The Pressure's On as China Rushes for Gold

BEIJING, July 24, 2008 — -- On the streets of Beijing, the face of China's first male Olympic track champion, Liu Xiang, is omnipresent. It is nearly impossible to walk one block without seeing his chiseled grin beaming down from a billboard. As a spokesman for Nike, Coca-Cola, and Cadillac, one would think Liu is set for life.

But in his final sprint toward the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Liu is experiencing more pressure than ever before.

After winning the 110-meter hurdles in Athens in 2004, Liu barely had time to enjoy the fruits of his victory before his countrymen began inquiring how he planned to defend his title on home turf four years later.

Now the Beijing Games are just 15 days away, and the expectations for Liu, one of China's most famous athletes, are epic. Today, the China Daily warned, "Defeat would be a disaster for him, for China and for his many admirers."

China's native son, known to deliver his best performances at major track competitions, can't help but feel the pressure himself. Today, he expressed his stress to the China Daily.

"I will try my best, but I still have to live after this period. I think that when I retire it will be better."

When asked if Chinese athletes feel more pressure to win gold medals in Beijing, He Yi, the deputy director of Competitive Sports Departments in the Beijing Sports Bureau, smiled.

"We are the host city of the host country!" He said. "For athletes here, that's even more encouragement to do well."

To Win Pride for One's Country

The intense hope for Liu to produce gold originates far beyond his adoring fans. The Chinese government measures the nation's athletic success by the team's performance at the Olympics.

Professor Susan Brownell, author of "Beijing's Games: What the Olympics Mean to China," says the expectations for these athletes is different. "Chinese athletes are under an incredible amount of pressure this year because of the notion that they should win glory for the nation," Brownell said.

There is a commonly used phrase in Chinese, "wei guo zheng guang," which means to win pride for one's country. According to Brownell, "That really does mean a lot for Chinese athletes."