Chinese athletics legends hail Liu Xiang's world record

Chinese track and field legends on Wednesday hailed Liu Xiang's world record run in Switzerland.

Liu, who equaled Briton Colin Jackson's world mark of 12.91 seconds in winning China's first ever men's track Olympic gold in Athens in 2004, stormed home in 12.88 in a super grand prix meeting in Lausanne on Tuesday.

"I know this day will come, but I didn't expect it to come so early," said Zheng Fengrong, former world record holder in women's high jump, referring to Liu's world record performance.

Zheng, the first Chinese to break an athletics world record as she cleared 177 centimeters in 1957, said Liu Xiang and his coach Sun Haiping have ushered in a new future for Chinese athletics.

"The success of Sun Haiping has proven Chinese do have unique methods for training," said Zheng. "Western methods may be advanced but might not be useful to Chinese athletes. Chinese athletics should draw upon the successes of Liu Xiang and women's middle and long distance runners in order to achieve more successes."

Zheng regretted missing the Olympic Games.

"I felt sorry that didn't have a chance to compete in the Olympics and I thank Liu Xiang for glorifying Chinese athletics," said Zheng.

The People's Republic of China made an Olympic debut in 1984.

Zou Zhenxian, who holds the 25-year-old Asian men's triple jump record of 17.34 meters, said Liu is a genius.

"Liu Xiang is a genius runner and Sun Haiping is a genius coach," he said. "Liu is a mentally strong and technically sound athlete and I hope he will do even better when Beijing hosts the 2008 Olympics."

Source: Xinhua