After starring alongside Usain Bolt at World Championships, Chinese sprinter Su Bingtian pleads: 'don't call me the next Liu Xiang'
China's top runner - who twice this year ran inside 10 seconds in the men's 100m - doesn't want to be compared with retired hurdling great
Su Bingtian might be China's great sprinting hope, but don't call him the next Liu Xiang.
I love running very much, but I don't think I can take the responsibility of leading China's athletics, just like Liu. It's too much for me
Sharing his experiences with Hong Kong sprinters at the Sports Institute yesterday, Su said he never thought of becoming an icon like Liu had done over the past decade.
"I love running very much, but I don't think I can take the responsibility of leading China's athletics, just like Liu. It's too much for me," said Su.
"I just want to do my best in sprint events and if one day I find I cannot make any more progress, I will quit."
Su twice recorded 9.99 seconds in the 100 metres this year, including at the semi-finals at the World Championships to become the first Chinese to break the 10 second barrier.