(Sports Focus) Chinese sports sees hope as new leaves sprout

Su Bingtian is a little fella on the track, looking especially so when he ran along with the nearly 2-meter tall Usain Bolt over 100 meters in the Beijing world championships.

His achievement, however, towers in the Chinese athletics history when the 26-year-old, standing at 1.72 meters, became the first Chinese man to run in a world championships 100 meters final.

Two nights ago, the capacity national stadium Bird's Nest gave a standing ovation to Su despite his last and ninth finish in the final where Jamaican "Lightening" Bolt defended his title.

The deafening cheers and thunderous applause much resembled the scene in which the country expectantly watched her first male Olympic and world champion on the track, Liu Xiang, walk to the start line in 2008, only to be astonished to see he limp away from the 110m hurdles heat of his home Olympic Games.

Su may be yet to be able to fill in the vacancy left by the Chinese athletics' leading figure who retired early this year. He broke a seemingly unsurmountable barrier in men's sprint events for China just as Liu turned into a great champion in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, to say the least.

Su admitted that he was very much inspired by Liu's story although he refused to be labeled as "successor".

"Liu proved with his prime time results what the Chinese can achieve," said Su.

"I don't want to be called a 'successor' or some sort, I just want to be myself, but Liu really is my lucky star," he said.

When Su became the first Chinese who has ever dipped under 10 seconds, setting a national record of 9.99 seconds at Eugen Diamond League Eugene on May 30, Liu was watching, less than two weeks after announcing his retirement, and gave Su heartfelt congratulation.

As Su ran side by side with Bolt in the semifinal to nail a final qualification in 9.987 on Sunday, Liu sat as a commentator, happy to see his legacy was carried on, in some ways. Rumor had it that Liu turned off an eight digit offer for a reality show prior to the world championships.

"I have more confidence now and so will many more Chinese young athletes, I think," said Su. "I gained strength from all my predecessors who have inched for the better each generation. I believe Chinese athletes can eventually stand on the podium although it is going to be very, very difficult. But I have faith."

Long and difficult as it may be, the expectation somehow eased China's anxiety for the lack of sporting heroes in a country that had seen internationally renowned basketballer Yao Ming, two-time Grand Slam winner Li Na and then Liu Xiang all bid farewell to their professional careers.

As Yao announced his retirement on July 20, 2011, the New York Times said in a headline report that China "is unprepared to replace him". Then Li Na left to expect her baby in 2014 and Liu hung up his boots in 2015. A golden era for Chinese sports seemed about to end when a new generation of stars sprouted.

Nint Zetao, for one, rose from a just good-looking swimmer to a sporting idol as the 22-year-old navy lieutenant created history by becoming the first Chinese to win the men's 100m freestyle world title. Endi