It's not a job, it's a passion

　　WHEN Liu Xiang won the 110-meter hurdles (跨栏) at the Athens Olympics in 2004, he did it in a world record-tying time of 12.91 seconds. At that time, the world thought that Asians (亚洲人) couldn't run.

　　Shocked (震惊地), a Greek TV reporter said: "In first place, it's ... it's a Chinese man…He is Mr Liu. Congratulations to Mr Liu from China!"

　　The 24-year-old Liu has become a symbol (标志) of China's national pride. He appears in many ads. He is in a textbook for students in Shanghai. Liu was even allowed to become a PhD (博士) student at a Shanghai university without taking an exam.

　　In every race, the Chinese people want him to break a record. He is one of our nation's great hopes for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

　　That's why when Liu doesn't get gold people are disappointed (失望的).

　　"You can't win every race. It needs the right atmosphere (气氛), a good track (跑道) and the right competitors. Most importantly, you need to be on your best form," said Liu.

　　He said this after setting a new world record in an international competition in Switzerland (瑞士) in July 2006. Liu won the race in 12.88 seconds.

　　In 2006 Liu did a good job. He becomes No 1 with the International Association of Athletics Federations (体育联盟国际协会) for the men's 110-meter hurdles.

　　"I'm nobody special," said the 1.88-meter-tall hurdler. He trains five to six days a week. In his spare time, Liu plays online video games and enjoys karaoke. He says he has little time to think of having a girlfriend. "I don't watch many movies either," he added.

　　"For some, running is just a job," Liu said. "But for me, it's everything."

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　　Your turn: writing

　　What must it be like to wait for the starting pistol to fire? What do you think goes through an athlete's head in the moments before the race begins?