May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

BEIJING, May 24: World champion Liu Xiang gave 45,000 Chinese a taste of gold here Saturday and threw down the gauntlet to his rivals when he won a pre- Olympic test event at the main Olympic stadium.

Just under 11 weeks from the Olympic opening ceremony, Liu clocked the world’s third fastest time this year of 13.18 sec to win in comfort from Shi Dongpeng, who timed 13.29, and Ji Wei, who finished in 13.42.

Liu, who won the Olympic title in Athens four years ago, and about 1,000 other athletes including more than 100 overseas competitors, are taking part in the four-day China Open Athletics Championship which opened Thursday at the stadium known as the Bird’s Nest.

Few big names from international athletes took part and none of Liu’s top rivals were here to challenge him. Most are preparing for big events in Europe or the United States.

But the expectation of the Chinese crowd was pressure enough and may even have contributed to jitters for Liu who was guilty of a rare false start before haring to victory.

“I feel really good,” he said afterwards, praising the crowd for their warm support. “Although it is a test event, I gave 100 percent.”

Liu shared the spotlight with the 90,000-seater National Stadium, an eye-catching structure of interwoven steel beams which will be the centrepiece of the Beijing Games and has been a major crowd-puller for months in Beijing during its final construction.

Liu said that he was hoping for a repeat Olympic gold in August and said he hoped the Bird’s Nest, “will be the second birthplace of my dreams.”

—AFP