The IAAF Shanghai Golden Grand Prix this Sunday evening received a tremendous boost after organizers announced last week that 110m hurdler Liu Xiang, China’s top athletics star, will be returning to the field after a 13-month absence. The 2004 Athens Olympic gold medallist and 2007 World champion will be running his first race since he was forced to pull out of the Beijing Olympics due to an Achilles tendon injury. As Liu was unable to defend his title as the World record holder in the 110m hurdles (12.88 seconds), Cuba’s Dayron Robles went on to record a 12.87 in Beijing and take home gold.
Another highlight of the meeting will be the 100m face-off between former World record holder Asafa Powell of Jamaica and his American challenger Tyson Gay. At last week’s World Athletics Final, Gay came from behind to edge Powell with a 9.88 second performance. American Darvis Patton came in third and will also be competing here. Citing fatigue, Jamaican superstar Usain Bolt pulled out of the competition last week, ending his world-recording shattering season with golds in the Berlin World Championships (100m and 200m) and the World Athletics Final in Thessaloniki (200m)…..Read More
—IAAF
