Liu to skip worlds, race in September

Injured hurdler Liu Xiang's first competitive race following surgery in the US last year will be at the 2009 Shanghai Golden Grand Prix in September, meet organizers said yesterday.

The Athens Olympics gold medalist and reigning world champion will miss the opportunity to defend his world title in Berlin in August but his return is sure to please fans in his hometown of Shanghai.

Liu is now training behind closed doors to avoid the distracting glare of the media after his coach Sun Haiping pleaded for peace and quiet to get China's most famous track and field star back in tip-top shape.