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Gold Medalist Liu Xiang Sticks to Homebody Ways for World Championships

hinese hurdler Liu Xiang doesn't see himself as an idol in his nation.

     Yet he can't go out for a meal without friends having to shield away fans. He gets written about when he simply moves into a new house and has his own web site where admirers leave messages about how much they love him.

     ``I don't see myself as a hero,'' he said. ``I don't really know how other people feel about me.''

     Liu is just as popular as basketball player Yao Ming, maybe even more so since he doesn't leave the country to play for the Houston Rockets. Liu won't agree with that, though.

     ``We never compete on (popularity),'' Liu said through an interpreter at a press conference Sunday at a downtown Osaka hotel. ``That's not comparable, basketball and track and field. We do whatever we're supposed to do.''

     In Liu's case, what he does is win. He's the favorite in the men's 110-meter hurdles at the track and field world championships. Liu is also the current world record holder _ setting the mark in 2006 as he finished in 12.88 seconds _ and won Olympic gold in Athens.

     The 24-year-old Liu is not treating the world championships any different. To him, it's just another competition. He's won a bronze (in 2003) and silver (2005) in previous world championships, but never a gold.

     ``There's no special expectations for this one,'' said Liu, who will begin the hurdles competition on Wednesday. ``I'm just going to do my best.''

     Asked what he'll do before the night of his event, the laid back Liu smiled and said, ``Sleep.''

     With the Olympic Games coming to Beijing next summer, Liu will be the face of the games for China. But he doesn't want to think about it this far out.

     ``There's not much point in talk,'' Liu said in an earlier interview in his hometown Shanghai. ``You just have to get your form and your attitude right and let your hard work produce results.''

     Liu almost was a high jumper instead of a hurdler. But he was discouraging from the high jump when he was younger and was turned onto the hurdles by coach Sun Haiping. Liu went professional in 2002, winning gold that year at the Asian Games in South Korea.

     ``I knew the high jump was not for me,'' Liu said. ``I didn't know what else I could do until coach started to teach me. Hurdling is a very happy way of living.''

     Even if it's meant giving up some of his freedom. He can't venture out on his own and it makes having a girlfriend, ``harder than any hurdle I've had to jump.''

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     Then again, he's more of a stay-at-home person anyway.

     I don't usually go out,'' he said. ``I'm usually back at home.'' Fame has its perks, too. He recently shot a music video, which flamed a rumor that he liked to sing, and was actually pretty good.

     So at his press conference, Liu, who was wearing a white Chinese T-shirt with a Nike swoosh on it, was questioned about his ability to carry a tune.

     He just laughed.

     ``I run better than I sing,'' he said.

     Liu does pretty well in the running department. He brings in an estimated US$2 million (euro1.51 million) yearly.

     However, Liu shot down speculation that he'd make countless more millions if he won a gold in Beijing.

     ``I don't know where you get that information,'' he said. ``Everybody knows that track and field athletes aren't paid that well. Money to me is only numbers. I just want to keep my normal life. As a person, you wear one T-shirt; you can't wear 10.''

     ___

     Associated Press Writer Christopher Bodeen in Beijing contributed to this story.

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