Liu stays modest ahead of London Olympics

20 May 2012, 11:56 am   -   Source: AAP

Liu Xiang had an impressive win in the 110m hurdles at the Diamond League meet in Shanghai, setting the season's best time.

Chinese superstar Liu Xiang is playing down expectations for his performance at the London Olympics despite setting a season's best time in the 110m hurdles on Saturday.

Liu became China's first ever Olympic track champion at Athens 2004 but four years later caused national angst when he dramatically pulled out injured in front of a packed crowd in Beijing.

On his home turf in Shanghai at the Diamond League meeting on Saturday, he clocked 12.97sec in wet conditions to beat two Americans, David Oliver and world outdoor champion Jason Richardson.

"I didn't think I would run within 13 seconds, so seeing 12.97 seconds makes me extremely happy," he said after his victory.

While China has yet to pick its three hurdlers, Liu is considered an automatic choice.

"I don't think about breaking the world record," he said.

"I hope to keep this good form and give full play to my training. My dream is just to stand on the Olympic track."

Richardson said Liu seemed to draw strength from the home crowd, who roared as one when the Chinese hurdler crossed the finish line.

"He's incredibly hard to beat here," Richardson said.

"What was surprising was to see an entire country get behind one athlete. I wish we had a little bit more of that in America."

But Liu also has to contend with the weight of expectations riding on his shoulders from the world's most populous country.

Asked if he faced pressure, Liu said: "I'm used to pressure. I've never felt pressure on myself. Everyone faces pressure, what you have to do is control it."

Liu declined to answer questions about his specific goals for the Olympics or how he might handle Dayron Robles, the reigning Olympic champion.

Robles obstructed Liu at the World Championships final last year, causing the Cuban to be disqualified after the two clashed arms.

"I hope to compete against him. But I want to say that every athlete is strong. He is only one. I'm not so bad myself," said Liu.

In other results, Jamaican Olympic champion Veronica Campbell-Brown beat America's Carmelita Jeter in the women's 100m, while former world record-holder Asafa Powell raised his hopes for London by winning the men's 100m in 10.02sec.

Powell, beaten by a resurgent Justin Gatlin in this month's opening Diamond League meeting in Doha, timed six hundredths of a second quicker than America's Michael Rodgers, who was recently hit with a nine-month, retroactive drug ban.

"It was a good result. Technically it was good. We did a lot of work in Jamaica," said Powell, who is tipped to be outshone by compatriots Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake - the Olympic and world champions - in London.

"It's still two months to the Olympics. I'm satisfied. Shanghai is a good meet."

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