Liu's coach breaks down in press conference
2008-08-18 05:31:44 GMT2008-08-18 13:31:44 (Beijing Time) Xinhua English
Sun Haiping (R), coach of Chinese athlete Liu Xiang, reacts during a press conference after the men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury. (Xinhua/Guo Dayue)
Sun Haiping (R), coach of Chinese athlete Liu Xiang, speaks during a press conference after the men's 110m hurdles at the National Stadium, also known as the Bird's Nest, during Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 18, 2008. The defending champion Liu Xiang dropped out after getting injury. (Xinhua/Chen Kai)
BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Liu Xiang's head coach Sun Haiping broke into tears in the press conference while hailing his student as a "fighter".
"He has been keeping fighting and fighting until the last moment," said Sun.
Defending champ Liu pulled out of the Olympic 110m hurdles first round because the five or six-year-old tendon injury in the right foot got worse.
"I know that kind of pain was unbearable," said Feng Shuyong, head coach of the Chinese team.
Feng admitted Liu has been under great pressure as a Chinese sports icon.
"But he is great athlete and very strong mentally," he said.
