(Written by a university student in Beijing.)

           At the Athens Olympics in 2004, Liu Xiang won an unexpected gold medal for China.  It not only made him into a legend in his motherland, but there was respect for him everywhere, as he had created a new world record. 

          At track meets in the following years, one could hear the statement made over and over that Xiang was the best.  During that period, the Chinese proudly asked, “Who said that an Asian could never be number 1 in a running event.  We have air-Xiang!”

          It was a shock, therefore, at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games when Liu had to drop out of the competition because of an injury.  Everyone’s mind seemed to go blank. 

          It was hard to face the situation.  Some people just couldn’t digest it; they shouted, cried, and even walked away from the runner they had once loved.

          Xiang apologized to all of us with tears in his eyes, but the response from many was “You’ve hurt us all very badly.”

          Is that fair?  Was it his fault?  I maintain that it was destiny over which he had no control.

          Perhaps they’re turning their backs on him was caused by the belief that when he had to quit the games, the legend that had been created because of his former success was over, too.  They felt that there would be no point in watching the 110 hurdles during his absence. 

          People’s resentment had also been fueled by the fact that the tickets they had bought for the event had been very expensive.  I have a classmate – one of the crazy ones – who spent over 10 thousand yuan ($1,333) to buy his ticket for that event.  He just couldn’t believe that Liu hadn’t made it out of the first round.

          Despite all the complaining, we shouldn’t think of Liu Xiang as being guilty.  He had tried his best.  It just wasn’t in the cards.

          Dayron Robles, the winner of the race has said, “All of life is not about the hurdles event at a track meet.  Life goes on regardless of what happens.”

          We all know that’s true so we should just let Xiang handle his disappointment by himself without our getting involved in whether he was a success or a failure.  He shouldn’t have to be concerned about our desires or demands.  That’s just too heavy a burden for him to have to bear. 

          An athlete becomes great after years of hard work, good coaching, and a lot of polishing of technique.  That he should also have to satisfy his fans is too much to expect.

          In four years – at the Olympic Games in London – Liu Xiang will be 29 years old.  There is no way of knowing whether there will be a return of the man we have regarded as a kind of king, and here’s my response:

          Let it be.