Months of monotonous training have left Olympic 110 hurdles champion Liu Xiang feeling 'numb' and itching to race.
China's Liu, the world record holder, will take part in the Osaka Grand Prix on Saturday, his first major tournament since winning the 60m hurdles at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia in early March.
China's best hope of an athletics gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in August, Liu said long weeks of training had taken their toll.
'I am doing the same thing every day on the track. And every Saturday, I go home for a rest. Every week comes and goes and I really feel a bit numb,' the China Daily quoted Liu as saying.
'I just can't wait to go out and compete. The Osaka event comes just in time and I can relax and take a deep breath.'
The 24-year-old, who won the 110 hurdles title at the World Championships in Osaka last year and describes the Japanese city as his 'lucky place', will bid to win the Osaka Grand Prix for a fifth successive time.
The hurdler said he had been trying to keep motivated ahead of the Beijing Olympics.
'I don't think I'm myself right now. I do try to keep a healthy mind, as if I had never achieved any results,' said Liu, who became China's first male Olympic track and field gold medallist at the Athens Games in 2004.
'The difference from four years ago is that I am physically stronger and I run faster. I have also made some progress technically.
'The Beijing Games will be my second Olympics and it's for sure I am better than four years ago.'
