By Chen Xiangfeng (China Daily)
Updated: 2007-09-28 11:05

SHANGHAI: Veteran sprinter and longtime Liu Xiang rival Allen Johnson has announced he will most likely retire after the Beijing Olympics.

Age has caught up with the former Olympic and four-time 100m hurdles world champion, but he is motivated by the chance to compete in one more Olympics.

Newly crowned world champion Liu Xiang of China (L) and Allen Johnson of US attend a news conference before Friday's Golden Grand Prix in Shanghai September 26, 2007. Liu Xiang will face a stiff challenge from Olympic champions like Roger Kingdom and Allen Johnson. [Xinhua]

"I am really hungry for the competition," Johnson, 36, said in Shanghai, where he will fight it out with Liu and emerging Cuban Dayron Robles today at a Golden Grand Prix meeting.

"But the competitions and the Olympics in 2008 may be my last."

"For me next year is extremely important."

"After these I probably will not go for other competitions. So I will cherish them and I am really hungry."

Though Johnson has managed a few impressive runs in the past few years, he has been unable to arrest the slump that saw him fail to qualify for last month's World Championships in Osaka.

As the only hurdler who has run 10 sub-13-second races, American has achieved a number of glorious feats since his illustrious career began in 1994, none greater than his gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics in front of a home crowd.

The only honor that has eluded him is a world record time, but that's not something he will reflect on in future.

"I feel no regret for failing to break a world record so far," he said. "It is actually no regret for me."

"I have reached a high level, and I always strive for breaking the record."

"I hope I can break records in the future, but if I cannot, it is still OK."

Johnson was the dominant force in the sport until Liu burst onto the international stage.

The two have exchanged wins in competitions, even after Liu's historic gold medal for China at the Athens Games.

Allen beat his much younger Chinese rival at last year's World Cup.

Johnson has also encouraged Liu, 24, to keep faith in his own abilities even when stronger opponents push from behind.

"I always set high goals for myself," Johnson said.

"I have expectation for myself."

"In 1992 when I said that (I want to win the 1996 Olympics), I knew I could do it though there was a lot of work to do and many circumstances to face."

"But first of all I believe in myself."

As the world record holder, Liu won his first world championship title last month and is determined to emulate Allen's track and field longevity.

"I want to prove to everyone that besides surpassing him (on the track), when it comes to longevity, I also can keep running past 30," Liu said.

"I've already proven that I'm on a par with American and European athletes."

"Now I want to strive to compete in two more Olympic Games."

But the road to future success is dotted with challengers in Cuban Robles and Allen's fellow American guns.

"Liu Xiang is the best in the world."

"I hope I can achieve the same goal as he did," Robles said.