On August 26th, Olympic champion Liu Xiang suddenly sought help online, stating that the Shanghai Sports Bureau presented him with two future options: either buy out his years of service for money and leave the system, or work as a coach. This immediately sparked heated discussions. Subsequently, the Shanghai Sports Bureau responded by saying that they had communicated with Liu Xiang in the afternoon, mainly to ensure his proper placement.
At 43 years old, Liu Xiang posted a plea for help on his personal Weibo account on August 26th, saying, “Encountered a difficult situation: hoping that the vast number of online friends can give me some advice. The Sports Bureau is asking me to either buy out or work as a coach, what should I do?” The accompanying picture was his bib number 1363 from winning the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
The topic tagged as “Liu Xiang Seeks Help” quickly trended on Weibo.
Sports influencer “Mai Zi Ge Ge QaQ” posted, “Liu Xiang seeks help! Liu Xiang’s retirement process from the 2008 Beijing Olympics! Liu Xiang suddenly seeks help on Weibo; this matter is not simple. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, his retirement was not because he didn’t want to run, but because someone forced him to withdraw due to an injury. The result? Out of the 17 endorsement deals, only Nike remained, and the entire internet criticized him as ‘Liu Running’ for over a decade.
“Now the Sports Bureau is giving him two choices: buy out or become a coach. In plain terms, the system that once harmed him now wants to tie him back in? Support buying out. He has sacrificed enough for this system; it’s time for him to live for himself.”
Digital reviewer and automotive tester “Chen Yu Chuan” wrote, “Even Olympic champion Liu Xiang encounters the choice scenarios of ordinary people. Sprinter Liu Xiang posed a real-life choice question on social media. He asked for help from netizens, with the Sports Bureau providing two options: either buy out, settling in one go to leave the system and gain freedom; or stay and work as a coach, continuing to work within the system. The accompanying picture was his bib number from the Athens Olympics, evoking countless memories.”
Weibo original video blogger and influencer “Shi Bu Gui” said, “Seeing the topic #Liu Xiang Seeks Help# is quite moving. Liu Xiang is a milestone figure in Chinese track and field history. Now he faces two paths: buying out and leaving or returning to the system to work as a coach. Each choice has its pros and cons, making it difficult for anyone to simply choose one.
“If he chooses to stay and work as a coach within the system, the advantages are practical: retaining his status and position, maintaining stability, being rooted in the track and field system, passing on his hurdling techniques and championship experience to the next generation of hurdlers. It’s a way to give back to the sport that once made him successful.
“However, the downsides cannot be ignored. Liu Xiang has experienced the scrutiny of being a top athlete and endured massive online backlash. Being a coach is a tedious, high-pressure job within the system, involving desk work, meeting performance criteria, and facing the pressure of athletes’ results. The former speedster must now face the mundane management of grassroots training day after day and bear the responsibility for athletes’ performance, with the media possibly harshly criticizing his coaching based on his past athlete achievements. If he coaches well, it’s expected, but if not, his past glory may become a burden.
“If he chooses to buy out, he would completely sever ties with the system, giving up his official status and related benefits, reclaiming complete personal freedom. He can engage in track and field promotion, public service, commentary, commercial activities at his own pace, without being bound to a system position. Liu Xiang has given his all to representing his country, enduring injuries from two Olympic withdrawals and facing public ridicule in the past. Opting for an ordinary life now is entirely reasonable.
“However, the drawbacks are evident: ending affiliations, benefits, and narrowing future connections with the official track and field system.”
E-sports blogger Wang Wei Chen speculated, “Is there a possibility that the Sports Bureau wants Liu Xiang to work as a coach, but Liu Xiang does not want to? The Sports Bureau then says if he doesn’t want to work, he should just buy out and leave the system. So Liu Xiang posted a Weibo to put pressure on the Sports Bureau.”
Subsequently, the Shanghai Sports Bureau responded, stating that in accordance with the relevant regulations on the retirement placement of athletes from the General Administration of Sport of China and the city of Shanghai, on the afternoon of August 26th, the Shanghai Athletic Sports Training Management Center communicated with Liu Xiang. They plan to properly place him by organizing his settlement or allowing him to choose his own livelihood.
On August 27, 2004 (early morning of August 28th Beijing time), in the men’s 110m hurdles final at the Athens Olympics, Liu Xiang broke the Olympic record with a time of 12.91 seconds, equaling the world record set by British athlete Colin Jackson, winning the gold medal and becoming the first male Olympic champion in Chinese track and field history.
In 2015, Liu Xiang retired and has been in a special “in-name only” placement status for a long time.