SHANGHAI, Aug. 31 -- LIU Xiang is leaving nothing to chance in pursuit of Olympic gold in Beijing next year, starting with his running spikes.

When the difference between first and second can be just a thousandth of a second, the 110-meter Olympic champion and world record holder can be forgiven for wanting every edge.

"This is a guy who is the fastest hurdler of all time... he's becoming more demanding and has more expectations about how it's all coming together," Michael Donahue, sports shoe manufacture Nike's innovation director said.

"There's a lot of pressure on him from the media and culturally so the fact that he's giving us any time is testament to the fact that he thinks the product's going to matter."

For Donohue and his team, this week's world championships in Osaka - where Liu will attempt to win a world title for the first time having qualified for the finals yesterday - is a testing ground for the new shoes they are developing for the Beijing Olympics.

"The world championships a year out from the Olympics is where we want to make sure we have the trust of the athletes about where the product is going," he said.

"There are a number of athletes out there wearing the bones of what will hopefully become a really spectacular shoe."

The essence of improving a running shoe is to make it lighter, stronger and fit better, Donohue said. "In simple terms, an ounce on your foot is worth 16 pounds on your back," he added.

"Little things matter and they're going to matter more and more as time goes by as more athletes get closer and closer."

Liu is very clear in his mind about what he wants from his shoe.

"He wants a lot of shoe, he wants to have pretty powerful equipment on his feet, he really wants to feel that shoe on his foot," Donohue said

As for most multinational companies, China is a hugely important market for Nike but Liu is only part of its commitment to the country's Olympic team.

It has signed contracts to supply kit and footwear to 22 sporting bodies in China, ranging from spikes for runners like Liu to boots for the equestrian competitors.

"As a sports machine, China is becoming more formidable and no one would be surprised if they win the overall medal count in Beijing," Donohue said. "I'm certainly not, and it could be a record."

So can he guarantee that Liu will have the best shoe when he lines up for his first race at the Olympics?

"Absolutely," he said. "He'll have the best shoe for Liu Xiang."