China’s Olympic gold medalist Liu Xiang smashed the 110-meter hurdles world record on July 12, setting a time of 12.88 seconds, 0.03 seconds faster than the previous mark, which had been shared by Liu and British sprinter Colin Jackson.
The record was set at the super grand prix meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland, which Liu believes is a “lucky place.” It was also in a grand prix meeting in Lausanne in 2002 that Liu had his first victory, where he broke Renaldo Nehemiah’s world junior record, which had been held for 24 years.
Liu noted that ever since the Olympic finals in Athens in 2004, he knew that he could do better, as did his coach, Sun Haiping. Sun attributed Liu’s success to an integrated set of reasons: the agreeable weather in Lausanne, the sound racing conditions and atmosphere, and the satisfactory accommodations and food provided by the organizing committee. More importantly, American sprinter Dominique Arnold, who reached the finish line right after Liu, was a great stimulant for Liu, Sun said, adding that the stronger his rivals are, the better Liu performs.
This victory was considered the most meaningful gift for Liu’s 23rd birthday, which came two days after the record was set.
“The outstanding achievement made by Liu Xiang has earned great honor for his motherland and all Chinese. It is also an enormous encouragement to all Chinese athletes who are preparing for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.”
Congratulatory message from the Chinese Olympic Committee
“The honor of being an Olympic champion and breaking the world record may have a negative impact on Liu Xiang. If all people believe that he must win the 2008 Olympic 110-meter hurdles, or that he will be the champion in the next Olympic Games, Liu Xiang will be under heavy pressure.”
Feng Shuyong, official at China’s General Administration of Sport
“The long-term India growth story is intact. Investors should continue to have confidence in the Indian economy. The markets are resilient.”
Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram, maintaining his forecast for 8 percent growth of India’s economy this year after the July 11 bomb attacks in Mumbai
“A yuan revaluation might prove meaningless because the real problem was that U.S. consumers were eager to buy low-cost Chinese goods. The U.S. has little to sell back to China but Boeing and beef, and that is something both China and the U.S. realize.”
Tao Dong, economist who specializes in non-Japan Asia at Credit Suisse, on China’s huge trade surplus
“We have agreed to seek a UN Security Council resolution, which would make the International Atomic Energy Agency-required suspension mandatory.”
French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, after a meeting of top diplomats of the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany at which they agreed to refer Iran’s nuclear issue to the UN Security Council
“Our action is aimed at exchanging prisoners [in Israeli jails], we do not want to escalate the clash or drag Lebanon and the region into war.”
Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, explaining his organization’s capture of two Israeli soldiers on July 12
“China’s strong external position provides insulation from external shocks and allows the authorities time to
introduce market-oriented reforms and restructure the banking system.”
Off the Record_Ｓｍａｓｈｉｎｇ ｔｈｅ Ｒｅｃｏｒｄ
闂傚倸鍊搁崐鎼佸磹閹间礁纾圭€瑰嫭鍣磋ぐ鎺戠倞妞ゆ帒顦伴弲顏堟偡濠婂啰绠婚柛鈹惧亾濡炪倖甯婇懗鍫曞煝閹剧粯鐓涢柛娑卞枤缁犳﹢鏌涢幒鎾崇瑨闁宠閰ｉ獮妯虹暦閸ヨ泛鏁藉┑鐘殿暜缁辨洟宕戝☉銏″剭闁绘垼妫勭壕濠氭煙閹规劦鍤欑紒鈧崘鈹夸簻闁哄啫鍊哥敮鍓佺磼閹邦厾娲存慨濠冩そ閹剝鎯旈埥鍡橆棏闂備胶枪缁绘垹绮欓幋鐐存珡婵犲痉鏉库偓鏇㈠箠韫囨稑鐓曢柟瀵稿Х绾剧厧顭跨捄鐚存敾妞ゃ儲绮撻幃妤€顫濋鈧Σ濠氭煃缂佹ɑ宕岀€殿喗鎸虫慨鈧柨娑樺楠炴劙姊绘担鍛婂暈缂侇喖鐗忕划鍫熸媴鐟欏嫭鐝烽梺鍦檸閸犳鎮″☉銏″€堕柣鎰邦杺閸ゆ瑥鈹戦鐓庘偓鍧楀蓟閻旂⒈鏁婇柛婵嗗閸嬫挸鈹戦崱娆愭闂佸湱鍎ら崹鐔肺ｉ崼鐔稿弿婵°倐鍋撴俊顐ｆ⒒濡叉劙鏁撻敓锟�濠电姷鏁告慨鐑藉极閸涘﹥鍙忛柣鎴ｆ閺嬩線鏌涘☉姗堟敾闁告瑥绻愰湁闁稿繐鍚嬬紞鎴︽煕閵娿儱鈧悂鍩為幋锕€纾兼慨姗嗗墻濡矂姊烘潪鎵槮闁挎洦浜濠氭偄閸忕厧浜遍梺鍓插亞閸犳捇宕欓敍鍕＝濞达絽鎼宀勬煕閵娿儳鍩ｇ€殿喖顭锋俊鎼佸煛閸屾矮绨介梻浣呵归張顒傜矙閹达富鏁傞柨鐕傛嫹 濠电姷鏁告慨鐑藉极閸涘﹥鍙忛柣鎴ｆ閺嬩線鏌熼梻瀵割槮缁炬儳顭烽弻锝夊箛椤掍焦鍎撻梺鎼炲妼閸婂潡寮诲☉銏╂晝闁挎繂妫涢ˇ銉х磽娴ｅ搫鞋妞ゎ偄顦垫俊鐢稿礋椤栨氨鐤€闂佸憡鎸烽懗鍫曞汲閻樼數纾藉ù锝呮惈椤庡矂鏌涢妸銉у煟鐎殿喖顭锋俊鎼佸煛閸屾矮绨介梻浣呵归張顒傜矙閹达富鏁傞柨鐕傛嫹 闂傚倸鍊搁崐鎼佸磹閹间礁纾圭€瑰嫭鍣磋ぐ鎺戠倞妞ゆ帒顦伴弲顏堟偡濠婂啰绠绘鐐村灴婵偓闁靛牆鎳愰悿鈧俊鐐€栭幐鍡涘礋闂堟稒娅栭梻鍌氬€搁オ鎾磻閸曨個娲晜閸撗呯厯闂佺懓顕慨閿嬬▔瀹ュ棎浜滈柡宥庡亜娴狅箓鏌ｉ幘鍗炲姦闁哄矉缍佸鎾倷濞村浜鹃柛锔诲幐閸嬫挸顫濋悙顒€顏�
