The Jamaica Star :: Sport :: Robles reflects on breaking Liu's record ... aims to take the Olympic title

Cuban runner Dayron Robles celebrates after setting a new 110-metre hurdles world record with a time of 12.87 seconds at the Golden Spike international athletics meet in Ostrava, Czech Republic, last Thursday. - AP

LONDON (AP)

Taking the world record from Liu Xiang was one thing. Now Dayron Robles has to overcome his Chinese rival in the chase for the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.

The Cuban athlete broke Liu's world mark in the 110-metre hurdles when he ran 12.87 seconds at Ostrava on June 12, compounding the pressure on the Olympic and world champion who is China's best hope for a track and field gold medal in Beijing in August.

"When you're the world record holder and somebody breaks it, it's a concern and it says, of course, your rivals are in great shape," Robles said in a telephone conference yesterday. "Maybe Liu will have to reflect on that. He's certainly aware his strongest rivals for Beijing are in great shape.

"The sprint hurdles are at such a high level that any athlete could surprise us at any time in the season and break the record like I did last week."

Medal contender

Terrence Trammell, the world championship silver medallist, was second to Robles at Ostrava and is one of a handful of hurdlers who could qualify through the US Olympic trials and be medal contenders in Beijing.

Despite holding the record, the 21-year-old Robles insists he is surprised to have it so early in the season because he is still working on his speed and learning the art of hurdling. One of his most valuable lessons stemmed from his disappointing disqualification at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia in March, after he'd posted nine of the 11 fastest times of the indoor season.

"I learned many things from that," he said, through a translator. Robles broke when he thought Liu had moved in the blocks at the start.

"I learned that every race needs very good, if not perfect, concentration - even in the qualifying rounds. You have to take every race as a world record race."

Congrats

Robles said he had not spoken with Liu since taking his record at Ostrava, though they had a mutual friend who had passed on Liu's regards. And he saw a note of congratulations from Liu on a Chinese website.

Despite the pressure on Liu from home and abroad, Robles still thinks the Chinese star remains favourite for Beijing.

"Four years ago when Liu Xiang won the Olympic gold in Athens, I was watching the race at home just after running at world juniors," he said. "I thought If I had a chance to run the Olympics in Beijing, I'm sure this guy would be hard to beat.

"I never thought I'd be where I am now. But ... Liu is the top favourite, even if he doesn't have the record, he continues to be the main guy to beat."

While Liu is limiting his races, Robles plans to run at least six times in Europe leading into the Olympics because he thinks he gains form by competing.

And while he likes racing against Liu because it is always close and brings out the best in him, he understands that the Chinese hurdler has his own programme and knows that it has worked well for him in the past - an Olympic gold medal and two world championship titles prove that.

Robles missed out on the medals in the 110 hurdles at the last world championships, placing fourth behind Liu, Trammell and another American, David Payne, at Osaka last August.

A journalist from Shanghai, Liu's hometown, asked Robles if he was afraid of the Chinese runner or had some kind of psychological problem in the big races.

"No, no - impossible," Robles said, his responses becoming progressively more animated. "I'm not afraid at all. I don't fear any man.

"Every time I step on the track, every race needs perfection," he said. "Not just psychologically and physically prepared, but execution. Anything can happen in major races.

"I take everything I have with me every time I step on the track. No fear or no psychological problem at all."

Cuba's runner Dayron Robles on his way to setting the 110-metre hurdles world record with a time of 12.87 seconds. - AP photos