Local boy Liu Xiang has been inextricably linked with the Shanghai meeting throughout its 11-year history. He was already an Olympic champion when it was established in 2005, but his victory in the 110m hurdles in Athens undoubtedly gave the new fixture immediate status, one that he continually burnished with his own performances over the years.<\/p>\n
Perhaps not so surprisingly then, hurdlers Aries Merritt, David Oliver and Xie Wenjun were asked their opinion on the icon of their generation of hurdlers, while the topic was broadened out to Li Jinzhe when it came to who would be the next icon of Chinese athletics. Through it all, Shelly-Ann Frase-Pryce maintained a dignified poise.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am,\u201d says Oliver. \u201cHe is,\u201d say Xie and Li.<\/p>\n
Olympic champion Merritt was first to go on the question of event icon.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m anyone\u2019s icon,\u201d Merritt replied, adding that he was positive \u201cDavid will say he is".<\/p>\n
\u201cI just try to be the best that I can be,\u201d said Merritt.<\/p>\n
True to his rival\u2019s prediction, Oliver did grasp the mantle.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely feel that I am the icon of the event, given my level of performance over 11 years,\u201d Oliver said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I don\u2019t expect anyone else to regard me as an icon,\u201d Oliver added, which was just as well as Merritt alongside him was looking a little iconoclastic.<\/p>\n
The question to Li and Xie was prefaced on the assumption that China now needed a new hero. Could they cope with the pressure, was the query.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Xie should take this responsibility,\u201d Li deadpanned, \u201cand become the flagship for our sport. Runners are more recognisable (than jumpers). People pay more attention to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Xie took a more inclusive line, before nominating Li.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe young (Chinese) generation keeps on growing and have achieved many breakthroughs, especially at the level of the Asian Games. You can expect that potential to start bearing fruit.<\/p>\n
\u201cI expect Li Jinzhe to become the next icon, and to win the gold medal in Rio.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even without Liu\u2019s presence, a significant amount of the pre-meeting press conference was taken up with a farewell ceremony for him which will take place after the final event \u2013 the hurdles, what else.<\/p>\n
Oliver and Merritt, two of Liu\u2019s greatest rivals over his career, will both take part in the ceremony, though clearly neither knew much more about it than that.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s one of the greatest in the sport,\u201d said Oliver, \u201cand has been an ambassador on the track for China. I\u2019m sure he will be an ambassador of it, too, in his new role.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s sad to see him leave, but he feels his time in the sport is up. I wish him well,\u201d said Merritt.<\/p>\n
On his form, Oliver said that he was in pretty good shape, despite a disaster at the Manchester City Games.<\/p>\n
\u201cForm-wise I\u2019m going pretty well \u2013 13.19 and 13.25 to start, and now a good competition here.\u201d<\/p>\n
But, he added, it was necessary to keep on building on a good start: \u201cThe home run you hit last night doesn\u2019t win today\u2019s game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Merritt has run 13.29. \u201cMy goal is to run faster than my season best,\u201d he said. \u201cThere is a lot of new talent in the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou never know what to expect in hurdles,\u201d Merritt added. The Doha IAAF Diamond League women\u2019s 100m hurdles was a reminder of that.<\/p>\n
Oliver demurred when asked if the Shanghai competition would be a dress rehearsal for the IAAF World Championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis time in 2013 I was running crap,\u201d he said bluntly. \u201cSo, for me, it had no bearing on what happened later (Oliver won the World Championships in Moscow).\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
Fraser-Pryce keen to leave 2014 behind<\/b><\/p>\n
Fraser-Pryce came back to earth a little in 2014 after a stellar 2013 which yielded two individual and one relay gold medal at the World Championships.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast year was disappointing,\u201d she admitted, \u201cbut it was important to stay active because 2015 is a World Championships year.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe field here is a good one, as always. It\u2019s hard to hide in women\u2019s sprints. There is always one, or sometimes many, to push you hard. I just want to execute my 100m really well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fraser-Pryce said she had started with a 22.37 this year, \u201cwhich I\u2019ve never done, including 2013, so I\u2019m feeling pretty good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fraser-Pryce indicated she may do the 100m only at this year\u2019s World Championships, though stressed the decision would be made in conjunction with her coach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf the coach says I can do it, then I will.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fraser-Pryce said she had run the 100m-200m double for the past three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard on your body and with the Olympic Games next year I don\u2019t know (if I want to do it again).\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n
Li lauds World Championships final field<\/b><\/p>\n
Li Jinzhe was under no illusions about the task facing him in the men\u2019s long jump.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt looks like the final of a World Championships,\u201d said Li. With names like Greg Rutherford, Aleksandr Menkov, current world leader Jeff Henderson, Godfrey Mokoena and Ignisious Gaisah on the list, it is hard to argue.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can regard this as a World Championships final,\u201d Li repeated for emphasis.
<\/b><\/p>\n
Len Johnson for the IAAF and the IAAF Diamond League<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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