Liu adopts ambassadorial role as surgery looms

Liu Xiang will attend the IAAF World Athletics Gala at the end of this month in an informal ambassadorial role despite not being in the running for an award.

China's world champion hurdler would have been a contender for athlete of the year had he managed to defend his Olympic gold medal at the 110m hurdles in August, before a severe tendon injury forced him to withdraw during the preliminary heats.

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Liu, who is mulling surgery to fix the Achilles' tendon on his left foot, said he has responsibilities to live up as the de facto face of Chinese athletics.