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NOVEMBER 23, 20 CHINA DAILY PAGE 4 ATHLETICS & TRAMPOLINE Fan-demonium as Liu lights up qualifying HURDLING GREAT DOESN’T DISAPPOINT AS HE SETS FASTEST TIME IN ADVANCING TO SECOND ROUND By LEI LEI CHINA DAILY GUANGZHOU — Star hurdler Liu Xiang’s fi rst appearance at the Guangzhou Asian Games thrilled a huge crowd at Aoti Stadium on Monday night. In the open- ing round of the men’s 110m event, Liu clocked 13.48 ATHLETICS seconds to easily top his heat and advance to the next round in his quest for a third successive Asian Games champi- onship. “I felt very relaxed today and it is only the fi rst round,” Liu said aft er the race. “Today is a preparation for the fi nal. I will fi ght on in the fi nal.” Th underous applause greeted China’s track-and-fi eld superstar when he walked into the sta- dium. During his introduction, Liu waved to the audience con- fi dently — drawing even louder cheers. EDMOND TANG / CHINA DAILY “Th e spectators are very enthu- Liu Xiang of China pulls a face for the TV camera after winning his heat in the 110m hurdles on Monday. Liu led all qualifi ers with 13.48 seconds. siastic. I think this is a lucky place for me,” said Liu. ture, but Liu said it was all right He quietly moved into the Athletes’ Yang Peigang, an offi cial from the 23, also qualifi ed for the fi nal, in “I took part in my fi rst National for him. Village on Saturday evening and Shanghai sports bureau in Liu’s 13.89 seconds. Games here when I was 18 years “I used to run in even lower remained in his room for most of hometown. Shi was not satisfi ed with that old. At the Asian Championships temperatures, so today is fine,” the time. Liu’s appearance at the stadium result and aims to be faster in here last year, I also won the gold. he said. “Everything was good for All requests from volunteers for prompted a standby alert to all staff Wednesday’s fi nal. I will try to strive for a good result me today. I will try my best in the photos and autographs have been for an expected overfl ow of specta- “My body was so tight today that this time as well.” final. I hope I can finish within turned down. tors and media. I could not get a good result,” said Before the race, Liu’s coach 13.20 seconds.” “I had to refuse them all, Liu’s teammate, Shi Dongpeng, Shi. “I will do my best in the fi nal Sun Haiping expressed concerns Since his arrival in Guangzhou, since more than 100 volunteers who beat him at the Diamond and I hope I can achieve my best about the cool evening tempera- Liu has been training in isolation. showed up within minutes,” said League meet in Shanghai on May result.” Huang bounces past He as lucky charm has little eff ect By CUI JIA the woman he fell in love said Huang. “I didn’t real- don’t have many challengers,” said CHINA DAILY with after they both won ly have any pressure and Dong. gold medals at the Beijing that’s why I did so well.” “Our biggest rivals are ourselves, GUANGZHOU — Even a lucky Olympics two years ago. China’s trampoline and we are very diffi cult to defeat.” charm from her gold-medal-win- He, 21, the pre-tourna- team is the dominant Tetsuya Sotomura of Japan won ning boyfriend couldn’t catapult ment favorite, blamed her TRAMPOLINE force in the sport, having bronze with the highest diffi culty He Wenna, China’s leading female loss on an ailment. picked up all of the major titles over score, and in doing so relegated trampolinist, to the top of the “I actually lost to my own injury, the past few years. compatriot Masaki Ito to fourth. podium on Monday. which aff ected my performance,” In Guangzhou, the country also Others fared badly but still felt An injured He finished half a she said, adding that having Chen fi nished 1-2 in the men’s individual like champions, such as 23-year- point behind compatriot Huang in the crowd was not a distraction. event, with Dong Dong clinching old Seleh Kh S. A. A. Alkhahdeir Shanshan, who scored a personal “My only focus is the competi- gold. of Kuwait, a full-time air traffic best of 41.4, to clinch the battle, tion. Nothing else.” Dong, the top qualifier, out- controller who fi nished seventh in despite He’s boyfriend, Chen Yib- Huang, 24, delivered a fl awless scored teammate Tu Xiao by 0.7 a fi eld of eight in his international ing, cheering on from the stands performance in the fi nal to move up points to clinch the title despite debut. aft er painting her name across his from second place aft er the prelimi- both performing routines of only “I am the only trampolinist in fi ngernails. nary round and steal the crown; the moderate difficulty levels. What Kuwait. I’ve only been training ZOU ZHONGPING / CHINA DAILY Chen, China’s top gymnast, was bronze went to Ekaterina Khilko of made the difference was Dong’s for four months, while the others Gold medalist Huang Shanshan hoping some of his good fortune Uzbekistan with a score of 39.50. execution. have been training and competing of China performs in the — he picked up two titles in “I was very relaxed because “We have to admit that our team for years,” he said. “I feel as good as women’s trampoline fi nal on Guangzhou — would rub off on everybody’s attention was on He,” is the best in the world, and we if I’d won the gold medal.” Monday. .

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