China suffered a massive setback Monday to its hopes of winning gold on the track when superstar Liu Xiang sensationally pulled out of the 110m hurdles, taking the gloss off the hosts' best Olympics ever.
The country's 1.3 billion people had been banking on Liu to shine, but he has been troubled by a foot tendon injury and was clearly in pain when he lined up for his race and pulled up before the first hurdle in a false start.
The dejected star, one of the faces of the Beijing Olympics along with basketballer Yao Ming, limped down the tunnel of the Birds Nest stadium to a stunned silence from the patriotic crowd.
Liu, the defending champion, has been absent from international competition for most of the year and his coach Sun Haiping said the hurdler has been suffering from the Achilles' heel injury for six to seven years.
‘It just got worse,’ Sun said at a hastily arranged press conference in which he broke down in tears.
‘His right heel injury has been a problem since six years ago, even before the Athens Olympics.
‘On August 16, we arrived at the Olympic village, medical experts analyzed Liu's injury and specified there was a problem on Liu's Achilles's tendon.’
Seldom could there have been more pressure and expectation placed on an athlete than there has been on Liu since he confirmed his class in winning the title in Athens four years ago.
The 25-year-old - who added world gold last year - looked a dead certainty to defend his title successfully up until Cuban Dayron Robles threw down the gauntlet this season.
While Liu has not been seen on the European circuit 21-year-old Robles has torn it up with some devastating performances.
He capped it by breaking Liu's world record in a stunning hurdling display in Ostrava, Czech Republic, timing 12.87 seconds in June and clocked 13.39 seconds in his heat Monday to be hot favoutirte for gold.
His sudden withdrawl shocked fans, who count Liu as a symbol of China's burgeoning success in the world.
‘I can't believe this has happened. He is my hero,’ said Sun Yejun, 30, a Volkgswagon quality control engineer in Beijing as she wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.
‘I came here especially to see him. I am devastasted. I just bought one ticket. The Olympics is over for me as well as Liu Xiang.’
It also took the shine off China revelling in its best Olympic gold medal achievement.
The host country has bettered the 32 gold it won in Athens and is on its way to becoming only the third country since World War II - after the United States and the Soviet Union - to top the end-of-Games medal table
Its state-run media celebrated the gold rush that threatens US sporting supremacy.
‘China's team is fully flowering,’ commented the official Xinhua news agency. ‘The March of the Volunteers (China's national anthem) is ringing out in every stadium.’
On Day 10 of competition, China has 35 gold to the United States' 19, but the track and field is traditionally an American domain and the balance of power is expected to shift.
Cui Dalin, deputy chef de mission of the Chinese delegation, admits it is not China's strong point and said the medals would likely start drying up.
‘Chinese lag behind in track and field. Despite all the efforts we have made to improve, it is still a long way to go before we catch up with the world level,’ he said.
‘With events like track and field, China's pace in winning gold medals will slow down.’
Chinese gymnasts have already had their best Olympics since Los Angeles in 1984 where they won four gold.
So far, the hosts' have five gold - men's team, women's team, men's all-around, men's pommel horse and men's floor exercise - and more can be expected.
