Podium finishes boost star hurdler's growing confidence

BEIJING - After finishing third in two recent meets in Germany, China's former Olympic champion hurdler, Liu Xiang, believes he is on pace to return to the top of his sport after recovering from a serious foot injury.

Although still far from his best form, Liu said the two races in Europe had boosted confidence and he is now targeting the 2012 London Olympic Games.

"I'm satisfied with these two results in Germany as they reflect my real training condition at present," said Liu, the former world record holder.