Do you think Liu Xiang was faking it during the beijing olympics?

Question

My dad and I had a heated discussion on whether or not Liu Xiang is faking the injury.My dad said his only accomplishment was the gold in Athens.He sad Liu Xiang didn't wanna compete agaisnt that Cuban dude.Is he right or wrong?I got really pissed at him for being so ignorant of Liu's pain.

We are both chinese btw

Answer 1

I think he really got hurt. Did you see his face? He really looked like he was in pain!

Answer 2

if he wanted to fake it, he could have just dropped of the race and have a news conference to tell the public, there is no need to fake in the field.

Answer 3

If any of you have ever had an achilles injury, it is extremely painful...especially when you have to "explode" from the blocks to get a good start. Not to mention running track is extremely stressful on your feet because you're constantly beating your feet on the ground by running so hard. Plus he's jumping hurdles, which compounds the matter.

Liu Xiang is a proven winner. He's getting more flack from pulling out of the race than simply losing it. So why go through the effort of faking it?

Answer 4

To be honest his expressions of pain looked really exaggerated.  If one were truly in that amount of pain, they'd try to seek treatment for it, maybe have his coaches/medics spray his legs or apply a bandage.  Or if that's not possible, pull out BEFORE the race started.  The way he walked off was a bit disrespectful, especially when the camera panned to the crowd who just stared up at the big screen in confusion.  He didn't notify the officials, he didn't give them a hand signal, he didn't even LOOK at them or the crowd.  Just turned his back and walked off.

Also, Liu broke the WC in 2006 so his Athens gold is not his only achievement.  06 was his peak.

Answer 5

I know he was injured so I kinda figured that he would withdraw. What seems odd to me is that he had to be in the track before he would withdraw, in front of the whole crowd and China. He tried to compete but couldn't. He has a pained demeanor. The scene looks better than just calling a press conference and just saying he is withdrawing. Seems like the whole thing is staged to me.

Answer 6

No, all you heartless people, he wasn't faking, because his parents together with 47 family and friends went to Beijing to watch him race. And your dad is totally wrong about his only accomplishment was gold in Athens, he is the only Asian to have won a short distance track and field event at an international level time after time.

Answer 7

I didn't get that impression.  I think he was really hurting, and was under a lot of pressure to perform anyway.  He was probably told by his coaches to try to run through the pain.

Answer 8

Uh yeah, he was faking because he didn't think he could make it out of the first heat??  Nonsense.  I doubt he was faking.  I saw him in the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2007.  He blew everyone away and got first in about the same time as his Athens gold run.  If he wanted to fake it, he couldve pulled out after easily winning his heat.

Still it is pretty absurb to think he is faking it.  Any top athlete wants to compete, believing he is the best.  Whether or not he could have won gold is irrelevant.  I'm sure in his mind he believed he would have won.  Did you see any other athlete faking it to get out of competing?  

Especially in a sprint event, this simply doesn't make sense.  In an event like gymnastics where one could have a lot of mental errors that costs the medals it would be more likely.  In the hurdles, he needs only focus on clearing them.  His speed would easily have allowed him to contend.

An achilles injury is very painful.  You don't really know how bad it is until you try to accelerate off of it.

Answer 9

I think it was a little of both.

Answer 10

Yes I got the feeling he was faking injury for some reason, maybe he lacked confidence, but he was kicking the wall pretty hard for someone who was injured.

Answer 11

I think he wanted to, but really got injured. If he did compete, all of China would be behind him, and would get glory and fame beyond Yao Ming's. Also, I think he is faster than that Cuban.  

Answer 12

NO, he wouldn't have faked it WHY WOULD HE?