conscious that more than 1 billion Chinese fans are backing his quest to take home the title.

 

"Osaka is my lucky track and I hope it brings me success again. I was third in 2003 and second in 2005 in the World Championships, so I certainly hope to get a better result this time around."

 

Liu Xiang won China's first ever men's Olympic track gold in Athens in 2004 and then smashed the world record last year, clocking 12.88, but has been outside 13 seconds in recent races.

 

He desperately wants to avenge French hero Ladji Doucoure, who pipped him for gold in Helsinki two years ago.

 

Doucoure ended a 29-year wait for France when he clinched his country's first 110m hurdles global title since Guy Drut's gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He has since faded from the scene but will start in Osaka.

 

With four-time champion Allen Johnson of the US missing the championships, Cuba's Dayron Robles and American Terrence Trammell are shaping as Liu Xiang's main threats.

 

But he is currently only running at 80 percent capacity and needs to move up a gear to clinch the title, his long-time coach Sun Haiping said last week.

 

Liu Xiang has been working on fast starts and acceleration over the initial hurdles in training.

 

"At present Liu Xiang's form is at 80 percent of best, with the result of about 13.10," Haiping said. "In gearing up for the World Championships we will make some adjustments and Liu Xiang will get better."

 

"We are going there to bring home the gold medal. We want it very much."

 

It was in Osaka in 2004 that Liu Xiang set a new Asian record before storming to the Olympic title in Athens, and he has also won the Japan Grand Prix four times running - giving him a 100 percent winning record on the track.

 

The 110m hurdles final is on August 31.

 

(Star Online via China Daily August 21, 2007)