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, according to AFP.
The sudden withdrawl of Liu, whose face can be seen on billboards and in TV ads pushing everything from local milk to Western brands, shocked fans, who count him as a symbol of China's success.
According to AP, at that moment, some members of the Chinese media watching the scene began to cry while thousands of his disappointed countrymen were heading for the exits.
Liu's surprise departure from the Olympics was a blow to advertisers including Coca Cola and Nike that made the 25-year-old hurdler a star of campaigns aimed at Chinese consumers, AP reported.(转自:教育123网)