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OSAKA, Japan: Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang returns to the familiar territory of Osaka this weekend on a mission to prove himself -- and Asian athletes as a whole -- in the run-up to Beijing.
Liu -- China's greatest hope for a gold medal in track and field at the Olympics -- is the favourite ahead of Saturday's Osaka Grand Prix, where last year he won his first world title.
"I've never been beaten in Osaka," said Liu, 24, who became Asia's first Olympic track gold medallist in Athens.
Along with last year's title in the 100-metre hurdles, Liu has kept a perfect record in Osaka. He has won the Grand Prix four straight times since 2004 as well as the 2001 East Asian Games on the same track.
Liu now hopes to make Osaka a stepping stone for the Beijing Olympics before his home crowd.
"Of course I want to win a second gold medal in my own country. To achieve that, I will have to make efforts," Liu said.
"I won't just talk about it, but let my deeds speak for themselves. I will seize whatever chance I get," he said.
He said he hoped the Beijing Olympics would provide "a good opportunity for the Asian athletes to show their abilities."
"I don't believe that Asian athletes are inferior to North Americans and Europeans in the track sprint events," he said.
"I'm a good example. It's important to eliminate existing stereotypes. I hope Japanese athletes will also make their best efforts."
In Athens, Liu equalled the previous world record of 12.91 seconds.
He then broke the 13-year-old world mark by clocking 12.88 in Lausanne two years ago and went on to complete his collection by winning the world outdoor title and the world indoor 60m hurdles title in Valencia in March.
"The difference from four years ago is that I am physically stronger and I run faster," Liu said. "Competition is the best way to test your ability."
On Saturday, Liu will take on world bronze medallist David Payne of the United States, his compatriot Marlon Odom, and Maurice Wignall of Jamaica, who came fourth in the Athens Olympics.
To the disappointment of Japanese fans, Olympic hammer throw gold medallist champion Koji Murofushi withdrew from the event as he has not fully recovered from a back injury in March.
His absence turns the men's hammer throw into a competition between Vadim Devyatovskiy of Belarus, who was fourth in the Olympics and the worlds, and Szymon Ziolkowski of Poland, seventh in the worlds.
In the men's 400m hurdles, two-time former world bronze medallist Dai Tamesue of Japan will compete against American James Carter, who was fourth in both the Olympics and the worlds.
World champions Donald Thomas of the Bahamas and American Brad Walker are favoured in the men's high jump and pole vault, while Marc Burns of Trinidad and Tobago is competing in the 100m along with Americans Joshua Norman and Joshua Johnson.
Prominent athletes in the women's events include China's world bronze medallist Zhang Wenxiu and Kamila Skolimowska of Poland in the hammer throw, Australian Bronwyn Thompson in the long jump, Li Ling of China in the shot put. - AFP/ac
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