Feature: China's "flying man" Liu Xiang ends dramatic career

China's "flying man" Liu Xiang announced his retirement on Tuesday, ending his 19-year dramatic career.

As China's first male Olympic champion on athletics, he waved farewell to millions of fans on weibo, a Chinese equivalent to Twitter.

"Farewell, my track, my hurdle," Li said. "It's a hard decision, but I have no other choice."

"Liu is an icon and a leader of Chinese athletics," said Du Zhaocai, the vice president of Chinese Athletics Association. "He achieved some great results and experienced some difficult time. We understand his decision and respect his choice."

The best known athletics Olympic champion in China was also a two-time quitter at the Olympic Games. He stunned the world twice at two consecutive Olympic Games with almost the same reason -- ruptured Achilles tendon.

"I love the track, but I hate my foot," Liu said on weibo. "I have to accept it. I decide to leave and start a new life."

Liu's retirement was not that surprising as he had never come back on the track after he limped out of the course from the London Games.

Fans had expected Liu to return to the track at the Beijing world championships this August, but Liu just put an end to the expectation.

It was the last time for Liu to compete at the "Bird's Nest" when he lamed off in a 110m hurdles heat at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Four months later, he underwent a foot surgery in the United States and had four calcium deposits removed from his right foot, which ruled him out of the 2009 world championships.

At that time, fans expected him to come back as a hero. Liu did come back.

After a 13-month absence, Liu returned to competition at the Shanghai Golden Grand Prix 2009 where he finished second. Then he demonstrated his full return to form at the Guangzhou Asian Games in 2010, winning the gold medal in 13.09 seconds -- making him the third fastest hurdler that season.

The "flying man" was unlucky at the 2011 Dague world championships. He could have repeated his title-winning feat in Osaka 2007, but the hand contact with Dayron Robles of Cuba disrupted his rhythm. Liu at last settled with a silver.

Liu went to the London Olympic Games as a hot favorite. However, the superstar shocked the world again in a similar way.

He crashed into the first hurdle in the heat and injured the same foot again. The only difference was that Liu hopped over the rest of the distance on his left foot to symbolically finish his race and kissed a hurdle.

Liu insists that taking part in London Olympics was his own decision. "I did it for myself as an athlete. I knew that my foot might be hurt, but I didn't think about it much at that time," he said. "Some people thought my fall was pretending. How could that be possible?"

He was taken to hospital and underwent a surgery in London. Since then Liu has not been in any competition.

As expected, Liu's retirement, though kept as low key as possible, still received huge attention. No one could deny Liu's achievement.

The Shanghai native started hurdling at 13, and joined the national team in 1999.

Liu won his first world title at the 2001 Universiade, and it was also China's first track and field gold in Universiade.

Liu made the history to win the 110m hurdles at the 2004 Athens Games, equalling Briton Colin Jackson's world record of 12.91 seconds.

He shattered the world record when he clocked 12.88 seconds at an IAAF meet in Lausanne in 2006, and he won the world champion in Osaka 2007 to become the first male hurdler to own Olympic and world titles and the world record at the same time.

Even after the tragic injury at Beijing Olympic Games, Liu managed to be back on his top form with a strong will.

In February 2015, Liu's coach Sun Haiping said: "Liu Xiang had his first try on wearing track shoes (since London Olympics) in December last year, but his Archilles tendon reacted negatively and we had to give up (seeking return)."

According to Liu's team doctor, Liu can manage only 13.50 seconds if he returns, which can not guarantee his qualification for top races.

Taling about his plan after the retirement, Liu said,"I will finish my study, but I will not leave track and field." Endi