Jerry's odyssey

 

 

The events 18th August morning at National Stadium were heartbreaking, if only for the reason that when athletes are in their prime and ready to compete on a world stage, the devastation of having their bodies break down is something that really only they can fully understand.

Liu Xiang walked onto the track for the sixth heat of the first round of the men's 110-meter hurdles race as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. And a few minutes later he walked off, an old Achilles tendon injury having gotten the better of him when he tried to compete. His coach Sun Haiping and the head coach of the Chinese track team Feng Shuyong made it clear afterwards: Liu Xiang would never have given up if there had been any shot at all that he could complete the race.

The press conference with Mr. Feng and Coach Sun was a painful exercise. Never before have I seen a coach break down in tears – or, for that matter, tears on the faces of journalists as well. When we saw Liu Xiang get into the blocks for his first-round race this morning, wincing in obvious pain, it was clear that something was not right. He's normally bouncy and loose, relaxed and unburdened. I've watched him race in person for the last five years, including at the last three outdoor world championships and at the 2008 indoor worlds in Valencia. He never looked tight, he never looked uncomfortable. Until today.

In the four years since his improbable gold medal in Athens, we have watched Liu Xiang become the toast of his country. He wasn't even the only Chinese athlete to win a gold medal in track and field on the night he accomplished that feat in Athens (Xing Huina took her 10,000-meter championship that night as well). Nor was Liu the only Chinese to have a good result in Greece. But something about that magical mixture of talent, personality, charisma and good fortune went in Liu Xiang's favor during this quadrennium. He became a huge crossover star in China. Interestingly, the same thing has not happened abroad, as it has for Yao Ming; the NBA is still a bigger marketing machine than anything a gold medal in the 110-meter hurdles event can compete with. In New York in late May, I saw Liu Xiang standing on a street corner when he was in town for the Reebok Grand Prix. Just standing there. Nobody coming up to him, nobody calling his name. When he goes abroad, Liu Xiang has a little bit of privacy – something that I'm sure is a comfort to him in times like this.

We can only guess at Liu Xiang's feelings at this moment, but I'm sure he's devastated, feeling betrayed by his body. American Tyson Gay went through some of the same feelings after he was injured during the heats of the 200-meter sprint at the U.S. Olympic Trials last month, but even his pain must pale in comparison to that of Liu after the buildup to his participation in the Beijing Olympics.

But that's what has been so compelling about Liu Xiang's story. In every way, he is unprecedented. How many times can we write "first" after his name? First Chinese man to win a gold medal in Olympic track and field. First Asian man to win an Olympic sprint competition. First athlete not from North America or Europe to win an Olympic medal of any color in this event. Liu Xiang is simply unique.

But you know what? There's a "first" I would love to add to this list someday. First really famous Chinese athlete who can live a normal life after his athletic career is over. Those of us who cover track and field regularly started saying to each other last year that we were afraid for Liu Xiang, that the pressure being applied on him inside China already felt like too much. What happened today wasn't about pressure; it was about a long-standing injury flaring up again at the worst possible time. But for Sun Haiping to dissolve in tears in a huge press conference tells me that he was under astounding pressure to deliver a healthy Liu to the starting line. The body doesn't take orders from anyone but itself. I'm sure Coach Sun and everyone on Liu Xiang's training and medical team did everything they could to help him.

Bottom line: whatever else Liu Xiang does in his athletic career is extra. He's already a world and Olympic champion and a former world record holder. What I most hope for him and his team is for the pressure to be let off now, so that he can just be another athlete when we get to London in 2012, in a country where he can walk the streets and not be recognized, and perhaps line up for the 110-meter hurdles again and enjoy the process without becoming obsessed with the result.

    Today is May 25th , we have no idea what will be jump front  of our eye sight later. Everything is updating, car,fashion, game, news , baby, PC etc...

    We live at a lost world. One thing bother me these days is why need waste so much time to attendance and care my IBM laptop, the blue giant make me little disappoint,because he hasn't show me his ture value and convenience to me, vise verse, I am tired to using the effect on that, he doesn't obey my order, I thought that even a baby will make me much more happy.

   Finally, I am try to know the "guy" 's temper , may be "he" need more nutrition and fresh company , my observe is totally right, I bought a offical Home Edition and genuine  kaspersky  for him , he did very well now, I wanna he turn right , he won't be foolish stand there again, and runing fast like a broncho. 

   So remember, machine is not just a machine, machine like a child which you need to know more and real care.