The 12-year-old was being beaten in his events at the school meet, but as coach Fang Shuiquan watched the boy sprint the 100 metres and launch into the long jump.
China hopes to win more medals than any other nation in Beijing, and over 1.3 billion people will hope that among them is defending champion Liu Xiang’s 110 metres hurdles gold
SHANGHAI: The 12-year-old was being beaten in his events at the school meet, but as coach Fang Shuiquan watched the boy sprint the 100 metres and launch into the long jump, he had a flash of inspiration. He had noticed the rhythm, flexibility and strong ankles. So, Fang approached the boy and suggested he was doing the wrong events.
The coach asked if he’d like to switch to hurdles. “Sure,” the boy answered. The boy’s name was Liu Xiang and that was the moment he jumped onto a path that led to him become China’s first men’s track and field Olympic champion with a world record-equalling run in the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games. “If I hadn’t seen Liu Xiang jumping on this spot, we wouldn’t be seeing his success today,” Fang said, pointing to a sandpit behind the Shanghai Sports School where he works and Liu still often trains.
Now at 25, Xiang carries on his shoulders the expectations of 1.3 billion Chinese that he repeat his gold medal-winning performance. If anyone can cope with that pressure, it is Xiang, Fang said. He recalled that even at a young age Liu showed an amazing ability to block out distractions. “I am still very relaxed. Before the Beijing Games anything could happen, the most important thing is to relax myself. I am taking as just another event. I don’t want to be burdened by all the pressure,” Xiang wrote on his official blog.
The name Liu Xiang became iconic in Chinese people’s hearts when he won a gold medal in the Olympic Games at Athens, four years ago. But there is no permanent legend in sports. The reigning Olympic and world champion was recently relieved of his world 110-metre hurdles record by Dayron Robles of Cuba. During one race, Xiang realised on the starting line that he’d forgotten to wear his number. Everything stopped while he sprinted to the finish line and asked Fang to retrieve it from his bag.
Xiang stood calmly while everyone waited, then pinned it on, and sprinted back.
“Altogether he ran a few extra hundred metres,” Fang said. “When he got back, the race started and he still won.” Fang, a graduate of the Shanghai University of Sport, had originally wanted to coach soccer but the Communist Party ordered him to become a specialist in the 110m hurdles.
It soon became a passion and now the 57-year-old, who stands just 168 centimetres (5ft 5ins) tall and has a slight paunch, is one of the most respected athletics coaches in China. At a recent training session, Fang rapidly clapped out a rhythm as his charges darted over hurdles, snapping their elbows back and springing their legs forward — always looking ahead with an intensity similar to Xiang’s.
When Liu won the gold medal at Athens, Fang received a 160,000 yuan (23,400 US dollar) bonus and 7,000 yuan last year when Liu won the World championship.
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