Off Track ..... Yao sends message to comfort Liu

Basketball star Yao Ming has sent a message of consolation to Liu Xiang, who withdrew from the men's 110m hurdles on Monday and sent the entire nation into mourning.

"The road ahead is long. Cheer up, Liu," Yao wrote in a text message to Sun Haiping, Liu's coach.

"There are two decisive factors in the life of an athlete. One is his or her best performance; the other is sum of the athlete's whole career."