Although the Chinese regime has ordered the nation’s media to give a unified explanation of Liu Xiang’s exit from the 110 meter hurdle competition, speculation and evidence available on the Internet continues to point to an explanation more controversial than a simple foot injury.
Commentators are now alleging Liu’s last-minute exit from the race was a ploy devised by Liu, together with his coach, Beijing Olympic Committee members, state media and high-level government officials.
The purpose? To lessen the fallout from Liu’s Olympic failure.
The regime’s reaction to Liu’s withdrawal was swift. Xi Jinping, vice chairman of China, immediately told the National Bureau of Sports to pass on the word to Liu and his coach, Sun Haipang, that everyone understood his withdrawal.
Also, when Liu left the stadium on August 18, there were no Chinese Communist Party leaders watching the competition at the site.
Cao Changqing, a political commentator based in the US who writes for the Taipei Times, questions why Liu quit at the scene of the race rather than beforehand.
In an article called “Eight doubts about Liu Xiang,” Cao says evidence that Liu had already decided he could not race can be seen in the way he tore his race number off his leg after a false start sent the runners back to the blocks.
