LiuXiangwasbornonJuly13,1983inShanghai,China.Heistheonlychildofatruckdriverandawaitress.Liuwasselectedandenrolledinajuniorsportsschoolinthefourthgradeandinitiallysucceededatthehighjumpbywinningthenationalhigh-jumptitleforboyshisageinhisfirstyearofcompetition.Atage15hemethurdlecoachSunHaiping,whopersuadedhimtoswitchevents.

　　isaChinese110metrehurdler,anOlympicGoldmedalist,thereigningWorldChampion,andistheworldrecordholderinthe110metrehurdlesat12.88seconds.[1]His2004OlympicgoldmedalwasChina'sfirstinamen'strackandfieldevent.FurthermoreheisthefirstChineseathletetoachievethe"triplecrown"ofathletics(WorldRecordHolder,WorldChampionandOlympicChampion)concurrently.

　　2000

　　AlthoughhiscoachSundescribedLiuXiang'stechniqueas"terrible"inthebeginning,Liudebutedinternationallyattheworldjuniorchampionshipsin2000,finishingfourthinthe110metrehurdlesevent.

　　2001

　　InMay,hewonatEastAsianGamesinOsaka,Japanwith13.42seconds.InAugust,hewonatWorldUniversityGamesinBeijing,Chinawith13.33seconds.

　　2002

　　InJuly,LiuwonasilvermedalatIAAFGrandPrixinLausannewithaworldjuniorandAsianrecordtimeof13.12seconds(+1.6m/stailwind)inthe110metrehurdles.Immediatelyafterthatrace,LiuaskedoneofhisheroesAllenJohnson,thethenworldnumberonesprinthurdler,foranautograph,andwheninterviewedatthattimeabouttheAthensOlympicGamestobeheldtwoyearslater,Liustatedthathewouldhavebeensatisfiedwithqualifyingjustforthefinals.Infact,helaterwentontowinthatOlympicgoldmedal.Inthesameyear,Liualsosettheworldjuniorindoorrecordholderinthe60mhurdleswithatimeof7.55seconds.Intheprocessofrunningalongerdistance,Liualsosettheworldjuniorindoorrecordforthe50mhurdleswithatimeof6.52seconds.However,thesetwoparticularindoorrecordswerenotofficiallyrecognizedbytheIAAF.

　　2003

　　InMarch,Liuwonabronzemedalin60metrehurdlesatIAAFWorldIndoorChampionshipsinAthleticsinBirmingham,UKwith7.52seconds.InAugust,Liuwonabronzemedalin110metrehurdlesattheIAAFWorldChampionshipsinAthleticsinParis,Francewith13.23seconds.andHewasalsonamedthatyear'sChineseMaleAthleteoftheYearthroughthevoteofChinesesportsjournalists.

　　2004

　　LiuXiangcelebratingatthe2007WorldChampionshipashebecametheWorldChampionforthefirsttime.

　　InMay2004atanIAAFraceinOsaka,Japan,LiumanagedtobeatJohnsonwithanAsianandpersonalbestrecordtimeof13.06seconds.Liuhadbecomehishero'sequaljustbeforetheAthensOlympicGames.

　　Liuwonthegoldmedalatthe2004SummerOlympicsinAthensinthe110metrehurdlesevent,equalingColinJackson's1993-setworldrecordof12.91seconds.Thewindassistance(tailwind)forJackson'sracewas+0.5m/swhereasLiu'swindassistancewas+0.3m/s.Thiswasalsothefirsttimeanathleteofnon-Africandescenthadgoneunder13secondsforthe110metrehurdles.Liualsobecamejustthesixthmantopostatimeunder13secondsforthisevent.TheecstaticLiuatoncefulfilledthegreatpromisehehadshowninsettingaworldjuniorrecordtwoyearsearlierandraisedthehopesofhiscompatriotsforarepeatvictoryatthe2008GamesinBeijing.Liusaidthathisperformance,whichbrough