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Name: Liu Xiang
Date of birth: July 13, 1983 in Shanghai 

Olympic entry: 110-metres hurdles

Career highlights: Olympic gold in 2004 at Athens; set world record of 12.88 seconds at 2006 IAAF Lausanne Grand Prix (the mark has since been eclipsed by Dayron Robles of Cuba who clocked 12.87); first Chinese track and field athlete to achieve the 'triple crown' of athletics (world record holder, world champion and Olympic champion) and hold the titles simultaneously; gold at 2002 and 2006 Asian Games

Liu Xiang's fate is inextricably linked to Beijing 2008. The reigning Olympic and world 110m hurdles champion was born on July 13, the date Beijing was awarded the hosting rights to the event, and he has come to symbolise the pressure all Chinese athletes are facing. 

A nation expects - and he has been given every possible assistance to deliver. His birthday this year was a sombre affair. No family party, no champagne, just a simple cake with his coaches and teammates in the cordoned-off training centre in Beijing.

So close to the opening ceremony, it was no time for distractions. But there was an added reason for the mood: 2008 hasn't exactly gone to plan.

Liu has yet to break the 13-second barrier, let alone get close to his record of 12.88 that was broken by Cuban rival Dayron Robles. A sore hamstring grounded Liu in back-to-back competitions in the United States in June, his last planned appearances before the Games. Rarely competing and shielded from the media, there have been doubts - bordering on panic - that the brightest star of them all was about to crash and burn.

Closer examination shows the reality is quite different.

Away from the public eye and without distraction, Liu and his team have been quietly fine-tuning his build-up and insist it is business as usual.

'Initially, I was afraid that losing the world record might affect his mentality,' his father, Liu Xuegen, said from Shanghai. 'But he sounded just fine in the phone conversations we've had in the past few weeks. He even called up, asking for birthday presents. Clearly, he was in high spirits.'

Long-term coach Sun Haiping, who determines Liu's schedule and training regime, insisted everything was under control.

'I know people are concerned about his form after such a quiet season and that hamstring injury,' he told the Beijing Youth Times. 'Liu hasn't yet reached tip-top shape. But he has already recovered 90 per cent. I'm confident I will help fine-tune his body back to full-cylinder mode in early August.'

His season best of 13.18 is way behind rivals such as Robles, David Oliver (12.95) and Terrence Trammel (13.08). But success in the event is a matter of peaking when it counts - and no one knows how to turn it on better than Liu.

'I believe he is still the favourite, though I am somewhat concerned how his form will be without actual races prior to Beijing,' said Renaldo Nehemiah, a former world record holder in the event.

'He has won both the world championships and Olympic Games, so he has proven he can perform at the highest level and under maximum pressure.'

He proved this when he beat Allen Johnson to take gold in Athens in a world record-equalling time. He proved it again when he won at the 2007 world championships in Osaka in 12.95 - from the difficult lane nine.

Another reason behind the rosy outlook is that Liu enjoys a level of state support unthinkable anywhere else in the sport.

A cluster of therapists, doctors and others assist Sun in preparing Liu while the government pays the bills. This team includes five top kinematics scientists who monitor Liu's physical indicators, analyse his training and race footage, collect information on his rivals, and advise Sun on how to conduct each training session. There is speculation that 10 per cent of the State Sports General Administration's sports science budget is spent on Liu alone.

A confident performer in front of the cameras with a ready smile and a dry wit, Liu has played down the weight of expectations.

 'The pressure has nothing to do with others,' he said. 'It's all about how I treat it. I think I am the best psychologist for myself.'

Then there is the matter of making sure home advantage is maximised. Although Sun insists Liu will not be favoured, sources say he may have been allowed to train at the Bird's Nest.

With all that backing, officials and 1.3 billion fans hope that come August 21 their favourite son will give them a moment similar to Australian 400m star Cathy Freeman at Sydney 2000.

But for Liu's father, the prayer is much simpler: 'I hope, with or without a gold medal, he will just get through this Olympics injury free.'

?oAdditional reporting by Reuters





No 1: Liu Xiang