Companies rush in as Liu bows out

After a long absence from competition, Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang has found himself back in the headlines in more ways than one.

Messages and pictures of the star athlete have circulated on major Internet portals and social networking platforms. Only this time, the media hype appears more related to money than sporting success.

Soon after Liu announced his retirement on Tuesday through his micro blog, international and domestic companies rushed to launch marketing campaigns featuring him, in the hope of maximizing their commercial interests.