National hero Liu Xiang is about to become the second-highest paid athlete on the mainland behind NBA superstar Yao Ming.
According to Forbes China, the 21-year-old Shanghai native, whose world record-equalling display in winning the men's 110 metres hurdles was considered the best achievement by the 407-member Chinese team in Athens, should rake in millions as he becomes China's first athletics superstar.
Forbes believes his Athens' victory will be worth at least five million yuan as he receives property, cash awards and fees through endorsements. His appearance fees at Grand Prix athletic meetings is also expected to soar and figures suggest he will collect at least 2.8 million yuan this year alone on the track. It's a far cry from Liu's humble beginnings when he used to sleep on the floor as a youngster in a cramped one-bedroom apartment in Shanghai.
His parents paid 10 yuan a month for the quarters. But Liu's success has moved his family away from poverty and even before his gold medal in Athens, his lifestyle had changed dramatically. But it is going to change even more now.
'I don't consider all these material things important to me. What's important is that I win honour for my country and I hope to win more honour in Beijing 2008,' said Liu.
Still, Liu's wealth is far less than basketball giant Yao of the Houston Rockets, who tops Forbes' Chinese celebrity rankings by a long way.