Liu Xiang 刘 翔 stamped his class in a badly outgunned field, stopping the clock at 13.09s. Shi Dong Peng 史冬鹏 placed 2nd with a 13.39s performance, making it a 1-2 finish for the host country. South Korea’s Park Tae-Kyong 박태경 won Bronze.
When I watched the Youtube clip above and saw my idol romp to his best performance in years, I was ecstatic. Seeing Liu celebrate at the finish line is a priceless moment for this hardcore Liu Xiang fan. I raised my arms in triumph, rejoicing with the billion strong Chinese people! All of a sudden, the bad memories of Beijing 2008 are but a distant memory. Even though I watched the race from a measly streaming site, I could almost feel the electricity of Guangzhou’s Aoti Stadium as the thousands of spectators cheered wildly!
Whilst watching the slow motion replay of the race, one can feel the raw intensity of Liu. After all, the Asian Games is the biggest athletics event in China since the 2008 Olympics. The fact that Liu grazed a few hurdles with his hamstring is a testament to this momentous race.
Since it’s Asian Games time again, I couldn’t help but watch Liu Xiang’s 刘翔 gold medal-winning performances in Busan and Doha. The 2002 Busan race was memorable. I was just starting out with the sport. I became an instant Liu Xiang fan once I saw him race! I even recorded the event on VHS; hence the grainy format.
2002 Busan Asian Games – 110m High Hurdles (from Todor Krastev):
Liu Xiang 刘翔 (CHN) – 13.27s
Satoru Tanigawa (JPN) – 13.83s
Park Tae-Kyong 박태경 (KOR) – 13.89s
Dongpeng Shi 史冬鹏 CHN 13.92s
Mubarak Atah SAR 14.07s
Mohammed Aissa Al-Thawadi QAT 14.26s
Mohd Faiz Mohammed MAS 14.57s
Jung-Ho Lee KOR 14.61s
Satoru Tanigawa of Japan was a far second, almost six hundredths of a second behind the then 19-year Liu Xiang. 18-year old Shi Dong Peng 史冬鹏 – the other half of the high hurdling Chinese duo – dropped out of contention for the medals after he clipped a hurdle. 2002 was the year Liu Xiang broke Renaldo Nehemiah’s world junior record, when the latter stopped the clock at 13.12s (over senior hurdles, not the junior ones!) in Lausanne, Switzerland.Fast-forward four years later in the Doha edition of the Asiad. Liu Xiang is now a household name in China, with world championship bronze and silver medals, an Olympic gold and a world record (12.88s, also set in Lausanne) to his name.
Liu was a monster in the race. He was a lot quicker in between hurdles; his technical proficiency was at a different level. Liu was the epitome of the complete sprint hurdler. Now 23-year old, Liu was approaching the peak of his physical fitness. The winning margin was not as glaring as in 2002, since Shi Dong Peng is a decent hurdler in his own right. Liu clocked 13.15s as he practically jogged to the tape once the victory was his. Big Shi ran a respectable 13.28s, one-hundredths of a second off Liu’s winning time four years ago.
2006 Doha Asian Games – 110m High Hurdles (from Wikipedia)
Liu Xiang (CHN) – 13.15s
Shi Dong Peng (CHN) – 13.28s
Naito Masato (JPN) – 13.60s
Park Tae-Kyong (KOR) – 13.67s
Tasuku Takonaka (JPN) – 13.88s
Mohammed Essa Al-Thawadi (KSA) – 13.89s
Lee Jung-Joon (KOR) – 13.91s
Hassan Mohd Robani (MAS) – 14.04s
Comparing the results of the two editions, one can see the dramatic increase in the level of competition. If the 2002 silver medalist, Tanigawa (13.83s) ran in Doha, he would have placed a dismal fifth! Perhaps the improvement in the quality of performances can be attributed to Liu Xiang’s rise to the top – and the subsequent emergence of the sprint hurdles as the centerpiece event in Asian athletics.Under much criticism, Liu was given a “free pass” to the Guangzhou Asian Games. The 2004 Olympic Champion was allowed to miss the national championships, in light of his recovery from his troublesome Achilles. I personally believe that an athlete of Liu’s stature should be given this special treatment. It’s not like he doesn’t deserve the extra lee-way. Despite all the challenges, I wish the best for my idol!
Also, godspeed to all the Filipino athletes competing in the 2011 Asiad, especially the tracksters – Arniel Ferrera (Hammer Throw), Mariz Torres (Long Jump), Henry Dagmil (Long Jump), Rosie Villarito (Javelin Throw), Danilo Fresnido (Javelin Throw), Rene Herrera (Steeplechase) and Eduardo Buenavista (Marathon).
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