Liu Xiang may be injured and vulnerable after his shock Olympic flop, but advertising executives believe the groundbreaking Chinese athlete will remain a marketing phenomenon for many years to come.

The 25-year-old hurdler with the chiselled features and the impeccable manners has towered alongside basketball hero Yao Ming as one of the two most marketable sporting personalities in China since the Athens Olympics.

After Liu hobbled out of the Bird's Nest stadium unable to begin the defence of his 110m crown this week, questions were raised over his future earning power for sponsors trying to penetrate the Chinese market.

But advertising consultants believe Liu will remain an enduring sponsorship force in China and that there will be few regrets in ploughing so much money into one man, even if his much-hyped magic Beijing moment did not happen.

"It obviously would have been better if he had won a gold medal. But the Chinese people and the sponsors are not going to turn their back on him," said Beijing-based Greg Paull, who runs market research firm R3.

"He's still an icon, he's well respected. He still has the attention of the population."

Liu is believed to have earnt over $20 million in endorsements last year alone, as companies such as Nike, Visa and Cadillac sought his help in building their brands among China's enormous and increasingly rich population.

AFP