Flashes of Panic

You wouldn’t know it from the hype in the USA, particularly if you aren’t a track fan, but the biggest night of the Beijing Olympics will only involve Americans as bit players.

Liu Xiang is the defending World and Olympic champion in the 110m hurdles. Until earlier this summer, he was the World Record holder in that event at 12.88. Ever since he won the World title in Osaka last summer, track fans have been speaking of the short hurdle final, on Thursday the 21st at 9:45 PM, in hushed tones. There’s only one marquee event with 1.4 billion fans behind a potential winner.

It’s not really possible to describe the weight being placed on this event, though Jere Longman of the NYT makes a good effort. Fans who remember Sydney in 2000 raise, as a reference point, Cathy Freeman in the women’s 400m there. Freeman, the Australian aboriginal who lit the torch in Sydney, made her win look so easy we forget the crushing pressure she was under, and Freeman had neither the championship history of Liu, nor as capricious and difficult an event.

And, of course, Australia is a good deal smaller than China. But still, Sydney’s Olympic stadium will probably never again be as full as it was that evening, with spectators and media from other events cramming the aisles. I’ll be bringing earplugs that night.

2004 World Series Red Sox? Little league. It’s easy enough to imagine the jubilation if Liu wins. It’s hard to guess about the despair if he loses (the phrase “national disaster” leaps to mind), and there will be seven other men on the track pretty determined to take that medal for themselves.

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