Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang has said he's sorry for his withdrawal from the Olympics and that he will come back to the field once the injuries in his ankle heal.
Liu Xiang made the comment in an interview with the CCTV.
"There's so many people concerned about me and who support me. I feel very sorry. But there's really nothing I could do. I had no choice because the pain from a foot injury became unbearable."
On Monday, the 25-year-old pulled out from his heat in the 110 meter hurdles, which shocked the whole nation waiting to see him defend his Olympic title at home.
"I didn't know why things turned out this way. I wanted to hang on. But I couldn't. It was unbearable. If I had finished the race, I would have risked damaging my tendon. I could not describe my feeling at that moment.''
His head Coach Sun Haiping said in a post-race press conference that Liu Xiang had exacerbated a tendon injury in his right foot, which has been a problem for about six years, even before the Athens Olympics.
But Liu Xiang vowed to make a comeback.
"I know I have the ability, once my foot recovers. Now, the most important thing is to heal my injury. I still have a chance next year, after all I'm still in peak condition. I must be optimistic, and I shouldn't blame everyone and everything but not myself. I will not easily give up.''
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping has sent a message to the country's General Administration of Sport to express sympathy and encouragement for Liu Xiang and his coach.
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