劉翔從預賽的退出，是體育界當局的最大失誤和遺憾，可惜，可歎 (圖)

古巴的Dayron Robles 在今年6月的110 米欄國際比賽中創新的世界記錄。
Dayron Robles of Cuba on his way to setting a new world record in the 110-meter
hurdles at the Golden Spike international athletics contest in Ostrava,
Czech Republic, on Thursday. Vladislav Galgonek/Associated Press

劉翔從奧運會預賽的退出，很使世界上的奧運會觀眾，感到沮喪，失望，傷心。
讓一個運動員負擔起這麽多觀眾的期待，就是對一個沒有腿傷的田徑運動員來說，
也是巨大的精神負擔。世界記錄成為別人瞄準的目標，本來能連拿兩屆奧運金牌的
田徑運動員就不多。

今年六月，古巴運動員Dayron Robles 創110米跨欄的最新世界記錄時，就已有跡象，
劉翔將麵臨前所未有的挑戰。當時看了紐約時報的文章，真替劉翔耽心。

"It's such a good time; I wasn't expecting that. Wow!" Robles, who wore
glasses and a cross around his neck, told reporters after his record race.
"I do not know if I can beat Liu Xiang in Beijing now. But we will see."

“He's a tall guy with quick feet who is very efficient over the top of
the hurdles," Renaldo Nehemiah of the United States, a former world-record
holder and the first man to run the event in less than 13 seconds, said
of Robles in a recent interview. "Obviously, the road to Beijing travels
through Liu. He's not going to give it to him. But in a one-race environment,
all it takes is one mistake and anything can happen."

真是不幸而言中。

遺憾的是， 國內的媒體，尤其是體育界當局，一直就沒有采取很好的保護措施，包
括公關措施。結果，公眾的熱情與期待上漲到無以複加的地步。參加奧運會，不光
運動員需要做好必要的心理及身體的準備，觀眾也需要做準備，準備和運動員一起
分擔勝利或失利，這本來就是任何競技運動無法分割的部分。老話說，弦不能拉得
太滿。

國家的興亡是靠人民大眾的共同努力，無法讓任何一個個人背負起這樣重的擔子。
金錢和榮譽既可以使人出名，也可以使人在這種壓力下“盛名難負”。這樣的例子
不少了。

祝願劉翔能好好在身體及心理方麵恢複，也希望下一個劉翔會受到更好的保護，不
隻是在體育運動的訓練場上，也在商場上，在名利場上。

沒看那場預賽，因為感覺不好。

紐約時報，By JERE LONGMAN，Published: June 13, 2008

Dayron Robles of Cuba set a world record of 12.87 seconds in the 110-meter
hurdles Thursday, eclipsing the mark previously held by China's most celebrated
Olympic star and setting the stage for a potential upset in the country's
most eagerly awaited event at the Summer Games in Beijing.

Robles, 21, set his record at a meet in Ostrava, the Czech Republic, shaving
by one-hundredth of a second the record time of Liu Xiang of China, the
2004 Olympic champion and the favorite in Beijing this August.

Liu, who set his record in 2006 and has become highly visible in China as
a star athlete and corporate pitchman, did not participate in Thursday's
race. His outdoor season has been brief and disappointing. A hamstring injury
kept Liu from participating in the Reebok Grand Prix meet in New York on
May 31. Last weekend, a false start disqualified him from the Prefontaine
Classic in Eugene, Ore.

And now, Liu's record has been surpassed by Robles, who defeated the Chinese
champion twice outdoors last season but has struggled to perform to his
capabilities in major championship races.

As it prepares to host the Olympics, China has been dealing with a devastating
earthquake and has been facing criticism over the issues of human rights
and news media freedoms. On a competitive level, it now faces questions
about its two most renowned Olympic stars □Liu and the N.B.A. player Yao
Ming, who had foot surgery in March and whose availability for the Beijing
Games remains uncertain.

"It's such a good time; I wasn't expecting that. Wow!" Robles, who wore
glasses and a cross around his neck, told reporters after his record race.
"I do not know if I can beat Liu Xiang in Beijing now. But we will see."

Liu was scheduled to return to China after the Prefontaine meet and has
said he would not compete again until the Beijing Olympics, which will be
held from Aug. 8 to 24. But his American-based agent, Mark Wetmore, said
the chances were better than 50-50 that Liu would run in a meet on the European
circuit in July, perhaps in Madrid, Rome or Athens.

"He said he wanted to go home to make sure his hamstring was O.K.," Wetmore
said. "It's his decision about running. But if he's going to come back,
a Golden League meet would make the most sense, where he'd have the best
possible competition."

Robles has clearly gained top form as Liu tries to restore his health. On
Thursday, Robles shaved five-hundredths of a second -- a considerable amount
-- from his previous best, 12.92 seconds, run last September.

In the clouded world of track and field, where doping has been rampant,
Robles is sure to face some skepticism about his performance. He has not
failed a drug test.

Thursday's performance by Robles, who is 6 feet 3.5 inches, was the second
stunning record effort in two weeks. Usain Bolt of Jamaica ran 9.72 seconds
to set the world record in the 100 meters at the Reebok Grand Prix meet.

Robles is no newcomer to the hurdles the way Bolt is to the 100. Last year,
Robles defeated Liu twice, at a meet in Paris and again at a race in Shanghai.
Cuba has long been known for the technical skill of its hurdlers and coaches.
Anier Garcia of Cuba won the 110 hurdles at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney,
Australia.

“He's a tall guy with quick feet who is very efficient over the top of
the hurdles," Renaldo Nehemiah of the United States, a former world-record
holder and the first man to run the event in less than 13 seconds, said
of Robles in a recent interview. "Obviously, the road to Beijing travels
through Liu. He's not going to give it to him. But in a one-race environment,
all it takes is one mistake and anything can happen."

Liu seems to have one advantage: he seems to be at his best in major championships,
and Robles does not. Robles finished a disappointing fourth to Liu last
August at the world track and field championships in Osaka, Japan.

Then, after a dominant indoor season in 2008 in the 60 hurdles, Robles mistakenly
believed a false start had been called on Liu in the first round of the
indoor world championships in March in Valencia, Spain. Robles stopped running
and was eliminated from the competition, which Liu eventually won. They
are considered friends, and Liu offered his condolences.

The next time the two men are scheduled to meet, an Olympic gold medal will
hang in the balance.

“There is no favorite,”Allen Johnson of the United States, the 1996 Olympic
champion, said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/sports/olympics/13track.html