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Behind the scenes as Liu Xiang quits competition
Author:admin Date:2008-08-20
Liu Xiang’s withdrawal from the 110-meter hurdles due to injury left millions of his fans in tears this week, and gave thousands of journalists from all over the world a busy day.
I was covering a marathon match far from the Bird’s Nest when I heard that the 25-year-old gold medalist had pulled out of the competition. I immediately called a taxi and rushed to the stadium. On the streets of Beijing, many people stopped walking and were gathering in front of the large screens erected at public places showing the Games. Back at the Main Press Center, most journalists were out. Other journalists who weren’t inside the stadium were rushing here and there to collect information from others.
The widely watched news conference broadcast live on China’s Central Television was held at the Bird’s Nest.
Journalists from Xinhua news agency and the People’s Daily, whose newsrooms were just opposite to ours, were very busy as many foreign journalists were trying to interview them about Liu’s shock pullout. When an overseas journalist walked out of Xinhua’s newsroom, I went up to him for a chat.
The journalist, Matti Tapio Vaisanen, is from the Finland Broadcasting Company. He thought it was normal for an athlete to withdraw from competitions due to injuries. He said he fully understood Liu’s decision and felt nothing unusual. “An athlete’s health is the most important thing,” he added. He also asked my opinions on Liu’s withdrawal and what other Chinese people would think about it.
I also interviewed some journalists from USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Reuters and The Associated Press. Most of them said they fully understood Liu’s decision.
During interviews at the press center, it was interesting that whenever Chinese journalists tried to interview our foreign counterparts, we were surrounded by other foreign journalists eager to interview us.
Apart from the journalists, the busiest people that day were the sponsors. After Liu’s withdrawal, they reacted even more swiftly than the press. Coca-Cola arranged a press conference at the press center the next day and invited lots of reporters. Their spokesman said the company understood Liu’s withdrawal and would continue its advertising contract with the hurdler.
Liu’s dropout was disappointing, yet it was heart-warming to see the support from so many people.
During the following day’s athletic program, there were still crowds of people gathering around the Bird’s Nest. They told me they came to watch the performance of Shi Dongpeng, who is China’s No.2 hurdler. The spectators said they would always support Chinese athletes.
I was covering a marathon match far from the Bird’s Nest when I heard that the 25-year-old gold medalist had pulled out of the competition. I immediately called a taxi and rushed to the stadium. On the streets of Beijing, many people stopped walking and were gathering in front of the large screens erected at public places showing the Games. Back at the Main Press Center, most journalists were out. Other journalists who weren’t inside the stadium were rushing here and there to collect information from others.
The widely watched news conference broadcast live on China’s Central Television was held at the Bird’s Nest.
Journalists from Xinhua news agency and the People’s Daily, whose newsrooms were just opposite to ours, were very busy as many foreign journalists were trying to interview them about Liu’s shock pullout. When an overseas journalist walked out of Xinhua’s newsroom, I went up to him for a chat.
The journalist, Matti Tapio Vaisanen, is from the Finland Broadcasting Company. He thought it was normal for an athlete to withdraw from competitions due to injuries. He said he fully understood Liu’s decision and felt nothing unusual. “An athlete’s health is the most important thing,” he added. He also asked my opinions on Liu’s withdrawal and what other Chinese people would think about it.
I also interviewed some journalists from USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Reuters and The Associated Press. Most of them said they fully understood Liu’s decision.
During interviews at the press center, it was interesting that whenever Chinese journalists tried to interview our foreign counterparts, we were surrounded by other foreign journalists eager to interview us.
Apart from the journalists, the busiest people that day were the sponsors. After Liu’s withdrawal, they reacted even more swiftly than the press. Coca-Cola arranged a press conference at the press center the next day and invited lots of reporters. Their spokesman said the company understood Liu’s withdrawal and would continue its advertising contract with the hurdler.
Liu’s dropout was disappointing, yet it was heart-warming to see the support from so many people.
During the following day’s athletic program, there were still crowds of people gathering around the Bird’s Nest. They told me they came to watch the performance of Shi Dongpeng, who is China’s No.2 hurdler. The spectators said they would always support Chinese athletes.
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go liu xiang!!!! i will always be your #1 fan