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China’s Xie Zhenye (left) with his Asian champion 4x100m relay teammates at the 2015 IAAF World Championships. Photo: AFP

Asian Games 2018: China’s sprint hopes take a hit as Xie Zhenye is forced to pull out on eve of Asiad

China sprint star to miss out in Jakarta with ankle injury

China’s Asian Games sprint relay hopes took a big hit on Thursday when Xie Zhenye announced on social media that he had been forced to withdraw through injury a day before the championships get underway.

Xie, along with sprint sensation Su Bingtian, was an integral part of China’s gold medal-winning 4x100-metre relay winning team from Incheon four years ago.

Xie posted a picture of his diagnosis that confirmed he was still suffering with a partial tear of the deltoid ligament in his right ankle.

“A re-examination of my ankle yesterday did not go well,” Xie wrote. “After serious discussion, my team and I decided that it would be better for me to withdraw from the Jakarta Asian Games for the long-term good.

“I’d like to say sorry to the fans who support me all the time. Sorry to let you down,” he added.

The 24-year-old sprinter suffered the injury at a Diamond League meeting in late July after stumbling following a bad baton pass.

In the build-up to the Asiad, Xie had been confident that he would be fit enough to compete, but it proved to be too much, too soon for the world championship silver-medallist and former Youth Olympic gold medal winner.

Hopes were high that Xie could challenge for the podium in the 100m in Jakarta after a breakthrough campaign which saw him set a personal best mark of 9.97 seconds in June when he momentarily held the Chinese national record in 100m, before Su dramatically snatched it back days later.
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