Sponsors vow to stand behind Liu

Several of Liu Xiang's sponsors have said they will continue to support the track star despite his untimely departure from the Beijing Olympics.

Sports brand Nike has already changed the tag line of one of its print advertisements featuring Liu to read "Love Sport Even When It Breaks Your Heart".

The company said in a statement yesterday that it is proud of the association it has with Liu and is looking forward to his return to the track.