China’s former Olympic champion and world record holder Liu Xiang finished third in the 60m hurdles on Friday at the Dusseldorf indoor meet, his first European appearance in three years.
Liu finished behind Petr Svoboda of the Czech Republic and the US’ Kevin Craddock, who were both clocked at 7.57seconds.
Olympic champion and current 110m hurdles world record holder Dayron Robles of Cuba had been due to run, but pulled out.
PHOTO: AFP
“I am in really good form at the moment,” Svoboda said. “I didn’t expect to win, but when I saw Dayron Robles wouldn’t be starting, I knew I could do it. It was a very strong field and a good test for the indoor season.”
The 27-year-old Chinese superstar Liu timed 7.60 seconds, 0.18 off his personal best of 7.42 set in February 2007.
Earlier in the evening, Liu was second in his heat in a time of 7.66 seconds.
Liu, who will also run at the Karlsruhe event today, last appeared in Europe in March 2008 when he clinched the world indoor title in Valencia.
However, since that victory, his career has been marred by injuries, notably pulling out of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 just a year after being crowned world champion.
He raced sparingly in the waning months of 2009, returned to action indoors last year to reach the final at the World Indoor Championships in Doha, but raced just once outdoors that spring before taking another extended break.
However, he returned to form in November when he timed 13.09 seconds to take his third -successive Asian Games title to end the season as the third-fastest high hurdler outdoors.
Meanwhile, Saint Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins equalled the best time of the year in the men’s 60m in a time of 6.52 seconds.
The 34-year-old Collins, the world 100m champion in 2003, equaled the time set by Jamaican Nesta Carter, set in New York on Jan. 28.
“A new best time, excellent!” Collins said. “I wasn’t expecting that here, the competition I was facing was pretty good.”
Kenyan teenager Isiah Kiplangat Koech became just the fourth man to run the 5000m in under 13 minutes when he clinched victory in 12 minutes, 53.29 seconds.
The 17-year-old follows Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele, who set the world record in 2004 (12 minutes, 49.60 seconds) and Haile Gebrselassie (12 minutes, 50.38 seconds), as well as fellow Kenyan Daniel Komen (12 minutes, 51.48 seconds).
Another Kenyan, Nixon Chepseba, set a season best of 3 minutes, 34.65 seconds in the 1500m.
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