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Nationwide Liu Xiang craze: to be or not to be?
By Guan Xiaomeng (Chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-10-30 11:03
Having won unprecedented popularity nationwide, he is known as a "charming
guy to all" in the country.
Liu celebrates his
victory as he dashes past the finish line first at the men's 110m hurdle
in the 2004 Athens Games, August 27, 2004, clocking 12.91
and matching the world record set by US veteran hurdler Allen
Johnson. [Sohu] |
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Liu Xiang, a 22-year-old and 1.88-metre-tall handsome hurdler from Shanghai,
has been "chased" by media and fans ever since he clocked 12.91 at the finish
line of the men's 110m hurdle in the 2004 Athens Games, making him the first
Chinese athlete, as well as the first Asian, ever to win a men's track and field
Olympic gold medal.
Since that remarkable achievement, every action by Liu, whether on the track,
in the public, or wherever, draws millions of eyes and screams. This has caused
widely heated discussions on the Liu Xiang craze, mainly on the question of
whether or not such adoration is good for the young yet successful hurdler, or,
to a larger extent, the development of the nation's sports undertakings.
In the just-ended 10th National Games, Liu blazed a winning time of 13.10 and
has been the main media and public attraction since he set foot in Nanjing.
However, Liu's teammate, Shi Dongpeng, another world-class hurdler from Hebei
Province, finished second in the race at 13.44, and was reportedly by no one in
the crowd when he was in Nanjing's subway.
Liu Xiang reacts to
surrounding media after winning the final of the 110-meter hurdles at the
10th National Games of the People's Republic of China in Nanjing.
[Xinhua] |
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Some people feel sorry for athletes like Shi, wondering "Don't they deserve
equal attention from us? Why not?" It is quite unfair to have just a fraction of
those who have titles already always be in the limelight while a majority of
those who are promising but less known or even unknown get the cold shoulder by
society.
The current National Games saw the rise of many young promising athletes,
some of who won one or more gold medals and set extraordinary world records. It
is not unthinkable for some of them to become another Liu, or even exceed him.
Perhaps what they need is more support and care from society to get inspired to
accomplish more miracles.
However, Liu is a magnet to everyone. In Nanjing, people checked by wire nets
watching him train or knocked at his hotel room door for his signature or photo.
Girls even burst out screaming when he just gave a wink shortly before the race.
It is hard to believe the young hurdler has hit one success after another
without extraordinary calmness and stability under such pressure by a zealous
public following.
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