Liu Xiang, a legend of Chinese track and field, has set an immortal record in the 110m hurdles event in particular. Looking back at the 2004 Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang tied the world record with an astonishing time of 12.91 seconds, and at the same time set a new Olympic record at that time.
Although the world record of 12.91 seconds was surpassed several times, this record has not been broken at the Olympic Games. Liu Xiang became the first men's Olympic champion in Chinese track and field at this time, becoming a treasure in sports history.
As early as 2001, Liu Xiang won the championship with a time of 13.33 seconds at the World Congress, which was China's first track and field gold medal at the Universiade and his first world championship. In 2002, he broke the Asian record and the world junior record at the IAAF Grand Prix in Switzerland.
In May 2004, Liu Xiang won the IAAF Grand Prix again with a time of 13.06 seconds, setting a personal best, laying the groundwork for his performance at the Athens Olympics.
In the men's 110m hurdles final at the Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang won the gold medal with an astonishing time of 12.91 seconds, tying the world record, breaking the Olympic record and winning the first men's Olympic championship for Chinese track and field. He then broke the world record again in July 2006 at the Lausanne Grand Prix with a time of 12.88 seconds.
Although the world record of 12.80 seconds was broken by other competitors, Liu Xiang's Olympic record of 12.91 seconds stood tall in the following Olympic Games in 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020, and no one has been able to surpass it to this day. Liu Xiang's brilliant achievements have endowed Chinese athletics with eternal brilliance.