Xiang Liu - Famous Athlete

Full Name: Xiang Liu

Date of Birth: 13 th July, 1983

Country: China

Sport involved in: Athletics

Achievements made:

•  Gold medalist in the 110 meter hurdle event at the World Student Games and the east Asian Games in 2001

•  Winner of gold medals in the 110 meter hurdle event at the Asian Championships and the Asian games in 2002

•  Winner of bronze medal in the 110 meter hurdle event at the 2003 IAAF World Championships

•  Bronze medal winner in the 60 meter hurdle event in the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships

•  Silver medalist in the 60 meter hurdle event in the 2004 IAAF World Indoor Championships

•  Gold medalist in the 110 meter hurdle race in the 2004 Athens Summer Games

•  Winner of silver medal in the 110 meter event in the 2005 IAAF World Championships in Athletics

•  Winner of gold medals in the 110 meter hurdle event in the IAAF Super Grand Prix and the IAAF World Athletics Final in 2006

Career: Xiang Liu started practicing high jumping in his childhood. Liu started his hurdling training in 1998. Liu started his professional career as a hurdler in 2002. He won his first IAAF Grand Prix setting a World Junior and Asian record in the 110 meter hurdle event. He reached the finishing line in a record time of 13.12 seconds. Liu is holder of many world junior indoor records. He finished the 60 meter indoor hurdle race in a record setting 7.55 seconds. Liu also set the record in the 50 meter hurdles with a timing of 6.52 seconds. In the 2004, Liu defeated America's Allen Johnson in 13.06 seconds and set a new Asian record. At the 2004 Athens Summer Games , Liu won his first Olympic gold medal in the 110 meter hurdle race. In the final race, he equaled the record made by Colin Jackson (12.91 seconds). Liu was the first non African athlete to reach the finishing line under 13 seconds in the 110 meter hurdle event. Liu received the Laureus World Sports Award for the Newcomer of the Year in 2005. In the 2006 Super Grand Prix, Liu set a new world record in the event with a time of 12.88 seconds.

Performance at the Olympics: Xiang Liu participated at the 2004 Athens Summer Games at an age of 21. He was one of the top medal contenders in the 110 meter hurdle competition. However, he was not the favorite for gold medal in the event. In the final race, Liu's technique was almost perfect; he cleared five hurdles cleanly and barely touched the sixth one. He won the race by almost three meters. In the race Liu equaled the world record of 12.91 seconds which remained unbeaten for long 11 years before his performance. Liu became the first Chinese athlete to win an Olympic gold medal. Liu is determined to defend his Olympic title in the 2008 Beijing Summer Games.