Asian Track Champion’s Rise to Fame

What is so special about the champion of the world? There are some differences, of course. However, the way to become the best is really simple, according to the best runner in the world.

Liu Xiang (23, China, picture) is the first record-breaking Asian runner, with a new world record in the men’s 110m hurdles (12’ 88”).

Our reporter met Liu, who is visiting Korea to participate in the Colorful DAEGU Athletics Meeting 2006 which will be held on September 28, at the Inter-Burgo Hotel in Daegu. With a handsome face and a good figure (189cm, 86kg), Liu, who broke the barrier of the yellow race and became a world star, was popular in Daegu and was constantly asked for autographs. He has a hard look on the track, but it changes into a gentle one which fascinates others.

Liu Xiang started in track in the high jump when he was 13 years old, but he changed to the hurdles when he met Sun Haiping when he was 16 years old. He was tall enough and had enough speed and more potential in the hurdles rather than in the high jump.

“Allen Johnson (35, U.S.A.) was my hero when I was young. He was really fast when he jumped and ran over the hurdles. I have tried my utmost and pushed myself, and eventually I became faster than him,” Liu said.

Allen Johnson, the gold medalist in the Atlanta Olympic Games 1996 with a personal record of 12’ 92”, was Liu’s role model when he practiced. Thanks to the coaching of his manager Sun Haiping, he gradually improved his speed and hurdling, or the technique to jump over hurdles.

Liu debuted as a champion at the Lausanne Grand Prix 2002 and set a record of 13’12”, which broke the previous Asian record and the World Junior record. After that, he beat his hero Johnson in Osaka with a record of 13’ 06” in May 2004. Eventually, he tied the world record of 12’91” in the 2004 Athens Olympics and became the best. As the first non-American to break 13 seconds, he became a world star and improved his record to 12’88” in the Lausanne IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) Super Grand Prix on July 12.

He especially gives credit to Sun Haiping, mentioning his record was set up on account of his coaching. “Through the combination of speed training and hurdling with Liu’s effort, it was possible for him to perform strongly,” Sun Haiping said. His next goal is setting another world record and winning a gold medal in each of two successive Olympics, with the next one in Beijing in 2008.

Korea is a backward country when it comes to athletics, especially in short distance races. The Korean record in the 110m huddles is 0.83 second slower (13” 71” set by Park Tae-gyeong) than Liu Xiang’s.

The advice Liu offers to Korean athletes is simple. “Good runners and a good coach combined with scientific training will help Korean athletes become world runners in a short time.” “The existence of a rival to compete against is also important,” Liu added.

Liu Xiang will confront his hero, Johnson, who still competes with Liu in world competitions, on September 28.

yjongk@donga.com