Liu Xiang - ap

beijing, china

In any other city, at any other stadium, under any other circumstances, Liu Xiang might not have shown up at all.

His right hamstring has been bothering him for months. A tendon in his right foot flared up a couple of days ago.

This, however, was far from any old setting. This was the Bird's Nest, the 91,000-seat centerpiece of the Olympics.

The Beijing Olympics. And this was a moment, shortly before lunchtime Monday, that Liu's country of 1.3 billion had anticipated for years: China's only track and field superstar - one of China's most recognisable faces, period - competing to defend his 110-meter hurdles title at home.

Two full strides

And it ended after all of two full strides. Liu pushed out of his crouch, planted his left foot, then his right, then landed again on his left and began hopping on the good leg, dragging his bad one, as a second gun sounded to signal a false start by another runner. No one is disqualified by an initial false start, but Liu immediately tore the piece of paper with his number off each leg and headed for a tunnel, stepping gingerly all the way.

Just like that, his Olympics were over, later signified in the black-and-white parlance of the results sheet as "DNF" Ñ "Did Not Finish."

Very depressed

He left the stadium without speaking to reporters; China's track and field coach, Feng Shuyong, relayed that his hurdler was "very depressed."

"He couldn't imagine the pain he was suffering," Feng said. "Let me repeat: Liu Xiang will not withdraw unless the pain is unbearable."

Feng spoke at a news conference where tears flowed freely. Liu's personal coach, seated beside Feng, broke down soon after beginning to speak. Members of the Chinese media wept openly.

Liu's pursuit of the gold was supposed to be one of the main story lines of these Summer Games, from Monday's first round of qualifying through Tuesday's second round, Wednesday's semi-finals and Thursday's final.

"Everyone expected Liu to do well, as well as he did four years ago," Feng said. "That is the wish of all Chinese people."

For Liu has come to represent his nation's desire for international recognition and respect. So Liu tried. Oh, did he try. He tried to stretch and slap and massage leg muscles and will them to work. He tried to hide his anguish by pulling his red warm-up shirt over his head.