Intro:

China's former Olympic and world champion hurdler Liu Xiang announced on Tuesday (7 April) he is to retire following years of nagging injuries.

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China's Olympic 110-metre hurdles gold medallist and former world record holder Liu Xiang announced his retirement on Tuesday.

Liu became China's first male Olympic champion in athletics when he won the 110-metre hurdles at the 2004 Games in Athens, equalling Briton Colin Jackson's world record of 12.91 seconds.

Three years later he won a world championship gold in Osaka, Japan.

Liu went on to better the world record to 12.88 seconds in Lausanne, Switzerland in July 2006.

Aries Merritt of the United States is current world record holder in 12.80 seconds.

The sprinter's biggest disappointment came at the 2008 Beijing Games, Liu was forced to limp off in a first-round heat with an aggravated Achilles tendon injury following another runner's false start.

Four year later at the London Olympics, Liu Xiang pulled out the competition following claims of a similar injury.

It is due to the continuous injury issues that the sprinter has chosen to retire.