China in seven heaven after Liu win

China’s Liu Xiang downplayed his Olympic chances but enthusiastic media on Monday said the superstar hurdler was reborn after a new technique helped him post the year’s fastest time in Shanghai.

Liu, who has cut his run-up from eight to seven strides to resurrect his injury-hit career, thrilled his home town fans with 13.07sec in the 110m hurdles at Sunday’s Diamond League meet, beating American rival David Oliver.

“New technique, new start, new flying man,” a headline in the Youth Daily read, using the nickname of Liu, who claimed China’s first Olympic track gold in 2004.

“Omit a small step and advance a large step”, said a headline in the Oriental Morning Post,
while the Shanghai Morning Post announced: “He told the world with flying speed: ‘Welcome the seven-step king. Here comes Liu Xiang.’“

The Oriental Morning Post put a large red “7” on its front page and Liu’s 13.07 time in homage to his adjusted technique, which he has honed by putting on his trousers wrong leg first.

“I used seven steps to approach the first hurdle, instead of eight steps ... I didn’t quite expect too much from my new technique. It’s just an experiment,” Liu told a news conference after the race.

The former world record holder won 110m hurdles gold in 2004, but an achilles injury forced him to hobble out of the 2008 Beijing Games, leaving millions of Chinese fans crestfallen.

The 27-year-old, who is eyeing next year’s London Games as his chance to recapture Olympic glory, said he decided to make the change after David Oliver beat him in Germany in February.

Oliver and current world record holder, Cuban Daymon Robles, both have adopted a seven-step start.

However, the new technique means Liu has to reverse his position in the starting blocks with his left leg first, instead of his preferred right.

To help the awkward adjustment, he has changed small habits such as putting his trousers on left leg first, his father Liu Xuegen told the Shanghai Morning Post.

The revamped technique helped him beat the 13.09 time that won a third straight Asian Games title in November, but Liu is still far from his personal best of 12.88.

But after Sunday’s race Liu said he was confident he could break the 13-second mark this season.

When asked if he was now more confident of a podium finish in London, Liu said after Sunday’s race: “If I’m lucky.”

“But I will never be satisfied with these results. I will try to do better, to run faster.”

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